3PX Metrics
Dimensions
The Dimensions of the 3PX and AIS, measured in millimeters:


Power Source
The 3PX accepts power sources from 9-36V; we recommend a 3-6 cell battery. A rough estimate to calculate the sensor's "on-time" is to calculate a battery's total capacity and then divide by the sensor's power draw of 11W. Peak draw is 3A upon sensor startup.
For example: 14.8V x 1300mAh = 19240 mW or about 19.2WH 19.2WH / 11W = 1.75 hours of 3p "on-time"
Flight Metrics
Image overlap (along-track) is a function of the data collection rate of the sensor, the size of the image on the ground at the given flight altitude, and the flight speed of the aircraft. The sensor is collecting images approximately once per second, so the distance the aircraft travels in one second should not exceed 80% of the image’s along-track dimension.
Many flight planning software packages will automatically space your flight legs when given the parameters of the imaging system and the required sidelap. The sidelap for a 3PX sensor should be 20% to 30%.
See the tables for image size, recommended maximum speeds at various altitudes, and optical parameters of the 3PX system oriented nadir.
Note If flying a multirotor, you must angle the sensor mount to compensate for aircraft pitch at the chosen speed.
3PX field of view from various altitudes
Altitude (m) | 25 | 30 | 35 | 45 | 60 | 90 | 120 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image Width (m) | 12.8 | 15.4 | 18.0 | 23.0 | 30.7 | 46.0 | 61.4 |
Image Height (m) | 10.2 | 12.3 | 14.3 | 18.4 | 24.6 | 36.9 | 49.2 |
3PX Max flight speeds at various altitudes
Altitude (m) | 25 | 30 | 35 | 45 | 60 | 90 | 120 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Max Ground Speed (m/s) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Note
Depending on your aircraft setup (multiple batteries, multiple sensor payloads, etc...) and the wind conditions, flight speeds above 12 m/s may orient your sensor significantly off-nadir. The standard 8 degree mount is not sufficient to keep most multirotor aircraft oriented nadir at flight speeds above 12 m/s. Increase the angle or lower flight speed as needed.
If using flight planning software packages that require imaging system parameters, enter the following:
3PX Imaging system properties
Focal length (m) | Pixel Pitch (m) | Pixels Wide | Pixels High | Focal Plane | Frame Rate (Hz) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.012 | 0.0000048 | 1200 | 944 | 5.76mm x 4.53mm | 1 |