User-Configurable Timing and Navigation for UAVs.

As the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for industrial use increases, so are the demands for highly accurate navigation solutions, and with the high dynamics that UAVs offer, the accuracy of a measurement does not only depend on the value of the measurement, but also the accuracy of the associated timestamp. Sensor timing using dedicated hardware is the de-facto method to achieve optimal sensor performance, but the solutions available today have limited flexibility and requires much effort when changing sensors. This article presents requirements and suggestions for a highly accurate, reconfigurable sensor timing system that simplifies integration of sensor systems and navigation systems for UAVs.