Muhammad AdnanEngineering & designIdeas engineered. Solutions delivered.

Aerospace & UAVs

Engineering project

EO/IR Gimbal & Payload Controller

3-axis EO/IR gimbal controller with <0.05° stabilization, LWIR thermal camera, and STANAG 4586 interface.

GimbalEO/IRSTANAG 4586Stabilization
EO/IR Gimbal & Payload Controller — engineering scope diagram Enlarge image
Project-specific scope and deliverables, illustrated from the engineering brief.
EO/IR Gimbal & Payload Controller — architecture diagram Enlarge image
Explanatory system architecture: inputs, engineering model and outputs.
EO/IR Gimbal & Payload Controller — workflow diagram Enlarge image
Explanatory workflow for the engineering analysis and validation process.

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Project brief

Complete 3-axis stabilized gimbal controller for a dual-camera EO (electro-optical, 30× optical zoom) and LWIR (longwave infrared thermal) payload for ISR UAV operations. The controller implements sub-pixel stabilization algorithms, laser rangefinder integration with GPS-based target geo-location, STANAG 4586 / MAVLink gimbal control protocol, and H.265 compressed video encoding and downlink.

The explanatory account covers the interfaces already named in the payload-controller record. It does not create operational imagery or additional targeting-performance claims.

The engineering challenge

Coordinate payload orientation, imagery, and ranging information through a stabilized gimbal control architecture.

Engineering approach

  1. Use attitude feedback within the stated gimbal stabilization loops.
  2. Keep camera and range observations associated with payload pointing state.
  3. Integrate tracking commands, encoded video, and payload communications.

Features & capabilities

  • 3-axis brushless gimbal stabilization: <0.05° RMS jitter at 30× zoom
  • Dual camera: 30× EO + LWIR thermal (FLIR Boson 320)
  • Laser rangefinder (Class 1M, 3000m): auto-ranging for geo-location
  • GPS target geo-location with <5m CEP at 1000m slant range
  • STANAG 4586 NCS payload interface and MAVLink gimbal protocol
  • H.265 real-time video encoding (mainline profile, 1080p@30fps)
  • Target tracking: contrast-based + DNN object tracker at 30Hz
  • Auto-focus, auto-iris, electronic image stabilization (EIS) integration

Software & engineering tools

STM32H7 + i.MX8M, FLIR Boson LWIR, AS5048B encoder × 3, BLDC gimbal motors, custom PCB, H.265 Hisilicon encoder

More engineering to explore.

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