Impact of the Electromagnetic Environment on UAV’s Datalink

Abstract

The deployment of drones for any mission relies heavily on a ground control system. The UAV must therefore maintain a stable datalink with the ground control station to allow it to be controlled in real time by the ground operator. The evolution of drones in specific electromagnetic environments can seriously compromise data linkage, giving rise to electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) issues. This article presents a review of the exploratory literature of electromagnetic interferences that the datalinks between UAVs and the ground station can face from the point of view of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The goal is to understand the effects of a given EM environment on the datalinks of an UAV system in order to predict its behaviour and perform the necessary precautions and improvements.

UAVs Protection and Countermeasures in a Complex Electromagnetic Environment

“…Meanwhile, since information technologies, especially wireless communications, are rapidly developing, the problem of EMC between systems is becoming more important. e article [24] reviews the literature on the EMC subject that is devoted to EMI that may affect data links operating between UAVs and ground stations. e study [25] describes the possibilities of developing innovative experimental and numerical approaches to assess the EMC of UAVs under high EMI intensity, such as lightning and nonnuclear electromagnetic pulses.…”

Predictive Modeling of Environmental Impact on Drone Datalink Communication System

“…Interferences primarily stem mostly in drone application from path loss attributed to signal propagation [17], external noise sources [18,19], or obstacles in the environment that cause multipath fading [20].…”