Piccolo™ II

Expanded Capability for Advanced Applications

The Piccolo™ ll autopilots provide a complete integrated avionics solution that includes the flight control processor, inertial sensors, ported air data sensors, GPS receiver and datalink radio. With over a decade in the field the Piccolo II Autopilot has become the UAS industry standard flight management system. The Piccolo ll adds functionality and flexibility for advanced UAS applications.

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Features

Additional I/O support (16 configurable GPIO lines) for payload intensive applications
Onboard inertial, air data, and GPS sensors, datalink radio, and EMI shielded enclosure
Supports operation of a wide variety of UAV’s in both fixed wing or VTOL configurations
Both Software and Hardware in the Loop (SWIL / HWIL) simulation modes for pre-flight testing
Plug and play support of peripherals including TASE payloads, servo based pantilt cameras, transponders,magnetometers, Iridium satcomm, RTK GPS receivers, laser altimeters and flight termination
Portable integrated ground station capable of managing the wireless link to multiple Piccolo avionics

Applications

Fixed wing
Hybrid multi rotor
Helicopter
Multi rotor

Support Documents

Product Export Fact Sheet Piccolo Flight Management Brochure Piccolo System - Component Weights Complete Product List DD-1494 (MHX1320-Fast) DD-1494_(MHX320-Slow) DD-1494_(MHX425-Fast) DD-1494_(MHX425-Slow) DD-1494_(MHX1320-Fast) DD-1494_(MHX1320-Slow) DD-1494_(n320F-IPn320F) DD-1494_(n1320F-IPn1320F) DD-1494_(n1720F-IPn1720F) DD-1494 Spectrum Data - Piccolo II 900 MHz Radio DD-1494 Spectrum Data - Piccolo II 2400 MHz Radio DD-1494 Spectrum Data - Piccolo LT 900 MHz Radio

Restricted Documents

Steps to Autonomous Flight - READ FIRST
Radio Communications Troubleshooting
Field Update Microhard nano Radio Firmware
Piccolo Systems Software Update Guide
Piccolo Set up guide
Piccolo Vehicle Integration guide
Piccolo Servo Gimbal Integration Guide
Piccolo External Interface
Setup and Tuning of Piccolo Control laws
Portable Ground Station Pilot Console Cable
Desktop Ground Station Pilot Console Cable
UHF Antenna Trim Charts
Piccolo Preflight Checklist
Flight Summary Log Sheet
Using Validate During Preflight
Piccolo Interface Cable
Piccolo Typical Flight Harness
Avionics Cylindrical Mount Drawing
Piccolo II 3D Model
PCC Users Guide
Piccolo User's Guide Helicopter Supplement
Creating Custom Map Overlays
Antenna Plugin user's guide
Piccolo Simulator
SIL and Hil Checklists
Piccolo Software-in-loop Setup guide
Moving Recovery Net
NVIDIA Optimus Setting for PCC Compatibility
Portable Ground StationPilot Console Cable
UHF Antenna Trim Charts
Iridium Integration Guide
Magnetometer Integration Guide
NovAtel DGPS Integration Guide
NovAtel ALIGN GPS Integration Guide
OEM615 Adapter Interface Harness for DGPS FlightPak
Tach / Deadman Integration Guide Provides
AGL Sensor Data Sheet Specifications
OAT Sensors External interface
Piccolo Avionics Mount Drawing Dimensional
Piccolo Generic Mount Drawing
JR Level Shifter Board ICD

Specifications

Mechanical
Dimensions
5.59 x 1.81 x 2.46 inches (142.00 x 46.00 x 62.60 mm) Unflanged
Weight
7.7 oz (200 g) with 900 MHz radio
Enclosure/Mounting
EMI shielded carbon, flanged, unflanged
Environmental & Power
Operating Case Temperature
-40˚C to 80˚C (calibrated range, no case)
Power Requirements
VIN: 8 - 20 volts
Power: 4 W (typical including 900 MHz radio)
General
RS232 Payload Interface
5
CAN
Simulation / General interface
Flight Termination
Deadman output
Digital/Analog I/O
16 configurable GPIO lines. 4 GPIO lines can be configured as analog inputs, 0-5V input, 10 bit conversion
Integrated RF Data Link Options
900 MHz unlicensed ISM. 900 MHz Australian band. 2.4 GHz unlicensed ISM. 310-390 MHz discrete. 1350-1390 MHz discrete. 1670-1700 MHz discrete.
GPS
4 Hz uBlox module GPS receiver, 5 volt
Pressure Sensors
Ported static. 15-115 KPa-ported pitot. 4 Kpa differential. 155 kts max indicated airspeed.
Waypoint Navigation
1000 waypoints saved in autopilot
Inertial Sensors
3 axis gyroscopes, 300°/sec. 3 axis acceleration, ±10g
Supported Peripherals
Transponders, secondary comms radios, Iridium SatComm, TASE gimbals, servo PTZ gimbals, magnetometers, laser altimeters, payload passthrough, RTK GPS.
Software Options
Radio Options
900 MHz unlicensed ISM
900 MHz Australian band
2.4 GHz unlicensed ISM
310-390 MHz discrete
1350-1390 MHz discrete
Standard Feature Set + Peripherals
Adds new support for pan-tilt servos, improved GPS/INS performance, and more flexibility in configuring payload ports.
Laser Altimeter Autoland
Provides accurate altitude information allowing the vehicle to perform a soft flared landing (Laser altimeter hardware sold separately).
DGPS Autoloand
Extends the autoland performance by using 2 cm accuracy DGPS. Supports autonomous taxi, rolling take-off, stationary and moving net recovery. Uses NovAtel DGPS equipment.
DGPS and Moving Net Recovery
Adds support of moving net recovery needed for shipboard and other moving capture applications. Uses NovAtel DGPS equipment and associated antennas.
Helicopter Operations (VTOL)
Includes take-off and landing, precision hover, and automated path following along with autopilot assisted manual steering modes.

Export

Important Export Information

The Piccolo™ Autopilots are controlled for Export Administration Regulations (EAR)15 CFR Parts 730-774. The EAR regulates the export and re-export of dual-use items.

Piccolo Autopilots are available for sale outside the United States subject to an approved export authorization. EAR violations can result in fines, penalties, debarment, and criminal sanctions. Please refer to the following websites for more information U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Export Administration Regulations.

For the export control status of your Piccolo Autopilot, product please contact your sales representative, sales.cct@utas.utc.com or 541-387-2120.

Notice for International Customers: Due to costs associated with international sales, duties and taxes, we will no longer accept quantity purchases of less than (10) Piccolo’s. Domestic customers do not have this quantity restriction.

Resources and References

Click below to download a free white paper on Piccolo Autopilot Architecture Solutions

Open Autopilot Architecture Solutions

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