Drone Altimeter T132

The smartmicro Drone Altimeter (UMRR-11 Type 132) is a 76–77 GHz radar altimeter for small UAVs. It measures true height above ground up to 175 m, switches automatically between a long-range and a medium-range mode, and works plug-and-play with PX4 and ArduPilot autopilots over DroneCAN.

At 274 g and 3.75–5 W it suits tight SWaP budgets. The IP67 housing is rated for -40 to +85 °C, and the sensor can be mounted inside the fuselage behind a flat, radar-transparent plastic panel. It is made in Germany, ITAR-free and available in high volume for series production.

Why Choose the Drone Altimeter?

• Measures 1.0 to 175 m in long-range mode and 0.5 to 64 m in medium-range mode

• Automatic mode selection for consistent altitude between 2 and 175 m

• DroneCAN over CAN 2.0B at 1 Mbit/s, plug-and-play with PX4 and ArduPilot

• 274 g, 94.7 × 84.4 × 26.4 mm and 3.75–5 W for SWaP-constrained drones

• Reliable in fog, dust and darkness and over water, where optical and barometric sensors struggle

• IP67, -40 to +85 °C, 100 grms shock and 14 grms vibration

• Made in Germany, ITAR-free, in the 76–77 GHz band approved in Europe

What Is the Drone Altimeter Used For?

Typical applications of the Drone Altimeter include:

• Industrial UAVs for inspection and survey

• Small UAVs and MAVs with tight weight budgets

• Precision landing, hover hold and terrain following

• Flight in GNSS-denied or low-visibility conditions

• Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft needing low-level altitude awareness

Customisation Options

For series projects smartmicro can adapt the sensor, for example:

• Housing, connectors and weight optimisation

• Conformal integration into the aircraft

• Additional Ethernet or RS485 interfaces and protocols

• Adjustable altitude and speed limits, frequency agility and duty-cycle optimisation

• Raw radar data output and maximum altitude extended to 500 m

Autopilots

It communicates over CAN 2.0B at 1 Mbit/s using the DroneCAN protocol, appears as a range finder, and works plug-and-play with PX4 and ArduPilot based systems. Altitude is sent every 55 ms, 18.2 times per second.

Mounting

With the black radome facing down and parallel to the ground in normal flight, and the TOP arrow pointing along or against the direction of flight. It can sit behind flat, radar-transparent plastic, but carbon, epoxy resin or metal will block the signal. The reading is perpendicular to the radome, so the autopilot should correct it for pitch and roll.

Explore More at Leo Drive

The Drone Altimeter is part of the Radar Altimeters range at Leo Drive. Browse all autonomous vehicle sensors and components, or talk to our engineering team about integration in your project.