Remote Wireless Directional Antenna with Servo Control System for Real-time Tracking Using MAVLink Protocol and Brushless Servo Motor

As UAV technology advances, the demand for high-bandwidth microwave data links has increased significantly. Traditional methods of enhancing ground or airborne transmitter power or improving receiver sensitivity are no longer sufficient for long-distance communications. A more effective solution involves increasing the receiving and transmitting gain of ground control antennas, which avoids adding weight and size to airborne communication equipment.

Directional communication antennas are widely used in medium and long-range UAV measurement and control applications due to their high gain within beam angle ranges. These antennas concentrate energy in useful directions through directional radiation and signal reception, reducing energy dissipation and improving transmission gain. However, their directional characteristics necessitate the use of guidance tracking systems for dynamic communication tracking of UAVs.

Our system utilizes BD/GPS positioning and brushless servo motor control to achieve one-dimensional servo control for various directional antennas including spiral, Yagi, and grid antennas. This approach offers greater stability than single-channel monopole tracking systems, with enhanced digital capabilities and lower cost.

The tracking platform intercepts flight control information and employs the MAVLink protocol to identify and capture aircraft position, altitude, and other critical data for real-time aircraft tracking. MAVLink has been widely adopted by numerous flight controllers, ground control stations, and tracking systems, though implementation variations exist due to the protocol's flexibility in handling important data transmission between aircraft and ground stations.