DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/56/146-154
Mukhtar Azizullayev
Azerbaijan Technical University
PhD student
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2778-8313
mukhtar.azizullayev@aztu.edu.az
Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of Antenna Parameters on the Reliability of Telemetry and Control Systems of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles under Radio-Electronic Warfare Conditions
Abstract
This article examines the effect of antenna parameters on the reliability of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) telemetry and control systems under radio-electronic warfare conditions. The study aims to evaluate changes in key communication indicators when omni-directional, Patch, and Yagi antennas are used in combination with different telemetry modules. From both theoretical and applied perspectives, the analysis focuses on the influence of antenna gain, directivity, and radiation pattern on signal propagation quality and link stability.
For comparative evaluation, RFD900, LoRa 433 MHz, and NRF24L01 telemetry modules were selected, and their performance with corresponding antenna types was investigated at distances of 50 m, 100 m, and 150 m. The main evaluation metrics included RSSI, Path Loss, SNR, and Effective SNR. The graphical results presented in the study were generated on the basis of the obtained experimental and calculated data using the Python programming environment and the Matplotlib library. This allowed the communication trends to be visualized in a clear and consistent form.
The results show that, for all tested modules, increasing distance leads to a decrease in RSSI, an increase in Path Loss, and a deterioration in communication quality. At the same time, compared with omnidirectional antennas, Patch and especially Yagi antennas provide higher received signal levels, lower path loss, and more stable communication indicators under radio-electronic warfare conditions. Among the investigated modules, RFD900 demonstrated the most stable performance at longer distances, LoRa 433 MHz showed moderate stability, whereas NRF24L01 weakened more rapidly as distance increased. The obtained results confirm that antenna selection is a critical factor in the optimization of UAV communication systems operating in complex electromagnetic environments.
Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicle, telemetry channel, antenna parameters, radio-electronic warfare, Path Loss, signal-to-noise ratio, Patch antenna, Yagi antenna, omni antenna