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RFD900 Solo

The Pilot Pro RFD900 Solo is a standalone Pilot Pro controller configured with an RFD900 radio module. It is designed for both integrators and customers who want to upgrade or integrate a Pilot Pro into an existing UXV workflow without replacing the aircraft-side radio.

The Alta X's Blue firmware is not aware of the RFD900 configuration on firmware's below 1.3.114 stable blue firmware. Upgrading to the Pilot Pro will require updating the Alta X if using older firmware

For integrators, we are running the standard RFD900 firmware with NetID's for pairing, and the Pilot Pro's OLED populates based on seeing MAVLink traffic go through the serial connection. If a 3rd party app is used, it must initiate the MAVLink connection. We would recommend to keep the Pilot Pro app installed.

Tested Configurations

Module
Use Case

RFD900x

Factory-installed on UXV Alta X aircraft

RFD900ux-SMT

Installed by Freefly during Pilot Pro RFD900 integration on Alta X NDAA Variant

Known Issues & Limitations

Affected Hardware
Issue
Notes

RFD900x (old airside)

Encryption causes 10–15 second telemetry delays

Encryption must be disabled after pairing — see setup guide below

RFD900x (old airside)

Encryption key cannot be reliably set remotely

Commands fail silently; key must be configured locally

Both RFD900 modules

No digital channel passthrough

Kill switch is remapped to SBUS Channel 16 in firmware as a workaround

Pilot Pro + RFD900 — Alta X (UXV) Setup Guide

Before You Start

You will need:

Part 1 — Match the RFD900 Radio Settings

The Pilot Pro's RFD900 must be configured to match the settings on the aircraft-side RFD900. The easiest way to get those settings is from the UXV controller the aircraft shipped with.

Step 1 — Read the UXV Controller's RFD Settings

  1. Power on the UXV ground controller.

  2. Close any running instances of QGroundControl, AMC, and the MAVLink router.

  3. Open the RFD Configurator app and connect to the ground module.

  4. Take a screenshot or write down the following values:

    • Net ID

    • Channels / Min Freq / Max Freq

    • Encryption Key (if enabled)

  5. Power off the UXV controller.

Step 2 — Configure the Pilot Pro's RFD900

  1. On the Pilot Pro, close any running instances of QGroundControl, AMC, and the MAVLink router.

  2. Open the RFD Configurator app and connect to the ground module.

  3. Enter the Net ID, channels, and frequencies from the UXV controller.

  4. If the Pilot Pro has encryption enabled, it must be disabled — Encryption keys can only be entered when encryption is saved in a disabled state

    1. If the Pilot Pro currently has encryption enabled, disable it and tap Apply.

  5. With encryption now saved as disabled, re-enable encryption, enter the key from the UXV controller, and tap Apply.

  6. Confirm all settings match, then close the RFD Configurator.

Part 2 — Connect to the Aircraft

  1. Make sure the UXV controller is powered off.

  2. Power on the Alta X.

  3. Power on the Pilot Pro.

  4. The aircraft should detect the Pilot Pro's RFD900 and connect automatically

Disable Encryption — Required

Once connected, re-open RFD Configurator on the Pilot Pro and disable the encryption key, then save.

An active encryption key between the RFD900ux-SMT in the Pilot Pro and RFD900x air side from the UXV configuration causes 10–15 second telemetry delays that will affect situational awareness and GCS usability. The Net ID and frequency channel settings provide sufficient link exclusivity for normal operations

Firmware Dependent Steps

Once fully connected with encryption disabled, you'll want to reset the parameters on the aircraft to ensure you're starting from a known state when configuring the controller. The methods to do this vary between firmware version

Firmware v1.3.114 — Parameter Setup & Calibration

Step 3 — Preparing the Temperature Calibration

Alta X stores a unique thermal calibration file on its SD card. This calibration compensates rate gyros, accelerometers, and the barometric pressure sensor for temperature-induced bias. Loading default parameters removes this calibration — it must be reloaded before flight.

  1. With the Alta X unpowered, connect a USB-C cable to your computer. Leave the other end disconnected from the Alta X for now.

  2. Remove the chassis closeout panel between Booms 1 and 2 to expose the expansion board.

  3. Hold the USB MSC button on the expansion board while plugging in the USB-C cable. Nav lights should remain solid blue. The Alta X will appear as a USB drive named FF-ALTA.

  4. Locate the file named [SerialNumber]_Tempcal.params and copy it to your computer

  5. Eject the USB drive and unplug the cable.

Step 4 — Set the Airframe

  1. Reconnect the USB-C cable without pressing the button. The Alta X will boot normally — lights will cycle blue → white → red/green directional.

  2. Open Alta QGroundControl and wait for the aircraft to connect.

  3. Navigate to Vehicle Setup (three-gear icon, top left) → Parameters tab (two-gear icon, left sidebar).

  4. In the search bar, search for SYS_AUTOSTART.

  5. Set the value to 4512 (Alta X — Pilot Pro with RFD900).

Step 5 — Load Default Parameters

On Pilot Pro (using QGC):

  • Tap the Tools button (top right of the Parameters tab) → Load Defaults.

On a computer (using QGC):

  • Search for SYS_AUTOCONFIG and set it to 2. (You may need to select "Manual Entry" → "Force Save" to apply this.)

Step 6 — Shutdown the Aircraft

  • Remove power from the aircraft to shutdown

Step 7 — Apply Temperature Calibration

  1. Reconnect the USB-C cable without pressing the button. The Alta X will boot normally — lights will cycle blue → white → red/green directional.

  2. Open Alta QGC and wait for the aircraft to connect.

  3. Navigate to Vehicle Setup → Parameters → Tools → Load from File and select the Tempcal.params file.

  4. Reboot the aircraft.

  5. Reconnect in QGC and navigate to Parameters → Thermal Compensation tab (bottom left). Confirm the majority of values are non-zero. Zero values indicate the calibration did not load — repeat this section before continuing.

  6. Shutdown the aircraft.

Step 8 — Sensor Calibration

  1. Mount and plug in the Alta X batteries to power the aircraft.

  2. Open Alta QGC and wait for the aircraft to connect.

  3. Navigate to Vehicle Setup → Sensors tab.

  4. Rotations should be auto configured, but for reference they are the following settings:

    • Autopilot Orientation: ROTATION_YAW_180

    • External Compass (Here2 GPS): ROTATION_YAW_270

    • External Compass (RTK / F9P GPS): NO_ROTATION

  5. Work through each sensor marked red and follow the on-screen calibration instructions. Sensors marked green are already calibrated.

  6. Reboot the aircraft after all calibrations are complete.

Final Verification

Before first flight, confirm the following:

Need help? Contact Freefly support at support.freeflysystems.com or reach out to your dealer.

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