Skills
As part of the Drone (UAV) Development program at Ethics Infotech LLP, we are looking for an RF / Communications Engineer to own the design and reliability of all wireless links on the drone — control link, telemetry, and video downlink. This is a new specialization for our R&D and Automation team and is critical for safe, reliable drone operation, especially for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) use cases. The role will work closely with the UAV Systems Engineer, Electronics Engineer, and Embedded Engineer.
Job Location: Vadodara
Office Hours: 09:30 am to 7 pm
Working Days: Mon – Sat
Weekly Off: 1st, 3rd & 5th Sat
Experience: 2+ Yrs
Role & Responsibilities
- Design and select the control link (RC/uplink), telemetry link, and video downlink systems for the drone, based on range, latency, and reliability requirements.
- Perform frequency planning and interference analysis to ensure reliable communication across control, telemetry, and video channels.
- Design or select antennas (including placement on the airframe) in coordination with the UAV Systems Engineer to optimize range and signal quality without compromising aerodynamics or weight.
- Work with the PCB Designer and Electronics Engineer to integrate RF modules cleanly onto the drone's electronics stack, minimizing noise and interference with other onboard systems.
- Evaluate and recommend link budget calculations to determine achievable range under various payload, altitude, and environmental conditions.
- Coordinate with the Embedded Engineer on failsafe logic for link loss (return-to-home, loss-of-signal behavior).
- Support ground and flight testing to validate communication range, latency, and robustness under real-world conditions.
- Stay current on spectrum allocation and licensing requirements relevant to drone communication links in India.
- Document RF system architecture, test results, and troubleshooting guides for the team.
Education/Qualification (if any Certification):
- B.Tech / M.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering (RF/wireless specialization preferred)
Requirements
- Strong understanding of RF fundamentals: frequency planning, link budgets, antenna theory, modulation schemes, and interference mitigation.
- Hands-on experience with common drone communication systems (e.g., 2.4GHz/5.8GHz RC links, telemetry radios, analog/digital video transmission systems).
- Familiarity with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators) for link testing and troubleshooting.
- Basic understanding of spectrum allocation and licensing considerations for wireless communication in India.
- Ability to work closely with mechanical and electronics teams on antenna placement and integration trade-offs.
- Strong problem-solving skills for diagnosing and resolving field-level communication issues.
Good to Have
- Prior experience designing communication systems specifically for UAVs/drones.
- Exposure to long-range/BVLOS communication technologies (e.g., 4G/LTE-based telemetry, mesh networking).
- Experience with antenna design/simulation tools.
- Awareness of DGCA and WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) regulatory requirements for drone communication in India.
