Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Heritage

Heritage reflects not just longevity but also accumulated technical wisdom across platforms. Decades of development in manned aircraft, rotary-wing fleets, naval systems, missile programs, and legacy UAVs have built a knowledge base that engineers can apply directly to modern unmanned systems.

Material selection for durability: Decades of field data show how polymers, braids, and conductors respond to temperature extremes, vibration, and long-term fatigue. This allows engineers to choose materials that maintain performance without adding unnecessary weight.
Shielding strategies for composite airframes: Experience from modern fighters and high-speed aircraft transfers directly to UAVs, where composite fuselages offer minimal inherent electromagnetic shielding. Engineers must design interconnects that actively mitigate EMI to preserve data fidelity.

Connector ruggedness and vibration resistance: Heritage programs established the mechanical attributes and plating systems required to reduce connector issues such as back-off and corrosion in extreme environments.
Routing strategies in compact spaces: Years of engineering for airborne and electronic warfare systems gives insight into those critical requirements that must be met to ensure UAV functionality. Whether it’s proper bend radii, strain relief methods, or EMI protection, it’s critical to be able to support these requirements in high-density environments.

Key Considerations

Factors to consider in selecting the optimal coaxial cable and connector technology for UAVs include developing a thorough understanding of its intended environment such as altitude requirements, longevity, maintenance, etc. as well as the UAV’s purpose: will it carry electronic warfare systems or electronic intelligence systems, or is it purely data links and video? Different selections should be made based on which of those criteria is highest priority.

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Key considerations for RF interconnects for UAVs are outlined below

Lightweight

RF technology for UAVs prioritizes weight reduction to increase fuel efficiency while meeting stringent electrical and mechanical requirements for safety. Low loss, phase stability, and high performance in a shock and vibration environment require a balancing act to reduce size with careful evaluation of materials, constructions, and maintenance.

High Density

UAV applications have limited space as they accommodate more application needs throughout the vehicle. As frequencies increase and interconnect dimensions decrease to accommodate smaller wavelengths, semi-rigid solutions have traditionally been used for these applications. However, these assemblies in very small sizes become fragile, making installation difficult and troubleshooting impossible.

Vibration

Temperature

Some UAVs are fairly simple and use a single data link, which requires a relatively simple RF interconnect solution. However, some UAVs are becoming Mach 5 as hypersonics are introduced, which adds high temperature requirements into the mix. The higher the altitude, the higher the speed, the higher the frequency, the more complex the problem from a materials point of view.

Vapor Sealing

A key consideration for RF interconnections used in avionics applications is the dielectric and how it behaves in that environment. For example, an aircraft on the ground is fully loaded with air. But at flight altitude, more of a vacuum environment is created, with outgassing conditions for dielectric and other electronic materials. When the aircraft returns to the ground, the cable is fundamentally a vacuum. Any fluids or gases surrounding it will be absorbed by the dielectric, and they will recondense within it. At that point, the dielectric acts like a sponge; the only way to remove contaminants is to bake it. This is obviously not feasible inside an aircraft, so vapor sealing is also critical for high-end, high-performance, high-altitude applications.

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Maintenance and Access

Maintenance is vital to the functionality and longevity of unmanned systems. In many unmanned systems, antennas are often difficult to access, making maintenance and replacement very complicated and time-consuming.

Micro-Coax ARACON Braided EMI Shields

For environments where lightweight construction must coexist with uncompromising electromagnetic compatibility, ARACON® braided EMI shields from Micro-Coax provide the perfect complement to Levitate assemblies. Made from Kevlar® fibers coated in nickel or silver, ARACON shields offer up to 80 % weight reduction compared to copper braids while maintaining exceptional EMI/RFI shielding and lightning protection performance.

Levitate & Aracon One Pager Aracon Braided EMI Shields