Sentera PHX User manual

Sentera PHX®Unmanned
Aircraft Pilot User Guide
Engineered in Minneapolis, MN, USA
March 19, 2020
Rev 1.3

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844.SENTERA © 2020 Sentera Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.
Trademark Notice
FieldAgent and PHX are registered trademarks of Sentera. Other featured words or symbols, used to identify the source of
goods and services, may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Wi-FI is the trademark or registered trademark of Wi-Fi
Alliance. Ethernet is a trademark or registered trademark of ODVA, INC. Velcro Brand is the registered trademark or trademarks
of Velcro Companies.
Third-Party Content, Products, and Services Disclaimer
This software and documentation may provide access to or information on content, products, and services from third parties.
Sentera is not responsible for and expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind with respect to third-party content, products,
and services. Sentera will not be responsible for any loss, costs, or damages incurred due to your access to or use of third-party
content, products, or services.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be error-free. If you find any
errors, please report them to us in writing.

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Contents
1Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Three-View Drawing ...................................................................................................................5
2Limitations .................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Speed Limits................................................................................................................................5
2.2 Altitude Limits.............................................................................................................................6
2.3 Wind Limits .................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Precipitation and Moisture Limits...............................................................................................6
2.5 GPS Limits....................................................................................................................................6
2.6 Temperature Limits.....................................................................................................................6
2.7 Battery Level Limits.....................................................................................................................7
2.8 Takeoff and Landing Area Limits.................................................................................................8
3Emergency Procedures.................................................................................................................................. 8
3.1 Loss of Propulsion .......................................................................................................................8
3.2 Fly PHXSoftware Crash or Lock-Up .............................................................................................9
3.3 Lost Link ......................................................................................................................................9
3.3.1 Aircraft Autonomous Behavior During Lost Link.............................................................9
3.4 Aircraft Autonomous Behavior During Lost GPS.........................................................................9
3.5 Other Emergencies....................................................................................................................10
3.6 Medical......................................................................................................................................10
3.7 Incident Reports........................................................................................................................10
4Application Settings .....................................................................................................................................10
4.1 General Settings........................................................................................................................10
4.2 Offline Maps Settings................................................................................................................13
4.3 Sentera FieldAgent....................................................................................................................17
5Normal Procedures ......................................................................................................................................18
5.1 Flight Plan in Fly PHX.................................................................................................................18
5.1.1 Create Flight Plan ..........................................................................................................19
5.1.2 Create a Survey Pattern ................................................................................................23
5.1.3 Create a Corridor Scan ..................................................................................................25
5.1.4 Plan a Land ....................................................................................................................28
5.1.5 Center a Map ................................................................................................................30
5.1.6 Upload a Mission...........................................................................................................30
5.1.7 Save a Mission as .PLAN................................................................................................31
5.1.8 Save Mission Waypoints as .KML.................................................................................32
5.1.9 Vehicle Summary ..........................................................................................................33
5.2 Batteries Required ....................................................................................................................34

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5.3 Pre-Flight Activities ...................................................................................................................34
5.4 Pitch and Roll Verification.........................................................................................................35
5.5 Airspeed Calibration..................................................................................................................36
5.6 Magnetic Compass Calibration .................................................................................................39
5.7 Checklists ..................................................................................................................................41
5.7.1 Pre-Flight Checklist........................................................................................................42
5.7.2 During Flight Aircraft Status Scan Checklist ..................................................................44
5.7.3 Landing Procedure Checklist.........................................................................................44
5.8 Launch Technique .....................................................................................................................45
5.9 Landing Technique ....................................................................................................................47
5.10 Advanced Plan for Landing Patterns .....................................................................................48
6Performance ................................................................................................................................................49
6.1 Performance Characteristics.....................................................................................................50
7Weight and Balance .....................................................................................................................................50
7.1 Weight.......................................................................................................................................50
7.2 Center of Gravity.......................................................................................................................51
8System Description.......................................................................................................................................52
8.1 Aircraft Description...................................................................................................................52
8.2 Aircraft Sensors.........................................................................................................................53
8.3 Kit Contents...............................................................................................................................53
8.4 Field Support Kit Description ....................................................................................................54
9Handling, Service, and Maintenance ............................................................................................................54
9.1 Battery Charge ..........................................................................................................................54
9.2 Battery Care and Maintenance.................................................................................................58
9.2.1 Best Practices for Charge ..............................................................................................58
9.2.2 Storage Recommendations...........................................................................................58
9.2.3 Expected Lifespan .........................................................................................................59
9.2.4 Damage and Disposal of Battery...................................................................................59
9.3 Assembly: Air Vehicle................................................................................................................60
9.4 Assembly: CommsBox...............................................................................................................63
9.5 Disassemble and Pack: Air Vehicle............................................................................................66
9.6 Storage ......................................................................................................................................67
9.7 Transportation ..........................................................................................................................68
9.7.1 Battery Transportation..................................................................................................68
9.8 Service and Maintenance..........................................................................................................68
9.8.1 Propeller Replacement .................................................................................................68
9.8.2 Pitot-Static Tube Replacement .....................................................................................68
9.8.3 Minor Structural Repair ................................................................................................71

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9.8.4 Spinner Replacement....................................................................................................72
9.8.5 Air Speed Sensor Replacement.....................................................................................72
9.8.6 Motor Replacement......................................................................................................76
9.8.7 Propulsion Wire Harness Replacement ........................................................................76
10 Supplements ................................................................................................................................................76
10.1 Connecting to the CommsBox...............................................................................................76
10.2 Sentera Double 4K Payloads .................................................................................................77
10.2.1 Mapping Payload ..........................................................................................................78
10.2.2 Camera Information......................................................................................................78
10.3 Battery Swap Procedure .......................................................................................................79
11 Safety Tips....................................................................................................................................................83
11.1 Battery Use – Precautions.....................................................................................................83
11.2 Prohibited Maneuvers ..........................................................................................................83
11.3 Propeller Safety – Precautions..............................................................................................83
12 Glossary .......................................................................................................................................................84
12.1 UAS Terms.............................................................................................................................84
12.2 Aircraft Terms .......................................................................................................................84
12.3 Aviation Terms ......................................................................................................................85
12.4 User Interface Terms.............................................................................................................85
13 Appendix: PHX Maintenance Form...............................................................................................................86
14 Revision History ...........................................................................................................................................87

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1Introduction
This Pilot User Guide is for the PHX®fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
The PHX Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is a 4-pound (2 kilogram), hand-launched, electric powered,
autopilot-controlled aircraft that is remotely operated using an iOS tablet or a Windows laptop
computer with a digital wireless datalink. The PHX UAS can be fitted with a number of sensor payloads
for precision agriculture, survey, mapping, and public safety applications.
1.1 Three-View Drawing
The PHX has a 54-inch wingspan, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: PHX 3-View Drawing
2Limitations
The operator must ensure the system is operated within limits. The autopilot and Fly PHX software have
some built-in checks that aid the operator, but ultimately, the operator is responsible for keeping the
system within all limits.
2.1 Speed Limits
The autopilot in the PHX UAS automatically maintains airspeed based on the pitot-static pressure
measurements, as shown in Table 1: Airspeed.

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Table 1: Airspeed
Airspeed
Vstall
22 mph (19 kts, 10 m/s), standard sea level conditions
Vmin
30 mph (26 kts, 13 m/s), autopilot limited
Vcruise
35 mph (30 kts, 16 m/s), autopilot default
Vmax
45 mph (40 kts, 20 m/s)
2.2 Altitude Limits
The PHX UAS autopilot automatically maintains commanded altitude based on the onboard barometric
and Global Positioning System (GPS) altitude sensors. Aircraft altitude limit guidelines are provided in
Table 2: Altitude.
Table 2: Altitude
Altitude
Minimum recommended cruise altitude
150 ft. (46 m) AGL
Maximum density altitude
14,000 ft. (4300 m) MSL (mean sea level)
Maximum altitude above ground
Flight operations must remain below the maximum altitude
allowed by local regulations or local airspace authority. Often this
means below 400 ft. (120 m) AGL (height above ground).
2.3 Wind Limits
The PHX UAS has recommended operating limits depending on wind speeds, as shown in Table 3: Wind
Limits.
Table 3: Wind Limits
Wind Speed
Maximum winds aloft
28 mph (24 kts, 12 m/s)
Maximum crosswind takeoff
5 mph (4 kts, 2 m/s) crosswind component
Maximum crosswind landing
15 mph (13 kts, 7 m/s) crosswind component
2.4 Precipitation and Moisture Limits
Do not fly in precipitation, fog, mist, or clouds.
2.5 GPS Limits
Minimum 10 GPS satellite fix recommended.
2.6 Temperature Limits
The following tables describe the various temperature limits, as shown in Tables 4: Temperature Limits.

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Tables 4: Temperature Limits
Operational Temperature Limit
Temperature
Minimum
14 F (-10 C)
Maximum
120 F (50 C)
System Storage Temperature Limit
Temperature
Minimum
-10 F (-23 C)
Maximum
120 F (50 C)
Battery Storage Temperature Limit
Temperature
Minimum
40 F (4 C)
Maximum
90 F (32 C)
System Charging Temperature Limit
Temperature
Minimum
40 F (4 C)
Maximum
90 F (32 C)
2.7 Battery Level Limits
The following table describe the various battery limits, as shown in Table 5: Battery Limits.
Table 5: Battery Limits
Battery Level Limit
Volts
Maximum voltage
12.6 volts
Nominal voltage
11.1 volts
Minimum voltage
9.0 volts
Warning: Battery will be damaged if discharged below 9.0 volts during
operation or if left in storage for a long time. Check battery level every three
months when storing and recharge to 50 percent storage level as needed.
Tip: Never go below 10 percent battery level during flight. Never go below 6
percent battery level during ground handling.

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2.8 Takeoff and Landing Area Limits
The launch and recovery area must be free of obstructions within an area measuring 50 meters wide
and 100 meters long, as shown in Figure 2. This area should also be kept free of persons during launch
and landing, other than the operator that is preforming the launch.
Figure 2: Take Off and Landing Limits
3Emergency Procedures
The following section describes emergency procedures for the operator and autonomous failsafe
behaviors of the Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV).
3.1 Loss of Propulsion
If propulsion power is lost, the aircraft will automatically continue to fly the pre-planned waypoints
while gliding to the ground.
•Maintain visual contact with the aircraft.
•Avoid obstacles along the path using the normal waypoint and flight mode commands to change
the aircraft’s gliding direction (for example, GoTo location), as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4.
Figure 3: GoTo

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Figure 4: Slide to Confirm
3.2 Fly PHXSoftware Crash or Lock-Up
If the Fly PHX software crashes or locks up:
•Force the software application to close.
•Re-launch the Fly PHX software.
•Reconnect to the UAV in the normal way.
If the UAV does not receive communication from the Fly PHX software within the lost link time out
period, the automatic Lost Link procedure will begin.
3.3 Lost Link
If lost link occurs, attempt troubleshoot and re-establish communications with the aircraft:
•Maintain visual contact with the aircraft.
•Check antenna placement for radio frequency line-of-sight.
•Check that the ground radio is powered.
•Check cable or wireless connections between CommsBox and computer/tablet.
3.3.1 Aircraft Autonomous Behavior During Lost Link
If communications are not re-established within the time out period, typically 30 seconds, the aircraft
will automatically Return to Land (RTL).
If communications are regained, the operator may command the aircraft back onto the flight plan or
proceed to land the aircraft. Lost link timer can be adjusted in the safety page under the settings tab.
3.4 Aircraft Autonomous Behavior During Lost GPS
If the aircraft loses GPS lock, and it is not regained within a short period, maintain visual contact with
the aircraft until the autopilot ceases to fly the pre-programmed waypoints, and begins to slowly
descend in a spiral circle pattern while it waits to regain GPS lock or lands on the ground.

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3.5 Other Emergencies
For other emergencies, the operator may:
•Immediately click RTL to return to the landing location.
•Put the aircraft in Pause or Hold mode and click GoTo locations on the map to move the aircraft
around, as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: GoTo
•Command the aircraft to glide to the ground at any time (if in communications with the aircraft)
by disarming the motor and confirming Emergency Stop command.
3.6 Medical
If there is a medical emergency with any involved personnel, flight operations should cease, and
emergency responders should be contacted.
3.7 Incident Reports
Incident reports should be logged, and applicable authorities notified as required.
Any incidents pertaining to the performance of the aircraft, or other parts of the system, should be
reported to the manufacturer. Telemetry logs files from the ground station, payload, and aircraft may be
required to send to the manufacturer.
4Application Settings
The Application Settings are used to set the general settings such as units, real-time kinematic (RTK)
GPS, if applicable, as well as download offline maps, connect to Sentera Field Agent, and view the
console information.
4.1 General Settings
When entering information into the General Application Settings, recommended settings are set to
default. For accurate information, contact Sentera Support at 1-844-SENTERA, or browse to the Sentera
Knowledge Base at https://support.sentera.com/portal/kb/sentera, or through an email at
[e-mail].
1. Click the computer icon, as shown in Figure 6.

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Figure 6: Application Settings
2. Click General to set the units, miscellaneous, data persistence, telemetry logs from vehicle, RTK GPS,
a server, video, and video recording, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8.

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Figure 7: Units, Miscellaneous, and Data Persistence

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Figure 8: Fly View, RTK GPS, ADSB Server, Video, and Video Recording
4.2 Offline Maps Settings
Map backgrounds in Fly PHX works best over a good internet connection. Where internet connections
may be unreliable/unavailable, it is recommended to pre-load maps before heading out to the field
using the Offline Maps window.

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Downloading, saving, and deleting locally saved maps is performed in the Offline Maps under the
Application Settings window.
There may be situations in the field where the UAS cannot connect to the satellites to provide a flight
mission. To get around this situation, download a map to use offline:
1. Click Offline Maps, then click Add New Set, as shown in Figure 9. The Add New Set window displays.
Figure 9: Offline Maps
2. Enter the name of the offline map in the Name field as shown in Figure 10.

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Figure 10: Add New Set
3. Select the Map type.
4. Adjust the zoom level, if necessary. Recommended values are 5 and 15, respectively.
5. Click Download, and then click Export.
6. Select the map you just created, and then click Export.
7. You can also import a map from the Offline Maps window.
8. Click Options to adjust the offline maps, as shown in Figure 11. The Offline Maps Options window
opens.

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Figure 11: Offline Maps Options
9. Make the necessary changes in the window, as shown in Figure 12.

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Figure 12: Offline Maps Options
10. Click Save when complete.
4.3 Sentera FieldAgent
To log into Sentera FieldAgent:
1. Click Sentera Field Agent, as shown in Figure 13.

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Figure 13: Sentera FieldAgent
2. Sign in with your email address and password given to you by Sentera. If you need a log in, contact
Sentera Support at 1-844-SENTERA, or browse to the Sentera Knowledge Base at
https://support.sentera.com/portal/kb/sentera, or through an email at [e-mail].
3. Click Download Field Boundaries to import any previously saved missions.
4. If you have issues with Fly PHX, click Email Support to send log files to Sentera Support. This file will
usually be requested by Sentera Support during your support telephone call.
5Normal Procedures
This section describes the procedure to fly the PHX.
5.1 Flight Plan in Fly PHX
Fly PHX is the software used to plan missions and control the aircraft. The overview window is shown in
Figure 14.

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Figure 14: Overview Window
The data links should automatically connect once both the aircraft and Fly PHX are powered, the laptop
or tablet is connected to the CommsBox (through cable or wirelessly), and the software is running.
5.1.1 Create Flight Plan
To create a flight plan in Fly PHX:
1. Click Plan View icon, as shown in Figure 15.
Figure 15: Plan View