Neuron GCS – Safety

The first priority of anyone involved with unmanned aircraft is:

Safety!

Accidents can – and do – happen! It is the duty of everyone associated with unmanned aircraft to be mindful of the risks to persons, property and the aircraft, and to take all necessary actions to minimise those risks. Unmanned aircraft contain hazardous components, charged batteries, and spinning propellers, all of which represent a risk, not only to the pilot, but also to people in near proximity!

Symbology

Throughout this document the following symbols have been used:

This symbol identifies a point of note. The information presented is considered important and something that the reader should be aware of.

This symbol identifies a warning. Take note of the information presented as if it is n not observed and the procedure or action is not carried out as directed there is a real possibility of possible harm or damage to persons and/or property. This symbol usually accompanies a description on how to do something.

This symbol identifies a hazard or critical factor. This symbol is used when there is a real and possible risk to persons and/or property.

Pay particular attention to the warnings contained in this manual. These warnings relate to real and present hazards, and include suggestions on ways to mitigate these hazards to an acceptable level.

Safety Warnings When Handling Powered Aircraft

The following must be observed in order to maintain the safety of personnel, equipment and property:


When powered, always assume that the aircraft is ARMED.
Consider safety of personnel and surrounding environment when dealing with a powered aircraft.


  • Disconnect the ESC(s) from motor(s) and power cable(s) when working/maintaining aircraft for extended periods. This is to avoid damage to equipment and mitigate harm to personnel.
  • Avoid soft rebooting of the autopilot while the flight battery is attached. In some situations, the timer outputs can become corrupted, causing the motors to unexpectedly start.
  • Avoid connecting the Autopilot’s USB interface while the aircraft is powered.

NEURON GCS incorporates an ARM and SAFE mode. When the aircraft is connected to NEURON, these modes can be set using the ARM and DISARM buttons located at the top right-side of the software’s MFD-style interface. These buttons are illustrated below.

ARMEnables/Arms throttle control on UAV.

Will be greyed out if: UAV is NOT connected; orUAV is already ARMED
DISARMDisarms throttle control on UAV.

Will be greyed out if: UAV is NOT connected; orUAV is already DISARMED

The [DISARM] button prevents the aircraft motor from starting. This allows procedures such as pre and post flight checks to be carried out without the risk of a spinning propeller.

As noted in the table illustrated above, both buttons will be greyed-out if the aircraft is not connected to Neuron GCS:

  • When connected, the [DISARM] button will remain grey-out if the aircraft is already disarmed; at this state, the [ARM] button will be coloured, and ready to arm motor(s).
  • Else, the [ARM] button will remain grey-out if the aircraft is already armed; in this state, the [DISARM] button will be coloured, and ready to disarm motor(s). 

WHEN ARMED IN SEMI-AUTONOMOUS (NAV) CONTROL, THE MOTOR MAY START AT ANY TIME.

WHEN ARMED, THE MOTOR MAY ALSO START, SHOULD THE THROTTLE CONTROL ON THE RC TRANSMITTER BE MOVED – EITHER ON PURPOSE OR ACCIDENTALLY!

Never pick up the aircraft and the radio controller at the same time. It is very easy to bump the throttle and inadvertently cause the motor to start spinning.

Never fly with a battery that has a low state of charge. This may lead to a crash.

WHEN THE WORD ‘ARMED’ APPEARS IN THE PFD; OR IF THERE IS NO WORD IS DISPLAYED – THE AIRCRAFT MOTOR(S) IS/ARE IN ARMED STATE.

Figure 1 (a) ARMED displayed on PFD, indicating aircraft motor(s) is/are set in an armed state.
Figure 1 (b) After the 10 seconds, the word ‘ARMED’ will no longer be displayed on the PFD.

‘SAFE’ will be displayed in the PFD to indicate that the aircraft is in a disarmed state, and safe to handle without risk of motor spin-up.

Figure 2, SAFE displayed on PFD, indicating aircraft motor(s) is/are set in a disarmed state.

Neuron GCS – Background

NEURON GCS is the Ground Control Software used in conjunction with aircrafts developed by
V-TOL Aerospace PTY LTD. This document is intended as a user manual for V-TOL NEURON GCS, providing step-by-step instructions and details on the software’s functionality.

This guide is not intended for the inexperienced and assumes a basic level of familiarity with both the hardware equipment; and the principles and requirements for manual and autonomous flight of the RPAS.

Neuron GCS – List of Abbreviations

AbbreviationsDefinition
ESCElectronic Speed Controller
FBWFly-by-Wire
GCSGround Control Station
HUDHeads-Up Display
MFDMulti-Function Display
PFDPrimary Flight Display
RCRemote Control
RPARemotely Piloted Aircraft
RPASRemotely Piloted Aircraft System
RTLReturn to Launch Position
T-RallyTake-Off Rally
T/OTake-Off
UASUnmanned Aerial System
UAVUnmanned Aerial Vehicle
Table 1, List of abbreviations used.

Neuron GCS – Document Control

Record of Revisions

This record of revisions contains all changes made to the V-TOL NEURON GCS USER MANUAL. Changes to this manual are listed in the following table. Ensure all NEURON GCS USER MANUAL copies at all locations are updated, with superseded pages removed and replaced as required and old pages taken out of usage as applicable.

Revision NumberSection RevisedRevision Issued DateRevised By
1.0Initial Release08/06/2020Joshua Romero & Kye Morton
1.0Approved08/06/2020Mark Xavier