Remote ID compliance

Summary¶

EU Remote ID (EASA Delegated Regulation 2019/945, Implementing Regulation 2019/947) requires all drones above 250 g to continuously broadcast their identity, GPS position, altitude, and operator location via WiFi Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) and/or Bluetooth 5.0 Long Range. This is a legal requirement for all libdrone Pro, Ghost, and Bandit platforms, not optional. A compliant module (Dronetag Mini, BlueMark DB120, or equivalent) connects to the FC UART to receive GPS position and transmits the required data autonomously. Total mass: under 10 g. This does not replace EASA operator registration — both are required.

Concept¶

What Remote ID broadcasts¶

Every Remote ID transmission contains: - UAS ID (operator registration number + serial number) - Current GPS latitude, longitude, altitude - Speed and heading - Operator position (GPS position of the ground controller) - Timestamp

This data is broadcast locally at approximately 1 Hz via WiFi NAN (range ~300 m) and BLE 5.0 Long Range (range ~100 m). Any smartphone with a Remote ID receiver app in range can read the identity and position of every compliant drone overhead.

What Remote ID does not provide¶

Remote ID is civilian airspace transparency, not tactical IFF: - It does not authenticate the identity — spoofing is possible - It does not reach military tactical networks - It does not provide friend/foe status to combat forces - Its broadcast range is limited to ~300 m

In a contested environment where broadcasting position is a liability, evaluate whether compliance-driven broadcasting is tactically appropriate. This is a mission planning decision, not a technical one.

Operational security consideration¶

Remote ID broadcasts GPS position to any receiver in range. In environments where the operator's position or the drone's route should not be disclosed to potentially hostile observers, the mandatory broadcast nature of Remote ID is a security concern. The regulation provides no opt-out for civilian operators — compliance is mandatory in the EU for MTOW > 250 g.

Some operators in security-relevant deployments accept this risk as the cost of regulatory compliance. Others operate under special authorisation from the national authority that may allow modified operation. Consult the national authority (CAA CZ) if this concern applies to your deployment.

Reference¶

Compliant module options¶

FC integration¶

The Remote ID module connects to a spare UART on the H7A3-SLIM, receiving GPS NMEA data (or MAVLink position) to populate the broadcast. On libdrone Pro/Ghost, UART6 (companion/spare) is available. Configure in Betaflight Configurator → Ports → UART6: GPS Passthrough or MSP, depending on the module's requirements.

Operator registration (required separately)¶

Remote ID module compliance does not replace operator registration. Both are required: - Register as operator at registrace.caa.cz - Obtain e-ID (operator registration number) - Program e-ID into Remote ID module - Display e-ID on the drone (label or engraving)

Procedure¶

Installing and configuring Remote ID module¶

1. Mount the module on or near the Platform using a small M2 screw or foam-tape pad. Keep clear of the GPS antenna skyview.
2. Connect UART TX/RX to FC UART6 TX/RX (cross-connect: module RX to FC TX).
3. In Betaflight: configure UART6 as GPS passthrough at 57,600 baud. The module receives NMEA sentences and uses them for its broadcast.
4. Power module from the 5V GX12 rail or directly from the FC BEC (check module current draw — most are <50 mA).
5. Program the operator e-ID into the module via its configuration app.
6. Verify broadcast: download a Remote ID receiver app (e.g. OpenDroneID) on a smartphone. Power on the drone outdoors with GPS fix. The drone should appear on the app within 30 seconds.

Rationale¶

Why a dedicated module and not software Remote ID on the FC¶

Betaflight does not implement Remote ID natively — it is not designed for regulatory broadcast functions. Adding Remote ID to Betaflight firmware would require significant changes that are outside the project's scope and would create a dependency on regulatory compliance in flight-critical firmware. A dedicated module keeps compliance isolated from flight-critical code: if the Remote ID module fails, the drone still flies safely. If Remote ID were in Betaflight, a compliance bug could introduce flight bugs.

Connections¶

requires: - iff-layers - easa-open-category related: - emissions-control - gnss-gps leads_to: - emissions-control