After making the decision to terminate the window washing drone, our group pivoted to develop and sell FAA-certified Remote ID broadcast modules.
Over the course of about 1 year, we designed, built, certified, marketed, and sold our modules to customers around the country.
Unfortunately, after some time we decided to terminate this effort as other modules became cheaper and more competitive.
My specific contributions
While this was a collaborative effort, my specific contributions were:
- Developed the code for the microcontroller (note that I built heavily off of the open source work already available)
- Verification of the code to ensure compliance with the ASTM F3411-22 standards
- Took part in nearly all of the hardware testing as part of the certification process
- Analyzed the data from the hardware test results to ensure compliance
- Wrote a large portion of the Declaration of Compliance (DoC) required by the FAA
- Wrote the user manual for our modules
- Managed shipping and inventory (including relevant shipping laws)
- Responded to customers who had questions and feedback
Background and development
At the time, Remote ID was still a new law. The FAA finally required complete compliance March 13, 2024. Around that time, the cheapest module commercially available cost $90.
Pivoting from the window washing drone, we developed the Cinnamon Remote ID broadcast module. We built heavily off of a software library freely available (with a permissible license) to implement the software that ran on the XIAO SEEED microcontroller. The major components were:
- Microcontroller
- 3D printed case
- GPS module
- Switch
- 1S LiPo battery
The SEEED module has a built in 1S LiPo charging chip built into it.
We sold both compiled kits and DIY solder-yourself modules at a discounted rate. Our modules were the cheapest compliant option on the market for a time.
Certification
One of the major hurdles in the development of this venture was the need to certify the modules with the FAA. While the specification was freely available, manufacturers of broadcast modules were required to submit a Declaration of Compliance (DoC).
This document described the details of the module and declared that it was compliant with the ASTM F3411-22 standards. Additionally, the document reported the results of several hardware tests required by the ASTM F3586-22 standards.
We conducted all tests and completed all of the relevant documentation. The FAA accepted our DoC, thus certifying our modules and the appropriate serial numbers as legally acceptable solutions to the Remote ID ruling.