Communication Systems
Reliable communication between the pilot (or ground station) and the drone is essential. This lesson covers the full communication stack from RC links to 5G cellular connections.
Communication Architecture Overview
Radio Control (RC) Protocols
MAVLink Protocol
MAVLink (Micro Air Vehicle Link) is the standard protocol for drone communication.
Link Budget Analysis
Bandwidth Requirements
Hands-On Project: Telemetry Parser
Summary
- RC links (2.4GHz): Low-latency control, safety-critical, always required
- Telemetry (433/915MHz): Bidirectional data, status updates, waypoint upload
- 4G/5G: High bandwidth for video and AI, unlimited range, but higher latency
- MAVLink is the universal protocol for drone-ground station communication
- Link budget analysis ensures reliable communication at target ranges
- Always maintain a redundant RC link â never rely solely on cellular!
Next, we'll cover GPS navigation basics.