3/21/2020

Aerospace Guidance and Control

Systems (AER 408)
Autopilot Feedback Loops
Configuration

Autopilot Feedback Loop

Configuration
• The configuration of the feedback loops used by
conventional UAV Autopilot is based on the feedback
loops listed in the previous lecture.

• The Autopilot feedback loops configuration represents

how the output of some of the feedback loops feed the
input of other feedback loops.

• Not all of the feedback loops are enabled at any one

time. The Autopilot will enable and disable feedback
loops during the course of a flight in order to
accomplish its user-defined mission.

1
 3/21/2020

Autopilot Feedback Loop

Configuration
• If the Autopilot is at its target altitude while flying
towards a waypoint, the feedback loops configuration
of the Level Flight are enabled.

• If, rather than flying level, the Autopilot is climbing

then the feedback loops configuration of Climb are
enabled. If the Autopilot is descending then the
feedback loops configuration of Descent are enabled.

• Some Autopilot feedback loops configuration examples

will be illustrated

feedback loops configuration of Level

Flight
• The feedback loops that are enabled while the
Autopilot is holding altitude are shown in bold
in the following.

• This example assumes that the Autopilot is

configured to use the elevator to control
altitude and the throttle to control airspeed.

2
 3/21/2020

feedback loops configuration of Level

Flight

• If the Autopilot were configured to use the elevator to

control airspeed, then the pitch from airspeed feedback
loop would be enabled instead of the pitch from altitude
and throttle from altitude would be enabled instead of
throttle from airspeed.

feedback loops configuration of Level

Flight

• The Calculated HDG box does not correspond to a feedback

loop. This is a simple form of navigation where the
Autopilot generates a target heading by calculating the
direction between its current location and the next
waypoint.

3
 3/21/2020

feedback loops configuration of Level

Flight

feedback loops configuration of Climb

• The feedback loops that are enabled when the

Autopilot is climbing while flying to a
waypoint using the “fromTo” mode are in bold
in the following.

4
 3/21/2020

feedback loops configuration of Climb

• If the Autopilot is flying to a waypoint using

the “flyTo” Mode then Calculated HDG is
enabled instead of HDG from Crosstrack.

feedback loops configuration of Climb

5
 3/21/2020

feedback loops configuration of

Descent
• The feedback loops that are enabled when the
Autopilot is descending while flying to a
waypoint using the “fromTo” mode are in bold
in the following

feedback loops configuration of

Descent

6
 3/21/2020

feedback loops configuration of Pre-

Takeoff
• The Autopilot should have a feedback loops
configuration for each flight and pre-flight phase
in order to accomplish its user-defined mission.

• The feedback loops that are enabled when The

Autopilot is sitting on the ground waiting to
takeoff are shown in bold in the following

feedback loops configuration of Pre-

Takeoff

7
 3/21/2020

List of References
• John Blakelock, "Automatic Control of Aircraft
and Missiles", John Wiley & Sons, 1990.
• Robert C. Nelson, "Flight Stability and
Automatic Control", McGraw Hill, 1989.
• Bernard Etkin and Lloyd Duffreid, "Dynamics
of Flight Stability and Control", John Wiley &
Sons, 1996.
• Donald Mclean, "Automatic Flight Control
Systems ", Prentice Hall, 1990.

Thank you