Microcontroller Based Engine Control Unit for UAV Application

The propulsion system of the aircraft is controlled by the Engine Control System [1]. This paper aims at developing a low cost ECU for UAV applications. Multiple parameters like temperature and pressure are monitored to obtain the health of the propulsion system and in turn control the engine actuators like lean mixture control and propeller pitch control. The complete design is implemented using a PIC microcontroller[2]. This system interfaces with the Flight Control System via a serial interface and receives the throttle command from it. The propulsion system parameters are transmitted to FCC.