A Reconfigurable, Linux-based, Flight Control System for Small UAVs

*† † This paper presents an autopilot system for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that is based on programmable logic devices and the standard Linux operating system. Its basis on programmable logic devices (Field Programmable Gate Arrays – FPGAs) allows custom hardware to perform dedicated functions to be easily added to the system. The use of the standard Linux operating system greatly eases the programming burden and promotes portability to new hardware platforms when they become available. The flexibility and power of the system is illustrated by its application to several different classes of UAVs and also an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV).