Introduction to Flight System Design for Unmanned Aerial Systems

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) continue to evolve as integral platforms for research, surveillance, and autonomous operations. This paper presents a comprehensive introduction of UAS flight system design, focusing on the integration of critical hardware and software components to achieve reliable and efficient flight control. Key areas include microcontroller selection, printed circuit board (PCB) design, sensor integration, communication protocols, data logging strategies, and task management techniques. To demonstrate these concepts in practice, the paper introduces the custom-designed Viper flight controller, developed for the specific application of testing control law models on small UAS, including a scaled F-16 platform. The Viper controller’s hardware configuration employs a multi-processor architecture to separate input/output tasks from core flight control operations. On the software side, the implementation of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and efficient data management protocols ensures reliable control and telemetry transmission. Sensor integration is addressed with a focus on inertial measurement units (IMUs), magnetometers, GPS, and airspeed sensors, highlighting filtering methods to enhance data accuracy. The use of MAVLink for telemetry and communication between the flight controller and ground control systems is also discussed. Additionally, data logging techniques are presented, comparing binary and ASCII formats, and addressing challenges related to data integrity and storage using non-volatile memory. The methods and strategies presented in this work are broadly applicable to advanced UAS development, supporting flexible and resilient flight-control solutions for both research and field operations. The topics covered serve as introductions to their respective areas, and further study is recommended to ensure each technique is applied effectively and appropriately in specific applications.