uAvionix microLink Manual

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microLink
User and Installation
Guide

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© 2020 uAvionix Corporation. All rights reserved.
uAvionix Corporation
300 Pine Needle Lane
Bigfork, MT 59911
http://www.uavionix.com
[e-mail]
Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this guide may be
reproduced, transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any
storage medium, for any purpose without the express written permission of
uAvionix. uAvionix grants permissions to download a single copy of this
guide onto an electronic storage medium to be viewed for personal use,
provided that the complete text of this copyright notice is retained.
Unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision hereto
is strictly prohibited.
uAvionix®and Ping® are registered trademarks of uAvionix Corporation,
and may not be used without express permission of uAvionix.

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1 Revision History
Revision
Date
Comments
A
6/23/2019
Initial release
B
07/17/2019
Modified the FCC and added the IC regulatory
statement
C
08/09/2019
Updated the skyStation statistics definitions and
modified for uav files updating
D
08/12/2019
Updated the FCC and IC statements per the
TCB
E
08/28/2019
Updated the RF exposure limits per the TCB
F
12/18/2019
Added Updating instructions for skyStation and
microLink radios
G
7/21/2020
Updated configuration item descriptions.
Updated firmware upgrade instructions.

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2 Limited Warranty
uAvionix products are warranted to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for one year from purchase. For the duration of the warranty
period, uAvionix, at its sole option, will repair or replace any product which
fails under normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no
charge to the customer for parts or labor, provided that the customer shall
be responsible for any transportation cost.
This warranty does not apply to cosmetic damage, consumable parts,
damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, water, fire or flood, damage
caused by unauthorized servicing, or product that has been modified or
altered.
IN NO EVENT, SHALL UAVIONIX BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER
RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. SOME STATES DO
NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
Warranty Service
Warranty repair service shall be provided directly by uAvionix.

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3 Contents
1Revision History...................................................................................3
2Limited Warranty..................................................................................4
3Contents..............................................................................................5
4Introduction..........................................................................................7
5Specification........................................................................................8
5.1 microLink Radio Technology.........................................................8
5.2 Regulatory Statements .................................................................9
5.2.1 FCC Statement........................................................................9
5.2.2 Industry Canada Statement.....................................................9
5.3 Ground Radio System (GRS) –skyStation .................................11
5.4 Airborne Radio System (ARS) ....................................................12
5.5 Typical System Configuration .....................................................12
5.6 Mechanical Specifications...........................................................14
6Configuration.....................................................................................16
6.1 skyStation...................................................................................16
6.2 Connection to the POE Network .................................................17
6.3 skyStation Start-up and Connection............................................18
6.3.1 Apply POE power to the skyStation.......................................18
6.3.2 Run skyLinkApp.exe..............................................................18
6.3.3 Connect to Mission Planner in TCP mode.............................20
6.3.4 skyLinkApp.exe.....................................................................22
6.3.5 Status Tab.............................................................................23
6.3.6 Maps Tab..............................................................................25
6.3.7 Configuration Tab..................................................................26
6.4 skyStation Configuration and Health Webpage...........................31
6.4.1 Configuration Items...............................................................34
6.4.2 Health....................................................................................37

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6.5 Updating Devices........................................................................39
6.5.1 Updating skyStation ..............................................................39
6.5.2 Updating Ground microLink Radio.........................................42
6.5.3 Updating Airborne microLink Radio.......................................42
7Appendix A Quick Start Guide ...........................................................45
8Appendix B HERE2 GPS Sharing......................................................50

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4 Introduction
microLink is an aviation grade, miniature, Beyond Visual Line Of Sight
(BVLOS) data link radio specifically designed for long range, robust,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) telemetry data links. Ideal for size,
weight, power and performance sensitive applications, microLink operates
in the 902-928MHz license-free ISM band.

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5 Specification
5.1 microLink Radio Technology
•Dual radio architecture for true diversity
oPath (spatial) diversity
oFrequency diversity
oPolarization gain
•Dynamic Medium and Multiple access, time and position
synchronized, to support 100s of simultaneous links
oAdaptive time and frequency spreading
•Global Positioning System (GPS) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
link synchronization
•Status, integrity and health monitoring
•Environmental RTCA/DO-160G
•Software RTCA/DO-178C Level C
•Complex Hardware RTCA/DO-254 Level C
•FCC 47 CFR Part 15.247 ID 2AFFTC2XISM
Radio Specifications
Band
902-928MHz ISM Band
Architecture
Dual Diversity Radios
Transmit Power
1W (4W EIRP)
Spreading
Code and Frequency
Bandwidth
200kHz
Receiver Sensitivity
User Receiver
-118dBm
Control Receiver
-121dBm
Doppler Capture Range
±16kHz

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5.2 Regulatory Statements
5.2.1 FCC Statement
FCC ID: 2AFFTC2XISM
This device meets the FCC requirements for RF exposure in public or
uncontrolled environments.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
5.2.2 Industry Canada Statement
IC ID: 25261-C2XISM
In order to comply with FCC / ISED RF Exposure requirements, this
device must be installed to provide at least 20 cm separation from the
human body at all times.
Afin de se conformer aux exigences d’exposition RF FCC / ISED, cet
appareil doit être installé pour fournir au moins 20 cm de séparation
du corps humain en tout temps.
This device complies with Industry Canada’s licence-exempt RSSs.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference; and
(2) This device must accept any interference, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of the device.

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Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d’Industrie Canada
applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L’exploitation est
autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes :
1) l’appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage;
2) l’appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même
si le brouillage est susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.”

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5.3 Ground Radio System (GRS) –skyStation
•All-Weather Network-Ready
microLink GRS
•TCP and UDP Power Over
Ethernet (POE) connectivity.
•IP67 grade enclosure.
•Dual Dipole Antennas
•Pole Mounting Kit
Specification
Value
Input Power
POE
13W Peak
Size
122x82x60mm
Weight
500 grams
Operating Temp
-45 to 70°C
Interfaces
User
Protocol
TCP or UDP
Control
Protocol
TCP or UDP
Timing/Position
Position
Internal
Environmental
DO-160G
Temperature Cat B2

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5.4 Airborne Radio System (ARS)
USER Interface (top connector)
Timing/Position, Control Interface
(bottom connector)
Pin
Type
Physical
Port
1
5V
5V
2
RXD
IN
Telem
3
TXD
OUT
Telem
4
RXD
IN
GPS
5
PPS
IN
1PPS
6
GND
Pin
Type
Physical
Port
1
5V
5V
2
RXD
IN
GPS
3
UTC
IN
1PPS
4
RXD
IN
Control
5
TXD
OUT
Control
6
GND
5.5 Typical System Configuration
•Transparent serial user data
interface
•Plug and play with Ardupilot
PixHawk autopilot
•Dual MMCX antenna
connectors
•Supports NMEA/UBX GPS
Sensors such as HERE2
and truFYX

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Ordering Part Numbers
skyStation
UAV-1003057-001
microLink
UAV-1002868-001
GPS Options
truFYX kit
UAV-1002500-001
HERE2 kit
UAV-1002956-001
Replacement Parts
skyLink Dipole Antenna
UAV-1003060-001
MMCX 100mm
UAV-1003063-001
MMCX 200mm
UAV-1003063-002
GH 6p Cable
UAV-1003061001
GH 8p Cable
UAV-1003062-001

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5.6 Mechanical Specifications
ARS

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GRS

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6 Configuration
6.1 skyStation
Connect skyStation to a POE switch or POE power injector.

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6.2 Connection to the POE Network
POE Specifications:
Parameter
Value
Standard
803.3af (802.3at Type1)
Maximum power
15.4W
Voltage Range
37 –57V
Maximum Current
350mA
Maximum Cable Resistance
20Ω
Supported Cabling
Shielded Cat 3 and Shielded Cat 5
Supported Modes
Mode A (endspan), Mode B (midspan)
Power Management
Power Class 0
Maximum Cable Length
100 meters
Caution!
Absolute maximum DC voltage +57 V. A higher DC voltage value will
permanently damage the equipment!
!

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6.3 skyStation Start-up and Connection
6.3.1 Apply POE power to the skyStation
At power-up an IP address will be assigned to the skyStation by the local
DHCP server. By default, the skyStation will start broadcasting the Control
Channel information on UDP port 30012.
6.3.2 Run skyLinkApp.exe
skyLinkApp.exe will be listening for incoming Control data on UDP port
30012. When the data arrives, skyLinkApp.exe will begin graphing the
radio link statistics.
NOTE: If you are not seeing the graphing as shown below it is likely
your firewall is blocking the broadcast on port 30012. Please setup
your firewall to allow skyLinkApp.exe broadcast access to port 30012.
skyLinkApp.exe will populate the IP address of the skyStation as noted with
the red arrow below. This is the IP address of the skyStation which is to be
used connection a ground control station like Mission Planner.

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6.3.3 Connect to Mission Planner in TCP mode
Download and install Mission Planner from:
http://firmware.ardupilot.org/Tools/MissionPlanner/
http://ardupilot.org/planner/docs/mission-planner-installation.html
Verify that the flight controller and skyStation are powered and running and
that skyLinkApp.exe is receiving data. Run Mission Planner and select the
communications drop down menu.
Select TCP as the communication mode and hit the Connect button on the
upper right-hand corner.