ADS-B Lite

Customer

The ADS-B Lite product provides safe separation for low-altitude, low-airspeed encounters where long range detection is not required. Customers for this product include owners, operators and manufacturers of the following category set B subtypes ("revised").

0: limited category information - low speed, altitude or power	1: glider / sailplane
2: lighter-than-air	3: parachutist / skydiver
4: ultralight / hang-glider / paraglider	5: small unmanned aerial system (< 50 lbs)
6: unmanned aerial system (>= 50 lbs)	7: light sport aircraft

Customer Benefit

Low Cost Size, Weight and Power (Low CSWaP).
This is especially important for manufacturers, owners and operators of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS).

Effective Radiated Power (ERP): 1 watt

The encounter models for this category set require a close-in detection system with a detection range of only a few miles. This requirement is met with a new emitter class A0 Lo where the transmitter ERP is one watt. Lowering ERP to one watt significantly lowers the cost of the RF front end (more than 100 to 1). It also means light weight components fit in the ground plane of a small, quarter wavelength stub antenna. Required battery voltage is in the 3-5V range with current draw in the hundreds of milliamps, thus leaving more energy and weight for propulsion and payload.

Mode S Transponder: none

The proposed ERP does not meet the requirements for a Mode S transponder; but if the goal is to minimize False Replies Unsynchronized In Time (FRUIT) that is a good thing. ATC can integrate the ADS-B location and altitude data on a horizontal situation display and see it be superimposed on a skin paint, if any. The MOPS uses downlink format (DF-17) for Mode S emitters and downlink format (DF-18) for emitters that have no mode S. By using DF-18, ATC has no expectation of a transponder reply and no additional FRUIT.

Identification Friend or Foe (IFF): optional

With no transponder, the only reason for having IFF is to be able to respond to Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS). For UAS flying below 500 feet this should not be required; for light sport aircraft, this will depend on FAA rulemaking.

GPS Aided Inertial Navigation System (INS): optional

This system or its equivalent is required for UAS operating autonomously or beyond visual line of sight.

Vector Nav VN-200

VN-200 Suface Mount Device