Introduction

The Doodle radio is a network radio unit that provides an IP network between a ground station and the network on-board the aircraft. The network can be used to access flight controller data, video feeds (if equipped), and access to devices connected to the RJ-45 port located on the bottom of the aircraft.

Network Topology

The network between the ground station and the aircraft network has a flat topology. All equipment is visible from any address on the network. The wireless bridge is transparent.

The ground unit is equipped with two RJ-45 ports. Both ports are bridged to the same IP network. The drone is equipped with an internal 10/100 mbit network switch for aircraft systems and payloads. It is also equipped with an RJ-45 connection located on the bottom of the aircraft for use with arbitrary payloads, computers, or for diagnostic purposes.

IP Addresses and Ranges

The IP address range for each aircraft is a unique /24 address range. The range is of the form:

10 . [Client Specific ID] . [Aircraft Specific ID] . [Device Address]

There is a DHCP server enabled on both the ground and air-side radios. Each radio has a different DHCP range. This allows ground equipment to be differentiated from air equipment. The DHCP ranges and reserved address are listed below

More information on the IP Address and Ranges can be found here

UAS IP Ranges

Accessing the Network

Configure ground station computer(s) to use DHCP
Connect ground station computer
- If using an original BFD GCS with two ethernet ports
  - Connect the battery and depress the power button
  - Connect a network cable to either port of the ground radio unit
- If using a Doodle Labs Wearable Radio
  - Attach a power supply (battery or USB-C)
  - Power on the radio by holding the power button for 4 seconds
  - Connect to a PC using one or more of the following
    - USB-D port (if using USB directly)
    - USB-H port (if using the Ethernet adapter)
    - WiFi Hotspot (if using a short range wireless connection)
      - WiFi Default Password: 1BigDroneRadio
  - See the following links for more information on connecting to the wearable unit
    - https://doodlelabs.bitbucket.io/user-guides/mbWearable-user-guide/
    - Doodle Wearable Unit GCS Users Guide
Power on the aircraft (if connecting to aircraft systems)

Connecting to the Flight Controller

For aircraft equipped with a TXMod and a Doodle radio, either the TXMod or the Doodle may be used to connect to the flight controller. Both connections may be used independently and simultaneously.

Follow the instructions above to connect the computer to the network
Open a Mavlink compatible Ground Control Station software
- Using Mission Planner
  - In the top right corner select the drop down menu and select UDPCI
  - Enter the IP address of the aircraft serial adapter (10.x.y.2)
    - Click Ok
  - Enter 14500 for the local port
    - Use port 14550 for earlier aircraft
    - Check sticker on ground radio or aircraft network print out if unsure
    - Click ok
- Using QGroundControl
  - Select the Purple icon in the top left of the screen to go to settings
  - Select Comm Links in the sidebar
  - Click Add at the bottom of the screen
  - Enter a name for the Vehicle
  - Choose type UDP
  - Enter 14500 for the listening port
  - Under target host click add
  - Enter the flight controller IP address
    - Listed in the UAS Radio and Network Sheet included with the aircraft
    - It may also be listed on a stick on the ground radio unit
  - Click Ok
  - Select the new link in the menu
  - Click connect

Radio Module Settings

The radio module located in the aircraft is a Doodle labs embedded radio unit. This unit is similar to a home router in that it has an IP address and a configuration web page that may be used to change radio specific settings. The radio may also be accessed by SSH for more advanced use. The radio module is running a customized version of OpenWRT. Many of the commands and configuration settings will be familiar to users of that platform.

To connect to the radio settings page, connect a computer to an ethernet port located on either the aircraft or the ground unit. Power on the radio(s) to be adjusted. Navigate to the IP address of the radio (see the UAS Radio and Network Sheet) and enter the username and password provided (see the UAS Radio and Network Sheet).

Differentiated Services

The radio link is capable of prioritizing packets that meet predefined criteria. This allows the link to prioritize command and control data. The link is set up to give the highest priority to the flight controller link. The next highest priority is assigned to video data that may be supplied by optional FPV equipment, payload cameras, or a video encoder. The next priority is general data on the network. In this was the data required to control the aircraft is always available to the operator.

Priority Access IP Address

A special IP address has been designated with priority access. Any device placed on the network with the designated static IP address (listed in the UAS Radio and Network Sheet as the “Priority Access IP Address”) will have the same priority as aircraft video data. This may be used if payload data if of particular importance and should take priority over other network traffic.

Additional Information

For information on accessing the stream from a video encoder please see the page linked below.

BFWiki

Doodle Radio User Guide