Drone chips are microchips that integrate positioning, navigation, communication and image processing functions. These chips play a key role and are an indispensable part of drone systems. They can help drones achieve flight control, image transmission, navigation and positioning and other functions.
These core chips mainly include: flight control chips, remote control chips and imaging chips, etc.
1. The flight control chip is the brain of the drone, responsible for controlling the drone's flight attitude, navigation and positioning, obstacle avoidance, flight mission management, stability and other functions. It is one of the core components of the drone and requires high performance, low power consumption, high reliability and other characteristics. It generally uses high-end ARM architecture microprocessors or FPGA chips.
Its working principle is:
1) Data acquisition:
The drone flight control chip has built-in multiple sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses (magnetometers), barometers and GPS. These sensors are responsible for real-time sensing of the drone's flight status in the air
① The accelerometer and gyroscope are used to measure the acceleration and angular velocity of the drone, so as to understand the dynamic movement of the drone
② The compass is used to determine the drone's position in the air to ensure that the drone can fly in the predetermined direction
③ The barometer is responsible for measuring the air pressure to estimate the drone's altitude
④ GPS is used to obtain the drone's precise location information to help the drone achieve navigation and positioning
2) Data processing:
The flight control chip receives data from various sensors through the built-in processor, and uses complex algorithms and control strategies (such as PID controller) to analyze and process these data
In this process, the flight control chip will calculate the drone's flight attitude (such as pitch angle, yaw angle and roll angle) and Position information
The flight control chip can accurately determine the flight status of the drone through these data and provide a decision-making basis for its subsequent actions
3) Control command output:
Based on the results of data processing, the flight control chip will generate corresponding control commands, which will be directly transmitted to the motor through the drone's electronic speed regulator (ESC)
By adjusting the speed and direction of the motor, the drone can achieve various flight actions such as vertical lift, forward and backward, left and right translation and rotation
The flight control chip will adjust the control commands in real time according to the flight attitude and position information of the drone to ensure that the drone can fly according to the predetermined trajectory and speed
4) User command reception:
The flight control chip is also responsible for receiving user commands such as take-off, landing, hovering, changing flight direction or speed from remote controls or other control devices. According to these commands, the control strategy of the adjuster enables the drone to fly according to the user's intention
5) Fault detection and protection:
The flight control chip also has fault detection and protection functions. When the drone encounters motor failure, insufficient power, abnormal sensor data, etc., the flight control chip will respond quickly and take corresponding protection measures (such as automatic return, emergency landing, etc.) to avoid the drone crashing or damage. The working principle of the drone flight control chip is a comprehensive process.
It collects the flight status data of the drone in real time through the built-in sensors, and uses responsible algorithms and control strategies to process and analyze these data. Through data collection, data processing, control command output, user command reception, fault detection and protection, etc., stable, accurate and safe flight control of the drone is achieved. 2. The working principle of the drone remote control chip mainly involves signal sending and receiving, data processing and control. It is a vital component in the drone remote control system, responsible for establishing a stable communication connection between the remote control and the drone, and transmitting control signals. Its working principle is: 1) Signal transmission:
① User operation: The user operates through the input interface (such as buttons, remote sensing, etc.) on the drone remote control to send control signals.
② Encoding conversion: The encoder inside the remote control is responsible for encoding these user-operated signals and converting them into digital signals. The encoding process ensures the accuracy and stability of the signal
③RF transmission: The encoded digital signal is transmitted through the transmitter module of the remote control. The transmitter converts the digital signal into a radio frequency signal (for example, the common 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz frequency band) and sends it out through the antenna. Radio frequency signals have a long transmission distance and strong penetration ability, which can effectively ensure the transmission of signals in complex environments
2) Signal reception:
① RF reception: The drone is equipped with a receiver module, which receives the radio frequency signal transmitted by the remote control through the antenna
② Decoding conversion: The receiver decodes the received radio frequency signal and restores it to a digital signal. The decoder analyzes the signal and converts it into specific operation instructions
3) Data processing and control:
① Command analysis: The main control chip of the drone is the core control unit, responsible for managing and coordinating the various components and systems of the drone. It receives operation instructions from the receiver and processes these instructions in real time
② Control execution: The main control chip adjusts and controls the flight attitude, altitude, steering, etc. of the drone according to the analyzed instructions through the drone's flight control system. The flight control system will perform flight tasks such as flight attitude adjustment, altitude control, and steering operations according to the received signal instructions.
The working principle of the drone remote control chip is that the user operates the remote control to send a control signal, and the signal is received and decoded by the drone receiver after encoding and radio frequency transmission. The decoded instructions control the flight status of the drone through the main control chip.
This process depends on the encoder, transmitter, receiver, and decoder modules inside the remote control chip, as well as the analysis and execution of instructions by the drone main control chip.
The entire process realizes the control and adjustment from user operation to the actual flight status of the drone, ensuring that the drone can fly according to the user's intention
3. The imaging chip is responsible for processing the images and videos taken by the drone, providing high-definition, stable and smooth images. It is required to have high performance, high integration and high compatibility. It generally uses professional video processors or GPU chips. Its working principle can be divided into the following steps:
1) Image acquisition:
① Sensor reception: The image sensor (such as CMO or CCD) in the drone imaging chip is responsible for receiving the light entering through the lens. These sensors convert the light signal into an electrical signal.
② Signal conversion: The converted electrical signal will be further processed by a series of circuits, including analog signal to digital signal conversion (A/D conversion) to generate raw image data.
2) Image processing:
① Preprocessing: The preprocessing circuit in the imaging chip will perform preliminary processing such as denoising and color correction on the raw image data to improve image quality.
② Compression and encoding: In order to save storage space and improve transmission efficiency, image data is usually compressed and encoded. This can be achieved by using various image compression algorithms (such as JPEG, H.264, etc.)
3) Data transmission:
① Interface output: The processed image data will be transmitted to other parts of the drone or external devices through the output interface on the chip (such as USB, HDMI, etc.)
② Wireless transmission: In drone applications, image data may also be sent to the ground station or user equipment through a wireless transmission module (such as wifi, 4G/5G, etc.)
4) Performance optimization:
① High performance and low power consumption: UAV imaging chips usually adopt high-performance, low-power design to meet the strict requirements of drones for image quality, processing speed and power consumption
② Intelligent processing: Some advanced UAV imaging chips also have intelligent processing capabilities, which can support advanced functions such as target recognition, tracking, and image enhancement
The working principle of UAV imaging chips is a complete process from image acquisition, processing to transmission. The image sensor receives light and converts it into an electrical signal. After preprocessing, compression and encoding, the image data is transmitted to other parts of the drone or external devices.
Throughout the process, the high-performance, low-power design and intelligent processing capabilities ensure that the drone imaging chip can meet various complex environments and application requirements.
4. At present, in the drone chip market, the following series are common:
① Processor chips based on ARM architecture, such as Texas Instruments' OMAP, Intel's Atom, etc. This type of chip is mainly used for flight control, image processing and communication control, etc.
② GPS navigation chips and inertial sensor chips, such as Rockchip's RK3308, Espressif's ESP32, etc. These chips are mainly used for navigation positioning and real-time attitude perception
③ Image transmission and compression decoding chips, such as Ambarella, Renesas, etc. This type of chip can achieve efficient image data transmission and compression decoding, and is suitable for image acquisition and real-time video transmission
The core signal of the drone realizes stable flight and remote control of the drone through functions such as data acquisition and processing, control command output and communication transmission. With the continuous development of drone technology and the continuous expansion of application fields, the performance and functions of drone core chips are also constantly improving and innovating
