uAvionix files FAA TSO application for ADS-B Out drone transponder

uAvionix Corporation announced today that it had filed a Technical Standard Order (TSO) application with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) for its flagship Mode S ADS-B Out transponder for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

uAvionix files FAA TSO application for ADS-B Out drone transponder

FAA approval is expected in Q4 2020 for the so-called ping200X ADS-B Out drone transponder. The uAvionix device weighs in at 50 grams and would be the world's first certified Mode S transponder designed exclusively to meet the needs of drones.

Weighing only 50 grams, the Level 2els Class 1 transponder packs a punch, delivering 250W of transmit power while only drawing an average of 1.5W, making its profile small enough to be fitted onto Group 1 and 2 UAS.

ping200X will be certified to TSO-C112e (Mode S), TSO-C166b (ADS-B OUT), and TSO-C88b (altitude encoder), enabling airspace access, regulatory, and Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) acceptance worldwide.

“Certified avionics support our customers' needs in pursuing Type Certifications for their aircraft, gaining access to controlled airspace, or in meeting safety case objectives for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations,” said Paul Beard, CEO. “It's a regulatory enabler, providing assurance to regulators, ANSPs, and manufacturers that the device performs as intended, while providing for safe separation for larger UAS operating in mixed-use airspace.”

So far the only drone that comes with ADS-B In (not ADS-B Out) is the DJI Mavic Air 2. DJI did say in 2019 that all new DJI drones weighing more than 250 grams would have ADS-B In onboard. Furthermore, the assumption has been that if drones were to be outfitted with ADS-B Out as well that it would crowd out the system and. make it unworkable as there are so many drones in the skies at any given time.

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