Design of a Data Acquisition System for a Flying Laboratory

Abstract

The University of Glasgow, Department of Aerospace Engineering has been in possession of a Czech manufactured Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) airframe 1 since 1996. Significant modifications have been made and will continue to be made in order to render the design functional and airworthy. The name ‘Condor’ was chosen as the moniker for the new aircraft. The latest phase of these modifications is the design and implementation of the Condor’s in-flight data acquisition (DAQ) system. The paper will outline the various processes involved and decisions made in the design and implementation of a simple data acquisition system for a RPV. The requirements of the system were first identified, such as those quantities that were deemed essential to the effective operation of the RPV. For example, airspeed, angle of attack, angle of sideslip etc. and the necessary instrumentation for measuring such values chosen and the subsequent signal conditioning needed for the signals to be intelligible to the DAQ Card and computer.