The smartmicro Micro Radar Altimeter is a compact 24 GHz radar sensor that measures true height above ground from 0.5 m to 500 m for UAVs, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Height accuracy is 3% or 0.5 m, whichever is greater, and the sensor keeps working in fog, dust, snow and darkness and over water.

The sensor weighs 350 g including its 0.5 m cable and connector, draws 3.7 W and updates every 17 ms. It mounts on the aircraft belly, can operate behind non-conductive materials, and stays accurate at ±20° pitch and roll, 50 m/s vertical speed and up to 100 m/s forward speed.

Why Choose the Micro Radar Altimeter?

• True height above ground from 0.5 to 500 m

• Works in fog, dust, snow and darkness, and over water

• Accurate in dynamic flight: ±20° pitch and roll, 50 m/s vertical, 75 or 100 m/s forward

• Fast 17 ms update cycle

• 350 g, 99 × 110 × 29 mm and 3.7 W

• CAN 2.0B and RS485 interfaces, 7–32 V DC supply

• Watertight IP67 housing, -40 to +85 °C, maintenance-free

What Is the Micro Radar Altimeter Used For?

Typical applications of the Micro Radar Altimeter include:

• Industrial UAVs for inspection and survey

• Small UAVs and MAVs

• Helicopters in low-level flight

• Fixed-wing aircraft at high forward speed

• Automated landing, hover and terrain following

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Micro Radar Altimeter?

The Micro Radar Altimeter is smartmicro’s 24 GHz radar altimeter for aircraft and UAVs. It measures height above ground from 0.5 m to 500 m, weighs 350 g, draws 3.7 W and outputs over CAN or RS485.

Why use a radar altimeter like the Micro Radar Altimeter instead of barometric or GPS altitude?

A radar altimeter measures true height above ground level directly, unaffected by air-pressure drift or GNSS vertical error. That makes the Micro Radar Altimeter the reliable choice for landing, hover and terrain-following phases of flight.

Can the Micro Radar Altimeter be installed behind a fairing?

Yes. It is designed for belly mounting and can operate behind non-conductive materials, so it can be installed conformally without exposing the sensor face.

How does the Micro Radar Altimeter compare with the Drone Altimeter?

The Micro Radar Altimeter uses 24 GHz and reaches 500 m, which suits helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and larger UAVs. smartmicro’s Drone Altimeter uses 76–77 GHz, reaches 175 m, weighs 274 g and connects to PX4 and ArduPilot over DroneCAN, which suits small UAVs.

Where is the Micro Radar Altimeter available?

The Micro Radar Altimeter is available through Leo Drive in the following region: Türkiye. For other regions, please contact Leo Drive.

How can I get the datasheet and technical documents for the Micro Radar Altimeter?

The datasheet for the Micro Radar Altimeter is attached to this page. Please contact Leo Drive for the full performance data and integration support.

Explore More at Leo Drive

The Micro Radar Altimeter is part of the Radar Altimeters range at Leo Drive. Browse all autonomous vehicle sensors and components, or talk to our engineering team about integration in your project.