EMC Considerations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Radio interference is a subset of a wider range of electromagnetic interference problems that are referred to by industry professionals as "electromagnetic compatibility" (EMC), and EMC is usually considered in two distinct sections, namely, emissions and immunity. "Emissions" refers to the unwanted electromagnetic emanations from an electronic system or subsystem. "Immunity" refers to the ability of a system or subsystem to tolerate radio frequency electromagnetic fields that may be incident upon its enclosure, sensors, or cables. Aviation regulators generally classify unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) according to their weight, with some international variation in categorization, registration, and licensing requirements. UAVs are considered as two types: large UAVs and small UAVs. Small UAVs commonly incorporate satellite navigation, inertial navigation, and magnetic compass systems. Solid‐state inertial sensors are used to help maintain the attitude of the UAV during flight and the compass can be used to determine the correct azimuthal orientation.