Sky-drones Platform

Sky-Drones Platform

The Sky-Drones Platform helps to integrate drones in custom end-to-end workflows with an abundance of advanced features that are essential to enterprise customers including:

• Real-time digital HD video streaming;
• Real-time payload data processing (e.g. computer vision);
• Real-time flight control (e.g. target tracking, collision prevention and obstacle avoidance);
• In-flight telemetry and payload data streaming directly to customer’s cloud;
• Drone-to-drone communications;
• Running custom apps directly on the drone (edge computing);
• Safely performing autonomous BVLOS missions with real-time control.

Sky-Drones Platform Structure

Software

​* Advanced drone software powered by SmartAP AIRLink . ​* GCS - super easy and intuitive 3D mission planning and remote flight control applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android + web application in the skydrone-cloud. ​: * 3D mission planning & control web application; * Drone fleet management, performance monitoring, post-flight AI-analytics; * Integration services, the “glue” that connects drones, apps, partners and customers’ software (see how was designed for customers).

• Tightly integrated partner software such as UTM services, fleet management solutions, flight logs, etc.

Hardware

Sky-Drones provides its users with a comprehensive set of leading drone avionics, entirely designed and manufactured in the UK:

​* SmartAP Airlink - the most advanced AI drone flight controller; ​* AIRLink Telemetery System - broadband AES-256 encrypted digital datalink for 20km. ​* SmartLink - broadband digital datalink with an onboard computer and LTE option for third-party autopilots;

• ​ SmartAP PDB - power distribution board with the voltage / current sensor and power supply; ​* SmartAP GNSS - high-precision GNSS, barometer and magnetometer module. Sky-Drones ships its partner drones and accessory equipment (for instance, uAvinoix pingRX ADS-B receiver). We are listed sellers for our partners so make sure you to find out more!

Sky-Drones Platform Options

Sky-Drones Platform is fully compatible with different types of aircraft. Sky-Drones customers have been using the platform for years in BVLOS and EVLOS flights, alongside fully autonomous and GNSS-assisted manual missions.

Sky-Drones offers two major purchasing options:

• Quick-start using comprehensive ready-made hardware and free software sets;
• Attractive terms for bulk purchasing customers and customization requirements:
  • on-site production;
  • deep hardware and software customization;
  • integration with customer’s infrastructure. For further information please see:

hardware purchasing and production options

Hardware Purchasing and Production Options

Learn more about the different option for getting Sky-Drones Hardware Sky-Drones offer two major purchasing options:

• Purchasing hardware from Sky-Drones website or via international dealers;
• On-site production.

Purchasing Hardware from Sky-Drones

We appreciate the different integration levels required by the drone manufacturers. Therefore we offer two slightly different editions of AIRLink - the most advanced drone avionics: Enterprise and Core. AIRLink Enterprise is ideal for a quick start, evaluation and prototyping while Core is optimised for deep integration and mid-high volume manufacturing.

SmartAP AIRLink Core edition is intended for medium to high volume production and deep integration with customer’s hardware. The weight of electronics is only 80g and can be tightly integrated in the airframe design. However, heat dissipation requirements (provided by Sky-Drones) should be met for proper system operation.

Purchasing hardware from Sky-Drones website or via international dealers;

On-site production

• Licensed Production The Sky-Drones team helps setting up the production on-site and performs turnkey production commissioning. Manufacturing technology is not disclosed. This option allows customer to optimize the logistics and produce the system locally.
• Reference Design The Sky-Drones team installs all the equipment on-site and performs turnkey production commissioning as well as transferring production technology.

This option is intended for:

• Drone manufacturers;
• High-volume production;
• Excessively tight integrations.

You can:

• Manufacture at your own factory;
• Control the volume;
• Modify schematics and layout to suit your needs.

You receive:

• Schematics / layout / CAD / BOM;
• Engineering support from the Sky-Drones team.

This option would suit well to large volume orders, e.g. UAV fleets. Interested? ​ Hardware customizations In any of the above cases, the Sky-Drones team would be glad to slightly or deeply customize hardware to fit the customer’s requirements.

software deployment options

Software Deployment Options

Learn more about the different options of running Sky-Drones software

• Quick and easy start Sky-Drones software comes free with the hardware. You can use the most advanced ready-made hardware and a free comprehensive set of SmartAP GCS + Sky-Drones Cloud software package. UAV manufacturers can use all Sky-Drones software (including Sky-Drones Cloud) within their hardware absolutely for free

• Sky-Drones Platform On-Premise Deploy the platform on your server and use it privately. You can your own Sky-Drones Cloud!

Software customization and integrations

The Sky-Drones team implements software customizations according to your requirements and custom integrations with your IT systems.

Your custom drone software

​smartAP_Airlink has cutting-edge equipment and system software. It allows you to enable drones for advanced scenarios involving AI and connectivity features. The following options are available:

• Your team develops custom drone software and installs on AIRLink;
• Sky-Drones team develops custom drone software for you;
• You buy ready-made software from Sky-Drones partners. Interested? ​

SmartAP AIRLink

The most Advanced AI Drone Flight Controller AIRLink stands for Artificial Intelligence & Remote Link. The unit includes a cutting-edge drone autopilot, AI mission computer and LTE connectivity unit. Start your enterprise drone operations with AIRLink and reduce the time to market from years and months down to weeks.

• SmartAP AIRLink launch video

AIRLink product launch video (< 2 min) SmartAP AIRLink Launch Webinar (LIVE) On April 14th, 2021 Kirill Shilov, Founder & CEO Sky-Drones held a live launch webinar where he presented the three-in-one revolutionary product to the drone industry. Watch the full webinar recording on YouTube if you missed the live event.

AIRLink launch webinar SmartAP AIRLink - How it’s made Take a look at AIRLink manufacturing process.

SmartAP AIRLink - How it’s made Datasheet Please refer to the PDF datasheet below for the detailed technical specifications.

hardware

• Hardware SmartAP AIRLink hardware architecture overview

  General specifications

  smartAP AirLink has two computers and integrated LTE Module:

• The flight control computer (autopilot) has a triple-redundant vibration-dampened and temperature-stabilized IMU.
• The powerful AI mission computer enables like computer vision and obstacle avoidance, digital HD video streaming, and payload data streaming.
• LTE and WiFi connectivity modules provide permanent broadband internet connection which is enabler for remote workflows.

Flight Controller specifications

AI Mission Computer specifications

LTE Connectivity specifications

SmartAP AIRLink Datasheet

SmartAP AIRLink Datasheet.pdf

SmartAP AIRLink Enterprise and Core

We appreciate the different integration levels required by the drone manufacturers. Therefore we offer two slightly different editions of AIRLink - the most advanced drone avionics: Enterprise and Core. AIRLink Enterprise is ideal for a quick start, evaluation and prototyping while Core is optimised for deep integration and mid-high volume manufacturing.

Enterprise

​’s Enterprise edition is intended for prototyping and low to medium volume drone production. Quick and easy installation thanks to the dedicated mounting holes and integrated heatsink for power dissipation.

Core

​’s Core edition is intended for medium to high volume production and deep integration with customer’s hardware. It weighs only 89 g and can be attached to a metal frame for optimum cooling. Looking for CAD model? It’s available .

Hardware feature highlights

• Easy to mount

I 4xM3 mounting holes

• Front-facing FPV Camera

Front-facing FPV camera included in the set

Interfaces

This page describes general information and interface location of SmartAP AIRLink.

Connectors pinout

Left side

Left side Power input with voltage & current monitoring AI Mission Computer micro SD card Flight Controller micro SD card AI Mission Computer USB Type-C PPM input, SBUS output, RSSI monitor

POWER - JST GH SM10B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 12V IN +12V Main power input 2 12V IN +12V Main power input 3 12V IN +12V Main power input 4 BAT_CURRENT IN +3.3V Battery current monitoring 5 BAT_VOLTAGE IN +3.3V Battery voltage monitoring 6 3V3 OUT +3.3V 3.3V output 7 PWR_KEY IN +3.3V Power key input 8 GND ​ ​ Ground 9 GND ​ ​ Ground 10 GND ​ ​ Ground

• CPU SD card - microSD
• CPU USB - USB Type C
• RC Connector - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB

Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V 5V output 2 PPM_IN IN +3.3V PPM input 3 RSSI_IN IN +3.3V RSSI input 4 FAN_OUT OUT +5V Fan output 5 SBUS_OUT OUT +3.3V SBUS output 6 GND ​ ​ Ground

• FMU SD card - microSD Right side

Right side Ethernet port with power output Telemetry port Second GPS port Spare I2C / UART port Flight controller USB Type-C Micro SIM Card HDMI input port (payload camera)

ETHERNET - JST GH SM08B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Radio module power supply 2 5V OUT +5V Radio module power supply 3 ETH_TXP OUT +3.3V Ethernet transmit positive 4 ETH_TXN OUT +3.3V Ethernet transmit negative 5 ETH_RXP IN +3.3V Ethernet receive positive 6 ETH_RXN IN +3.3V Ethernet receive negative 7 GND ​ ​ Ground 8 GND ​ ​ Ground Ethernet interface is decoupled with capacitors. Ethernet cable should be twisted to reduce EMI noise. Shorter cables are recommended for increased performance and higher bandwidth of the interface.

TEL3 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART2_TX OUT +3.3V Telemetry 3 TX 3 USART2_RX IN +3.3V Telemetry 3 RX 4 USART2_CTS IN +3.3V Telemetry 3 CTS 5 USART2_RTS OUT +3.3V Telemetry 3 RTS 6 GND ​ ​ Ground

I2C3 / UART4 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART4_TX OUT +3.3V UART 4 TX 3 USART4_RX IN +3.3V UART 4 RX 4 I2C3_SCL I/O +3.3V I2C3 Clock 5 I2C3_SDA I/O +3.3V I2C3 Data 6 GND ​ ​ Ground

GPS2 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART8_TX OUT +3.3V UART 8 TX GPS2 3 USART8_RX IN +3.3V UART 8 RX GPS2 4 I2C2_SCL I/O +3.3V I2C2 Clock 5 I2C2_SDA I/O +3.3V I2C2 Data 6 GND ​ ​ Ground

FMU USB - USB Type C SIM Card - micro SIM HDMI - mini HDMI Front side

Front side Main GNSS and compass port Main telemetry port CSI camera input CAN 1 CAN 2

TEL1 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART7_TX OUT +3.3V Telemetry 1 TX 3 USART7_RX IN +3.3V Telemetry 1 RX 4 USART7_CTS IN +3.3V Telemetry 1 CTS 5 USART7_RTS OUT +3.3V Telemetry 1 RTS 6 GND ​ ​ Ground

GPS1 - JST GH SM10B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART1_TX OUT +3.3V GPS 1 TX 3 USART1_RX IN +3.3V GPS 1 RX 4 I2C1_SCL I/O +3.3V MAG 1 Clock 5 I2C1_SDA I/O +3.3V MAG 1 Data 6 SAFETY_BTN IN +3.3V Safety button 7 SAFETY_LED OUT +3.3V Safety LED 8 +3V3 OUT +3.3V 3.3V output 9 BUZZER OUT +5V Buzzer output 10 GND ​ ​ Ground

CAN1 - JST GH SM04B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 CAN1_H I/O +5V CAN 1 High (120Ω) 3 CAN1_L I/O +5V CAN 1 Low (120Ω) 4 GND ​ ​ Ground

CAN2 - JST GH SM04B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 CAN2_H I/O +5V CAN 2 High (120Ω) 3 CAN2_L I/O +5V CAN 2 Low (120Ω) 4 GND ​ ​ Ground

CAMERA - FPC 30 pin, 0.5mm pitch Rear side

Read side SBUS input 16 PWM output channels 2x LTE antenna sockets (MIMO) WiFi antenna socket (AP & Station modes)

Serial ports mapping

SmartAP AIRLink has a large number of serial ports with the following pinout:

UART Port Path Description UART1 /dev/ttyS0 GPS 1 UART2 /dev/ttyS1 Telemetry 3 UART3 /dev/ttyS2 Debug console (internal connector) UART4 /dev/ttyS3 Telemetry 4 UART5 /dev/ttyS4 Telemetry 2 (used internally with Mission Computer) UART6 /dev/ttyS5 PWM IO Module (used internally) UART7 /dev/ttyS6 Telemetry 1 UART8 /dev/ttyS7 GPS 2

air module content

verything you need to setup and start using SmartAP AIRLink Unboxing Video

AIRLink Set content

SmartAP AIRLink set includes everything needed to setup the system and get prepared for the flight. Standard set contains: 1x AIRLink Enterprise unit 1x FPV camera with CSI cable 1x WiFi antenna with MMCX connector 2x LTE antenna with MMCX connector 1x HDMI to mini HDMI cable 1x set of cables (7 cables for all connectors) 1x JST-GH to Ethernet RJ45 dongle

AIRLink Telemetry set content

AIRLink Telemetry provides broadband AES-256 encrypted private channel for 20km. If LTE connectivity is sufficient for your applications then you don’t need AIRLink Telemetry set.

1x Ground module 1x Air module 2x Ground module antennas 2x Air module antennas 1x Telemetry cable 1x Ground module power cable

Installation

Let’s install and setup SmartAP AIRLink

Minimum Installation Setup

1. Connect WiFi and LTE antennas Take SmartAP AIRLink Enterprise and connect WiFi and LTE antennas.

SmartAP AIRLink with antennas from the set

WARNING: DO NOT power the AIRLink without antennas! Powering up the system without antennas may cause malfunction of the radio modules and permanent damage. Powering up without antennas voids warranty.

Connect the WiFi antenna to the WiFi socket (middle) by gently pushing on the antenna connector:

AIRLink with WiFi antenna connected:

Connect LTE antennas to LTE1 and LTE2 sockets (sides):

1. Connect FPV camera Camera connection is not necessary but recommended. This will allow you to test your setup and video streaming after the initial software setup described in the following sections. First of all, take something sharp and unlock the CSI camera port connector by pulling it a bit at each side:

Then insert the FPC cable from the camera and gently push back the black part of the connector mechanism until it locks itself tightly:

Repeat the same procedure with the camera socket. Once done you should have the camera connected to AIRLink.

1. Connect power supply Take the main power supply cable and connect this to the power source.

We recommend to use SmartAP PDB for the power distribution. It has a current sensor and DC-DC converters for 5V and 12V to power SmartAP AIRLink and other peripherals. Connect power cable to 12V output of SmartAP PDB. Connect power monitor cable (voltage and current) to the dedicated pins on SmartAP PDB.

DANGER: Make sure to connect the cable with the right polarity. Reversing polarity may damage the equipment permanently and will void warranty. The recommended power supply voltage is 12V. The acceptable input voltage limits are 10V - 20V. Next, connect the power cable to AIRLink as shown on the image below:

Minimum installation setup is complete. If you would like to test the system you can refer to the next section and power it up for the initial configuration. If you would like to connect the other peripherals, please refer to the Full Installation Setup below. Proceed to the initial power up or set up the other peripherals. It’s recommended to start with the Minimum Installation Setup for the very first power up.

Full installation setup

1. Connect GNSS Receiver Take SmartAP GNSS Module with GNSS cable:

Connect it to the GPS 1 port on the front side of AIRLink:

Assembled component will look as follows:

1. Connect RC Receiver Install RC receiver and connect it to the SBUS port of AIRLink on the rear side:

Fully assembled component will look as follows:

If you’re using any other than SBUS type of the receiver, please refer to the Interfaces section for more info.

1. Connect Telemetry Radio Module Connect AIRLink telemetry module to Ethernet port of SmartAP AIRLink as shown on the image below:

Please refer to the dedicated page for more detailed instructions regarding Air module connection:

1. Connect HDMI Payload Camera Take HDMI cable, HDMI-in capable video camera and SmartAP AIRLink.

Connect HDMI cable to AIRLink input port:

Fully assembled component will look as follows:

1. Insert microSD card Insert microSD card into FMU SD slot. This SD card is needed for flight logging.

Inserted microSD card will looks as follows:

1. Insert SIM Card Insert SIM Card into SIM Card slot as shown on the image below:

Inserted SIM Card will looks as follows:

If it is not necessary, do not remove Interfaces This page describes general information and interface location of SmartAP AIRLink. Connectors pinout Left side Left side Power input with voltage & current monitoring AI Mission Computer micro SD card Flight Controller micro SD card AI Mission Computer USB Type-C PPM input, SBUS output, RSSI monitor POWER - JST GH SM10B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 12V IN +12V Main power input 2 12V IN +12V Main power input 3 12V IN +12V Main power input 4 BAT_CURRENT IN +3.3V Battery current monitoring 5 BAT_VOLTAGE IN +3.3V Battery voltage monitoring 6 3V3 OUT +3.3V 3.3V output 7 PWR_KEY IN +3.3V Power key input 8 GND ​ ​ Ground 9 GND ​ ​ Ground 10 GND ​ ​ Ground CPU SD card - microSD CPU USB - USB Type C RC Connector - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V 5V output 2 PPM_IN IN +3.3V PPM input 3 RSSI_IN IN +3.3V RSSI input 4 FAN_OUT OUT +5V Fan output 5 SBUS_OUT OUT +3.3V SBUS output 6 GND ​ ​ Ground FMU SD card - microSD Right side Right side Ethernet port with power output Telemetry port Second GPS port Spare I2C / UART port Flight controller USB Type-C Micro SIM Card HDMI input port (payload camera) ETHERNET - JST GH SM08B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Radio module power supply 2 5V OUT +5V Radio module power supply 3 ETH_TXP OUT +3.3V Ethernet transmit positive 4 ETH_TXN OUT +3.3V Ethernet transmit negative 5 ETH_RXP IN +3.3V Ethernet receive positive 6 ETH_RXN IN +3.3V Ethernet receive negative 7 GND ​ ​ Ground 8 GND ​ ​ Ground Ethernet interface is decoupled with capacitors. Ethernet cable should be twisted to reduce EMI noise. Shorter cables are recommended for increased performance and higher bandwidth of the interface. TEL3 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART2_TX OUT +3.3V Telemetry 3 TX 3 USART2_RX IN +3.3V Telemetry 3 RX 4 USART2_CTS IN +3.3V Telemetry 3 CTS 5 USART2_RTS OUT +3.3V Telemetry 3 RTS 6 GND ​ ​ Ground I2C3 / UART4 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART4_TX OUT +3.3V UART 4 TX 3 USART4_RX IN +3.3V UART 4 RX 4 I2C3_SCL I/O +3.3V I2C3 Clock 5 I2C3_SDA I/O +3.3V I2C3 Data 6 GND ​ ​ Ground GPS2 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART8_TX OUT2. Connect FPV camera Camera connection is not necessary but recommended. This will allow you to test your setup and video streaming after the initial software setup described in the following sections. First of all, take something sharp and unlock the CSI camera port connector by pulling it a bit at each side:

Then insert the FPC cable from the camera and gently push back the black part of the connector mechanism until it locks itself tightly:

Repeat the same procedure with the camera socket. Once done you should have the camera connected to AIRLink.

1. Connect power supply Take the main power supply cable and connect this to the power source.

We recommend to use SmartAP PDB for the power distribution. It has a current sensor and DC-DC converters for 5V and 12V to power SmartAP AIRLink and other peripherals. Connect power cable to 12V output of SmartAP PDB. Connect power monitor cable (voltage and current) to the dedicated pins on SmartAP PDB.

DANGER: Make sure to connect the cable with the right polarity. Reversing polarity may damage the equipment permanently and will void warranty. The recommended power supply voltage is 12V. The acceptable input voltage limits are 10V - 20V. Next, connect the power cable to AIRLink as shown on the image below:

Minimum installation setup is complete. If you would like to test the system you can refer to the next section and power it up for the initial configuration. If you would like to connect the other peripherals, please refer to the Full Installation Setup below. Proceed to the initial power up or set up the other peripherals. It’s recommended to start with the Minimum Installation Setup for the very first power up.

Full installation setup

1. Connect GNSS Receiver Take SmartAP GNSS Module with GNSS cable:

Connect it to the GPS 1 port on the front side of AIRLink:

Assembled component will look as follows:

1. Connect RC Receiver Install RC receiver and connect it to the SBUS port of AIRLink on the rear side:

Fully assembled component will look as follows:

If you’re using any other than SBUS type of the receiver, please refer to the Interfaces section for more info.

1. Connect Telemetry Radio Module Connect AIRLink telemetry module to Ethernet port of SmartAP AIRLink as shown on the image below:

Please refer to the dedicated page for more detailed instructions regarding Air module connection:

1. Connect HDMI Payload Camera Take HDMI cable, HDMI-in capable video camera and SmartAP AIRLink.

Connect HDMI cable to AIRLink input port:

Fully assembled component will look as follows:

1. Insert microSD card Insert microSD card into FMU SD slot. This SD card is needed for flight logging.

Inserted microSD card will looks as follows:

1. Insert SIM Card Insert SIM Card into SIM Card slot as shown on the image below:

Inserted SIM Card will looks as follows: +3.3V UART 8 TX GPS2 3 USART8_RX IN +3.3V UART 8 RX GPS2 4 I2C2_SCL I/O +3.3V I2C2 Clock 5 I2C2_SDA I/O +3.3V I2C2 Data 6 GND ​ ​ Ground AIRLink has integrated 1.5KΩ pull-up resistors for all I2C lines. No external pull-up resistors required. FMU USB - USB Type C SIM Card - micro SIM HDMI - mini HDMI Front side Front side Main GNSS and compass port Main telemetry port CSI camera input CAN 1 CAN 2 TEL1 - JST GH SM06B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART7_TX OUT +3.3V Telemetry 1 TX 3 USART7_RX IN +3.3V Telemetry 1 RX 4 USART7_CTS IN +3.3V Telemetry 1 CTS 5 USART7_RTS OUT +3.3V Telemetry 1 RTS 6 GND ​ ​ Ground GPS1 - JST GH SM10B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 USART1_TX OUT +3.3V GPS 1 TX 3 USART1_RX IN +3.3V GPS 1 RX 4 I2C1_SCL I/O +3.3V MAG 1 Clock 5 I2C1_SDA I/O +3.3V MAG 1 Data 6 SAFETY_BTN IN +3.3V Safety button 7 SAFETY_LED OUT +3.3V Safety LED 8 +3V3 OUT +3.3V 3.3V output 9 BUZZER OUT +5V Buzzer output 10 GND ​ ​ Ground CAN1 - JST GH SM04B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 CAN1_H I/O +5V CAN 1 High (120Ω) 3 CAN1_L I/O +5V CAN 1 Low (120Ω) 4 GND ​ ​ Ground CAN2 - JST GH SM04B-GHS-TB Pin number Pin name Direction Voltage level Function 1 5V OUT +5V Power supply output 2 CAN2_H I/O +5V CAN 2 High (120Ω) 3 CAN2_L I/O +5V CAN 2 Low (120Ω) 4 GND ​ ​ Ground AIRLink has integrated 120Ω CAN bus termination resistor. To comply with ISO 11898 user the second 120Ω resistor at the other end of the bus. CAMERA - FPC 30 pin, 0.5mm pitch Rear side Read side SBUS input 16 PWM output channels 2x LTE antenna sockets (MIMO) WiFi antenna socket (AP & Station modes) Serial ports mapping SmartAP AIRLink has a large number of serial ports with the following pinout: UART Port Path Description UART1 /dev/ttyS0 GPS 1 UART2 /dev/ttyS1 Telemetry 3 UART3 /dev/ttyS2 Debug console (internal connector) UART4 /dev/ttyS3 Telemetry 4 UART5 /dev/ttyS4 Telemetry 2 (used internally with Mission Computer) UART6 /dev/ttyS5 PWM IO Module (used internally) UART7 /dev/ttyS6 Telemetry 1 UART8 /dev/ttyS7 GPS 2 Looking for CAD files? Here they are: Want to see the detailed full specifications? Here is the PDF datasheet: the antennas from the connector. The connectors are quite fragile and are rated for only a limited number of matching cycles. Bad connection can result in reduced RF communication performance.

1. Connect FPV camera Camera connection is not necessary but recommended. This will allow you to test your setup and video streaming after the initial software setup described in the following sections. First of all, take something sharp and unlock the CSI camera port connector by pulling it a bit at each side: Then insert the FPC cable from the camera and gently push back the black part of the connector mechanism until it locks itself tightly: Repeat the same procedure with the camera socket. Once done you should have the camera connected to AIRLink.
2. Connect power supply Take the main power supply cable and connect this to the power source. We recommend to use for the power distribution. It has a current sensor and DC-DC converters for 5V and 12V to power and other peripherals. Connect power cable to 12V output of . Connect power monitor cable (voltage and current) to the dedicated pins on . DANGER: Make sure to connect the cable with the right polarity. Reversing polarity may damage the equipment permanently and will void warranty. The recommended power supply voltage is 12V. The acceptable input voltage limits are 10V - 20V. Next, connect the power cable to as shown on the image below: Minimum installation setup is complete. If you would like to test the system you can refer to the next section and power it up for the initial configuration. If you would like to connect the other peripherals, please refer to the Full Installation Setup below. Proceed to the initial power up or set up the other peripherals. It’s recommended to start with the Minimum Installation Setup for the very first power up.

Initial Power Up

Powering up SmartAP AIRLink for the first time after wiring the peripherals

1. Power up the AIRLink You will see that various LEDs will turn on and some of them will start blinking. This means that the AIRLink is live and booting up. In particular, make sure that the PWR green LED is solid. This means that the AIRLink is powered up and running properly. PWR green LED is solid meaning that the unit is powered up properly

2. Connect to AIRLink WiFi Check available WiFi networks on your computer or tablet and connect to AIRLink network to set up the initial WiFi connection of the AIRLink. Find AirLinkConfig_XXXXX network and connect to it:

Default password: airlink1

1. Open web browser Once you’re connected to the AIRLink network, open the web browser and proceed with the initial configuration. Click the following link to open .

You will see the following welcome page:

SmartAP AIRLink Dashboard This page displays the generic information about the system including its status, system ID and current software version. You can see the current WiFi network status by clicking WiFi Settings:

By default, AIRLink is configured as the access point. If you would like to connect AIRLink to your home or office WiFi network then click the Connect to another WiFi network button.

1. Connect to WiFi You will see the discovered WiFi networks list:

Select the network you would like to connect to and click on its name. You will be asked to enter the WiFi network password:

After you have typed the password please click Connect.

Connect your computer to the same WiFi network which you have just connected the AIRLink to and go to airlink.local/. If you are able to see the main dashboard - you have successfully connected AIRLink to WiFi network:

CONGRATULATIONS! Now your AIRLink is connected to Internet.

1. Claim AIRLink ownership By default, your AIRLink is owned by the manufacturer (Sky-Drones) or other licensed manufacturer. You can claim ownership of the AIRLink and assign it to your account.

Go to the AIRLink dashboard at and scroll down until you see Ownership Transfer section, click Claim Ownership:

Enter your Sky-Drones Cloud email and password to authenticate. Click Authenticate:

If the authentication was successful you will see the following message confirming that your identity was successfully verified.

If you have any troubles at this step - make sure you have your skdy-drones Cloud and your email and password are correct. Click Claim Ownership of this AIRLink. If successful – you should see the following confirmation message:

You can click the button to return to the main dashboard. CONGRATULATIONS! Your AIRLink has been successfully set up and now you can proceed to its configuration for your vehicle. We recommend to use SmartAP GCS for the initial vehicle configuration setup. Later you can use Sky-Drones Cloud web services for real time flight monitoring and control. Your AIRLink is already available in your Sky-Drones Cloud account.</div>

Connect via SmartAP GCS

1. Open SmartAP GCS app Open application and set up the new connection.

2. Add new connection Click the WiFi icon in the top right corner to set up the new connection. You should enter the same IP address as you discovered in the previous steps during the initial power up. The port name is 14555. Click open.

You should see the telemetry updates and hear the voice notification that indicated the connection was successfully established.

1. Open autopilot configuration settings Click on the Gear icon on the top toolbar to open the settings for the autopilot configuration.

Please refer to your specific drone configuration steps for more detailed information.

1. Set up video streaming Click on the Gear icon in the bottom left corner and set up the video source. Select RTSP video source and type the RTSP address. In our case, this is rtsp://192.168.1.157:8554/camera/0

Click Start and then you should be able to see the real time video feed:

Implementation Details

There are 2 ways for setting up the networking as mentioned in https://docs.sky-drones.com/airlink/initial-power-up (or just above in Connect via SmartAP GCS) Scenario 1 is to use the drone as an access point, meaning all the networking peripherals would directly connect to the Airlink itself.

In both scenarios, you should check the address of the airlink using ifconfig command :

As you can see in the screenshot above the IP address of Airlink wireless interface (wlan0) is : 10.42.0.1. Which makes the GCP address : Udp Direct 10.42.0.1 14550 14555

After doing this you also need to add the camera feed according to step 4 : https://docs.sky-drones.com/airlink/connect-via-smartap-gcs

Which in our case makes it : rtsp://10.42.0.1:8554/camera/0 Remember camera 0 is for csi. And camera 1 and 2 are externals. You can also directly check the video feed inside a videoplaye like VLC

communication sync instruction

Q ethernet IP

• lan: 192.168.1.1
• wifi: 10.223.95.108 (air), 10.223.95.120(ground)

Translating MAC to IP address (ex, 00:30:1A:4E:A4:3E is 10.223.164.62/16)

Device login

• Enter the IP on the browser
• Access the control by entering ‘root’ and no passed (not set)
• Check the firmware and device status (wow, that’s just a regular wifi router)
• Go to NetworkConfiguration —> simple configuration
• Wifi setting - NetworkConfiguration - Wireless - Edit
• Interface configuration - Wireless Security - No Encryption and apply
• Interface - NetworkConfiguration - Interface _WAN2 Edit IPv4 Address. 10.42.3.XXXX, Ipv4 Netmask 255.255.0.0
• Interface WAN2 - iPv4 address 10.42.30.25

Example

• AirLink : 192.168.0.x (dhcp allocated)
• Mesh: Drone - LAN 192.168.0.10 WLAN 10.23.x.x GCS - LAN 192.168.0.20. WLAN 10.23.x.x
• Q : Drone - LAN 10.42.3.10. WLAN 10.42.3.11
• PC: 10.42.1.55