Packet Digital

Packet Digital LLC
IndustrySemiconductors
Unmanned aerial systems
Founded2003[1]
Headquarters
Fargo, North Dakota
,
U.S.[2]
Key people
Terri Zimmerman, CEO
Andrew Paulsen, Chief Technology Officer
Websitepacketdigital.com

Packet Digital LLC Packet Digital is an engineering and manufacturing company focused on UAS battery development and production. Founded in 2003, Packet Digital’s team has develops batteries and power systems.


Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

Packet Digital designs circuitry for solar-powered UAS to more efficiently use electrical output from solar panels on the aircraft wings and fuselage to power avionics and charge batteries, to increase flight times. With the opening of its manufacturing facility in December 2023, Packet Digital is now assembling all of its printed circuit boards in-house with the use of a surface-mount technology line.

Packet Digital is designing power electronics to be used conjointly with advanced photovoltaics being developed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., with the aim of producing solar-powered UAS with unlimited flight time.[3][4] The circuitry will use power tracking algorithms to accommodate movements of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or clouds that could change how much sunlight is available to the solar cells.[5]

Packet Digital announced in June 2015 that it would create Botlink LLC as a joint venture with drone app developer Aerobotic Innovations LLC. Botlink will develop and market a hardware-software platform combining Packet Digital's power management circuits for improved drone endurance and Aerobotic Innovation's Internet cloud-based operations platform for safety, communications, data processing and control of a drone from a drag-and-drop app on a tablet or smartphone—a feature known as "Drag. Drop. Drone."[6]

In 2021, Packet Digital and the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) announced the successful first test flight of their jointly developed long-endurance UAS. The fixed-wing, hybrid UAS utilized solar panels installed on the wings, autonomous soaring algorithms, and hydrogen fuel cell technology to create a new class of small UAS with the ability to stay in flight for over two days. The fixed-wing drone successfully completed the first phase of operational testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in late November.[7]

Additionally in 2021, Packet Digital was awarded a supplier agreement with Lockheed Martin to supply high energy density, lithium batteries for Lockheed Martin's cutting-edge Indago 4 drone. Packet Digital's Indago 4 battery has significantly better performance and functionality than earlier Indago batteries. The battery management system enhances the safety and longevity of the battery, reducing cost of ownership. Packet Digital has also developed a multi-pack field charger that can be operated on either AC or DC.[8]

In 2022, Packet Digital was awarded an $8.5 million contract to develop UAS smart batteries, chargers and power systems for the U.S. Navy. The company is responsible for designing and manufacturing high-performance UAS battery systems for the next generation of Navy maritime logistics UAS. Additionally, the battery design will enable the Navy UAS fleet to share a standard set of features and construction techniques so that battery variants can be produced quickly with minimal resource requirements.[9]

Space power systems

In 2021, Packet Digital was awarded a US$7,999,913 contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop highly-efficient and reliable space power components for future U.S. space missions. Work began in July 2021, and is expected to be completed in 2024. Packet Digital's development focuses on replacing current spacecraft power system hardware, which is reaching its technological limit in regards to power density and efficiency. Power system hardware size and weight can be dramatically reduced by implementing advanced technologies.[10]

Leadership

As of 2025 Packet Digital was led by Terri Zimmerman (CEO), who was named CEO in 2013. CTO Andrew Paulsen joined Packet Digital in 2005.[11]

Accolades

Packet Digital was named the Electronics and Overall Innovation Challenge Winner at Aviation Week 2012 in Washington, D.C.[12] Gartner named Packet Digital in its 2014 Cool Vendors in Semiconductors report.[13] Inc. listed the company number 468 among its 500 Fastest Growing Companies in 2008.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Packet Digital - Fargo, ND". Inc. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  2. ^ "Packet Digital - Contacts". Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  3. ^ "Drones may soon harness solar power". sctimes.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. ^ "Fargo firm aims to create drones with unlimited flight time". grandforksherald.com. 2014-06-05. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  5. ^ "UAS Magazine – The Latest News on Unmanned Aerial Systems - Packet Digital's technology could change UAS perceptions". UAS Magazine. January 28, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  6. ^ "Botlink, Packet Digital join forces for drone platform". Fargo Forum. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "NRL's Hybrid Tiger UAV Soars at Demonstration". U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  8. ^ "Packet Digital Chosen to Supply Lockheed Martin's Indago 4 Drone with Custom, USA Assembled Batteries and Chargers". Packet Digital. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  9. ^ "Packet Digital Awarded an $8.5 million Contract to Develop Smart Batteries, Chargers, and Power Systems for the United States Naval Drone Fleet - Packet Digital". packetdigital.com. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  10. ^ "Contracts for June 11, 2021". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  11. ^ "About Us". Packet Digital. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  12. ^ "Congratulations to the 2012 Innovation Challenge Winners!". Aviation Week. March 7, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ^ "Cool Vendors in Semiconductors, 2014". Gartner. May 7, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2015.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.