AIRDOS03 - Lightweight airborne dosimeter and spectrometer
AIRDOS03, also called “UAVDOS”, is a semiconductor ionizing radiation sensor developed in cooperation with ThunderFly s.r.o. as a measuring device for the TF-ATMON measuring toolchain. The detector is designed to be lightweight and capable of connecting to a wide range of unmanned drone flight controllers. Design meet requirements for TF-ATMON’s sensors and therefore can share a power supply, data storage, or telemetry link with common drone avionics. This eliminates excess weight that would otherwise have to be carried by the drone, thereby decreasing the flight range or duration and lowering flight parameters. The particle detector is, at the same time, compatible with the Pixhawk standard for connecting devices to drones.
The TF-ATMON system, in combination with the sensor, enables the search for areas with increased radiation intensity and optimally utilizes flight time to collect high-quality data. Refer to ThunderFly’s AIRDOS03 documentation for more details.
Key Features
- Fully compatible with TF-ATMON and Pixhawk ecosystem
- Lightweight and extremely low-power (5 V / 3 mA)
- Spectral data output for scientific analysis
- Can operate in real-time streaming mode or store data onboard
- Modular open-source firmware for custom scientific missions
Applications
- Unmanned atmospheric radiation surveys
- Detection of increased ionizing radiation in convective storm regions
- Mapping radiation gradients near ground-based or airborne sources
- Scientific support for space weather and high-altitude dosimetry research
Technical parameters
- Measurement of the deposited energy of ionizing radiation in the 40 keV to 80 MeV
- Energy resolution 15 ±2 keV per channel (firmware-dependent)
- Effective number of energy channels: ~65000
- 44 mm³ detection volume
- Radiation spectra integration time: 10 s (configurable by firmware)
- Environmental sensors
- Relative Humidity 0 to 100 %RH (accuracy 2 %RH)
- Temperature -40 to 125 °C (accuracy 0.5 °C)
- Lightweight, compact electronics
- 71 × 51 × 25 mm
- 40 grams
- Interface options: 6pin UART (Pixhawk-compatible TELEM/UART JST-GH connectors)
- UART could be converted to USB-C by TFUSBSERIAL01
- Dataformat selected by firmware either MAVlink or UST dosimeters data format.
AIRDOS03 provides TELEM/UART connectivity. The UART interface is compatible with the Pixhawk connector standard and enables integration with onboard telemetry systems or flight controllers suitable for real-time spectrum measurement and in-flight data logging.
Boards dimensions
UART Pinout
| Signal | Pixhawk Color | ThunderFly Color |
|---|---|---|
| +5V |  Red | Red |
| RX |  Black |  White |
| TX | Black |  Green |
| CTS | Black |  Blue |
| RTS | Black |  Yellow |
| GND | Black | Black |
TF Payload connector
These signals provide additional functions, including synchronization or inter-device communication. This connector is primarily intended for time synchronization with the TFGPS01 GNSS module, which provides PPS and time pulse signals on “Payload Connector”.
| Signal | Pixhawk Color | ThunderFly Color |
|---|---|---|
| TIMEPULSE | Black | Blue |
| EXTINT | Black | Yellow |
| GPIO | Black | White |
| SDA | Black | Green |
| SCL | Black | Yellow |
| TX | Black | White |
| RX | Black | Green |
| GND | Black | Black |
Mechanical design
The instrument consists of two PCBs connected by a standard 2.54 mm pitch 15x2 pin-header. The pin-header could be both straight or angled, depending on the desired “L” or parallel “II” PCB stackup configuration.
Parallel stackup
In the case of parallel mounting, the PCBs are directly above each other and separated by 9mm height screw columns. The data and sensing PCB could be swapped.
L-shape stackup
In the case of parallel mounting, the angled pin-header is used for connection of PCBs.
Output data format
The data are produced as a continuous 9600 bps data stream on the UART port (could be swithed to 115200 to decrease dead-time). The default firmware generates MAVLink Tunnel packets, eliminating the need to modify autopilot firmware. This solution is suited for rapid deployment and testing of new environmental or scientific sensors connected to an autopilot without firmware development. It provides a plug-and-play bridge between your sensor and TF-ATMON ecosystem. Alternatively, with the different firmware, the device could output the UST Output File Format on the same port, common to SPACEDOS, AIRDOS, and GEODOS instruments.
There are two AIRDOS03 firmware binaries wich selects the format type.