In GPS-Mode: Position accuracy of the UAV is low, and it starts drifting from its current position.
Switch to Height-Mode and control the UAS in Height-Mode.With low GPS reception quality, the UAS might not have automatically switched to Height-Mode yet, and therefore drift from the current position without any possibility for the sensors to detect it.
In GPS-Mode: The UAV does not seem to react to the control inputs of the pilot while the data link is not disturbed.
Switch to Height-Mode and control the UAS in Height-Mode.In GPS-Mode, the right control stick on the Intel® Cockpit GCS commands a specific speed. If the speed accuracy is low because of a low GPS reception quality (but not yet automatically activated Height-Mode), the reactions to control commands might be slow.
In GPS-Mode: The UAS is swiftly flying away from its current position during vertical take-off.
Switch to Height-Mode and continue the vertical take-off to get to a safe distance from the ground and other obstacles quickly. Control the UAS in Height-Mode.The compass sensors might have been disturbed on the ground and the compass estimation algorithms do not have enough information yet from other sensors to work with sufficient accuracy. After receiving enough input from the IMU sensors, the compass error estimation algorithms are usually capable to stabilize the position control even in GPS Mode.
In GPS- or Height-Mode: The UAS performs strong changes in altitude, which have not been commanded on the Intel® Cockpit GCS.
Switch to Manual-Mode and perform a controlled landing. Get help from support to analyze the cause.Throughout the duration of a mission, there can be a drift of +/- 5 m in altitude due to all cumulative errors: temperature, drift, weather changes, etc. If stronger changes occur, there might be a malfunction of the barometric sensors, which needs to be analyzed. Because of the triple redundant flight control of the Intel® Falcon™ 8+ UAS there is a very low probability for this malfunction to occur.
Loss of the data link connection between UAS and Intel® Cockpit GCS
Check the antenna orientation.Try to shorten the distance to the UAS by walking towards it.
Before take-off:
- Analyze the flight situation and plan the routes to fly.
- Based on this assessment, select an appropriate Link Loss Procedure for every single flight.
- Always make sure that there will be no obstacles in between the UAS and its home position if Link Loss Procedure ComeHome Straight or ComeHome High, has been selected.
The Intel® Falcon™ 8+ UAS features two fully independent data link connections.
In case one link is disturbed, there is always a second independent link on a different channel in the 2.4 GHz band. In case that both data links are lost, the UAS automatically activates one of the three Link Loss Procedures you are forced to select before the start. As soon as the link is re-established you can take control again, and continue the flight.
All Link Loss Procedures always go into a controlled descend.
Simultaneous loss of GPS reception, and data link connection, between UAV and Intel® Cockpit GCS.
Check the antenna orientation.
Try to shorten the distance to the UAS by walking towards it.TheIntel® Falcon™ 8+ Drone - Topcon Edition will activate the Link Loss Procedure because of the lost data link connection. As no GPS signal can be received, it is impossible to locate the home position and a Direct Landing will be performed. The UAS will drift with the wind in such a situation.
A motor stops working in flight.
- Steer back the UAS with careful control commands and avoid strong control stick inputs.
- Carefully land the system.
- Identify and repair the cause of the failure before flying again.
- Should one of the motors become defective, it will be identified by the UAS and compensated.
A visual, and an acoustical warning signal are given and emitted from the Intel® Cockpit GCS. With the notification all you have to do is bring the UAS back and land in a safe spot.
More than one motor stop working in flight.
If possible, immediately land the system at its current location with careful control commands avoiding strong control stick inputs. Identify and repair the cause of the failure before flying again.
If two or more motors are lost, depending on their position, stable flight characteristics can no longer be guaranteed.
When sufficient thrust is missing, the system has the following priorities:
- Attitude
- Position
- Altitude
Meaning that if no sufficient thrust is available, the system will first descend. If still not enough thrust is available, it will start drifting but still try to hold the attitude. Only if physically impossible, the attitude of the system will also be compromised.
Gusts of wind above the drone limits / too much wind
In GPS-Mode the Intel® Falcon™ 8+ Drone - Topcon Edition is capable of flying in wind speeds up to 12 m/s. If GPS-Mode is active and there are gusts exceeding 12 m/s you must:
- Switch to Height-Mode.In this mode the UAV is capable of flying in wind speeds up to 16 m/s.
- Descend to a lower altitude, as wind speed usually decreases in lower altitude.
- If you are in Height-Mode and wind speed exceeds 16 m/s, descend and if the wind is still too strong, land the system.
Loss of information on the Status Display of the Intel® Cockpit GCS
As long as the flight characteristics of the UAS remain unchanged, fly back, land, and analyze the cause of the display failure. If flight characteristics changed in regards to position or altitude control, consider changing to Height-Mode or Manual-Mode.