The directional antenna tracker for enhancing range communication between UAVs and Ground Control Station

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of an antenna tracker project focused on evaluating a 2.4 GHz Yagi Uda directional antenna connected to an NRF24L01 transceiver. It employs a gear reduction system for precise yaw and pitch control using two servo motors. The tracker calculates rotation angles using the Haversine formula for coordinates and inverse tangent trigonometry for elevation. Experiments took place in an open area with a stationary Ground Control Station (GCS) and a moving Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to assess performance. The experiments comprised three tests: first, GCS without the Yagi Uda antenna or tracker; second, GCS with the Yagi Uda antenna but without the tracker, positioned along a 30-degree angle away from the transmitter; and third, GCS with both the Yagi Uda antenna and the tracker. The UAV gradually moved away from the tracker in 5-meter intervals until data loss occurred. The test results are based on received coordinates, distance, temperature, humidity, and data loss. Among the three tests, Test 3 demonstrates the best outcome, where the Yagi Uda antenna successfully receives data up to 180 meters before experiencing data loss.