(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006-05)
Christophersen, Henrik B.; Pickell, R. Wayne; Neidhoefer, James C.; Koller, Adrian A.; Kannan, Suresh K.; Johnson, Eric N.
The Flight Control System 20 (FCS20) is a compact, self-contained Guidance, Navigation,
and Control system that has recently been developed to enable advanced autonomous
behavior in a wide range of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The FCS20 uses a floating
point Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for high level serial processing, a Field Programmable
Gate Array (FPGA) for low level parallel processing, and GPS and Micro Electro Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) sensors. In addition to guidance, navigation, and control functions, the
FCS20 is capable of supporting advanced algorithms such as automated reasoning, artificial
vision, and multi-vehicle interaction. The unique contribution of this paper is that it gives a
complete overview of the FCS20 GN&C system, including computing, communications, and
information aspects. Computing aspects of the FCS20 include details about the design process,
hardware components, and board configurations, and specifications. Communications
aspects of the FCS20 include descriptions of internal and external data flow. The information
section describes the FCS20 Operating System (OS), the Support Vehicle Interface Library
(SVIL) software, the navigation Extended Kalman Filter, and the neural network based
adaptive controller. Finally, simulation-based results as well as actual flight test results that
demonstrate the operation of the guidance, navigation, and control algorithms on a real
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) are presented.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004-09)
Christophersen, Henrik B.; Pickell, Wayne J.; Koller, Adrian A.; Kannan, Suresh K.; Johnson, Eric N.
Future small UAVs will require enhanced capabilities like seeing and avoiding obstacles,
tolerating unpredicted flight conditions, interfacing with payload sensors, tracking moving
targets, and cooperating with other manned and unmanned systems. Cross-platform
commonality to simplify system integration and training of personnel is also desired. A
small guidance, navigation, and control system has been developed and tested. It employs
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) technology to
satisfy the requirements for more advanced vehicle behavior in a small package. Having
these two processors in the system enables custom vehicle interfacing and fast sequential
processing of high-level control algorithms. This paper focuses first on the design aspects of
the hardware and the low-level software. Discussion of flight test experience with the system
controlling both an unmanned helicopter and an 11-inch ducted fan follow.