New MicroPilot UAV Autopilot Focuses on Safety, Reliability & Processing Power

MicroPilot Inc. has released the MP2128^HELI3, its third generation autopilot that comes with increased safety, reliability, and processing power. 

According to the company, this marks the first time an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) autopilot has been released with a focus on safety to this degree. While some current generation processors on the market offer more processing power, the MP2128^HELI3 autopilot is based on a new processor and microprocessor, both designed for safety critical applications.

Key features of the MP2128^HELI3 include 6.5 MB of error correcting RAM and 4 MB of error correcting Flash to improve the reliability of the autopilot’s memory. In addition, the new Dual-core lockstep processor has four times the processing speed of the previous generation.

The MP2128^HELI3 also takes advantage of an aerospace-grade partitioned operating system. The AIRINC 653 partitioned RTOS divides MicroPilot’s autopilot software into partitions, where each partition can be certified at the appropriate DO-178C design assurance level. Partitioning dramatically reduces the cost of certification and provides tremendous flexibility for future enhancements. Partitioning also isolates failures in one partition from affecting other partitions, increasing the overall reliability of the MP2128^HELI3.

“We are delighted to be launching the third generation of our flagship MP2128^HELI3 autopilot,” said Howard Loewen, President and CEO of MicroPilot Inc. “Safety is hard, a faster cheaper processor would have been the easy choice, but a processor designed for safety applications was the right choice.”

UAV manufacturers familiar with previous generations of MicroPilot’s autopilots will be able to easily shift to the new generation autopilot. The MP2128^HELI3 maintains the same form-factor, connectors, and I/O ports as the previous generation for a seamless transition.