What's The Difference?

The lens and lens mount are different. The 27mm standard lens was designed from the ground up specifically for the 65R and provides the highest image quality.

The 43mm lens is a Pentax lens that uses a different mechanical mount that increases the size and weight of the 65R. The 43mm Pentax lens also requires a locking mechanism to hold the lens settings in place. The 43mm lens option is intended for users who highly desire the increased GSD and reduced FOV.

The Sentera 65R sensor delivers 65MP resolution, global shutter RGB imagery in a compact package optimized for drone operations. The 65R offers outstanding image quality, fast capture rate, and user-friendly operation. The sensor can be integrated stand-alone or with stabilizing gimbal that is plug-and-play with the most popular drone platforms.

Key Specifications

Imager Specifications

Specification Sheet Download

Dimensions

27mm Standard Lens

43mm Lens

Sensor Orientation Reference

Base Kit

SKU: 21931-08

• 65R Sensor

• Hard Case w/ Custom Foam

• 4ft Custom Ethernet Cable

• 6ft USB-C to USB-A Cable

• Right Angle USB-C Adapter

Base Kit

• 65R Sensor

• Hard Case w/ Custom Foam

• External Power Supply

• 10ft USB-C to USB-A Cable

• Right Angle USB-C Adapter

Compatibility

Base Kit

Sensor

Gimbal

Interface Variants

Introduction

Learn more about what is included with the 65R sensor. The contents of the 65R case will vary based on the 65R model that was purchased, as well as if optional accessories are also purchased.

Sensor with Gimbal

OEM Sensor

Replacement Cables

Isometric

Top

Left

Right

Lens Lock Ring (43mm ONLY)

DJI Skyport

Smart Dovetail

Gremsy Hyper Quick

Information

The Sentera gimbal stabilizes the sensor in a dual-axis pitch and roll. Gimbals allow a sensor to continuously point nadir (straight down), while flying faster, covering more ground, with more accuracy, allowing the ability to gather more information, while maintaining high quality tagged images.

Isometric

Front

Profile

General Data Products

Orthomosaic

RGB Mosaic

VARI Map Mosaic

DSM

3D Reconstruction

Sentera Product Catalog

These are products that can be ordered via Sentera FieldAgent. The links below will define the required flight settings and the data product deliverables.

Plot

• Plot Stand Count and Uniformity

• Plot Crop Health with Uniformity

• Plot Masked Crop Health with Uniformity

• Plot Canopy Cover and Uniformity

• Plot Anomaly Detection

Field Scale

• Field Scale Stand Count

• Field Scale Stand Count (Offline)

• Field Scale Stand Count with Uniformity

• Field Scale Male/Female Stand Count with Uniformity

• Field Scale Tassel Count

• Field Scale Male/Female Tassel Count

• Field Scale Crop Area

Mosaics

• RGB Mosaic

• Precision Aligned RGB Mosaic

• Crop Health Mosaic

• Precision Aligned Crop Health Mosaic

• Elevation Mosaic

• Precision Aligned Elevation Mosaic

DJI M300/350

Freefly Astro

Inspired Flight IF800

Inspired Flight IF1200

DJI M200/210

DJI

Sentera

Freefly

Inspired Flight

Other

65R can be readily adapted to work on nearly any drone that can support the following connectors.

Instructions

65R Gimbal

1. Install 65R gimbal into smart dovetail mount.

2. Secure latch.

3. Power on Aircraft.

Compatibility Instructions

Current Astro firmware and 6X firmware requires two parameters to be set for seamless operation. Please use the page linked below for instructions on how to set the parameters.

Instructions

1. Align the white dot on the gimbal connector with the red dot on the drone connector.

2. The turn until the red dot on the gimbal connector and drone connector align.

3. Power on aircraft.

Dual Gimbal Setup

For dual gimbal mount setup the 65R should be placed in the correct port for the selected mode of operation (sensor configuration).

Integrated Mode

Use gimbal slot 1. This will power the sensor/gimbal/light sensor, and allow the sensor to communicate with the DJI autopilot and ingest trigger commands, GPS, altitude, and attitude information.

Compatibility

Please see the page linked below for skyport compatibility information, such as supported skyport firmware versions.

Adding to DJI Pilot

Coming Soon!

Instructions

1. Align the white dot on the gimbal connector with the red dot on the drone connector.

2. The turn until the red dot on the gimbal connector and drone connector align.

3. Power on aircraft.

Dual Gimbal Setup

For dual gimbal mount setup the 65R should be placed in the correct port for the selected mode of operation (sensor configuration).

Integrated Mode

Use gimbal slot 1. This will power the sensor/gimbal/light sensor, and allow the sensor to communicate with the DJI autopilot and ingest trigger commands, GPS, altitude, and attitude information.

Compatibility

Please see the page linked below for skyport compatibility information, such as supported skyport firmware versions.

Adding to DJI Pilot

65R Gimbal

Instructions

1. Install 65R into smart dovetail mount

2. Secure latch

3. Power on aircraft.

Compatibility

If you have an IF800 that was not configured for Sentera sensors by Inspired Flight or Sentera, use the following instructions:

Introduction

Learn more about operating the 65R sensor, what flight settings should be used, and how to offload data.

Standard Operating Procedure

Recommended Flight Settings

Status LEDs

SD Card

Data Offload

Operational Modes

The 65R can operate in two different modes. Each of these modes has a slightly different Standard Operating Procedure.

Integrated Mode

In this mode the 65R ingests triggering commands and GPS/Altitude/Attitude from the drone to capture and geotag imagery. This is the most common operational mode.

Support Aircraft:

• DJI M300/M350

• DJI M200/210

• Freefly Astro

• IF800 & IF1200

Stand Alone Mode (Sentera GPS)

In this mode the 65R uses GPS data from the light sensor/GPS module to determine when it should trigger the camera.

Notes

General Instructions

1. Assemble aircraft.

2. Install the 65R.

3. Power the aircraft.

4. Verify a session has started.

5. Verify camera model, altitude, overlap , and flight speed settings in flight app.

6. Fly.

7. Offload data (optional).

Detailed Instructions

Assemble Aircraft

Assembly the aircraft per manufacturer instructions.

Attach 65R

Attach the 65R to the aircraft.

Power Aircraft & Wait for Session Start

1. Power the aircraft on.

2. Let the 65R boot (solid status red LEDs).

3. Verify the 65R has started a session (solid green status LEDs). This takes about 1 minute and requires a GPS fix.

Verify Flight Settings

Verify the camera model/parameters, flight speed, survey altitude, and overlap settings.

Fly

Prepare the aircraft for launch, then fly.

Offload Data (optional)

Sensor Cables

Data Transfer Cables

USB-C to USB-A

USB-C to USB-C

All Options

Power Cable

SKU: SWI36-24-N-P5

For use with the PHX see the 65R PHX Payload User Guide:

About

In this mode the 65R ingests triggering commands and GPS/Altitude/Attitude from the drone to capture and geotag imagery.

Default Configuration

Learn how to use the gimbal steering functionality for the 65R on various platforms:

Getting Started

To ensure the gimbal steering for the 65R will work for Inspired Flight aircraft two things need to be checked:

Verify that the 65R is on firmware version 3.13.1 or higher

Verify that the Inspired Flight compatibility parameters are set on the aircraft

Manual Gimbal Control

To manually control the gimbal use the rocker wheel on the left hand side of the herelink controller.

Pushing the wheel to the right will point the gimbal downwards (NADIR).

Pushing the wheel to the left will point the gimbal forward.

Automated Gimbal Control

To set a gimbal angle for a mapping mission do the following:

1. Navigate to the Plan screen
2. Select Survey (or other mission type)
3. Select the Waypoint option from the left hand menu
4. Place a waypoint into the flight plan
5. In the waypoint mission item on the right hand side of the screen select the camera drop down menu.
6. Check the gimbal options box, then enter your desired gimbal pitch angle.
7. Then plan the rest of your flight as normal. The gimbal will change the pitch angle of the sensor at the waypoint and remain at that pitch angle throughout the rest of the mission. to add additional gimbal pitch changes use the same method between survey mission items, or plan a waypoint mission and add the gimbal change commands as desired.

Orthomosaic

Mission Parameter Calculator

Check out our free web based mission parameter calculator to find your ideal flight settings:

Capture Performance

The maximum capture rate of the 65R is 3 FPS. The charts below show how the camera performs given different altitude, flight speed, and overlap settings.

Capture Rate Versus Altitude - Constant Speed

Capture Rate Versus Flight Speed - Constant Altitude

Environmental Considerations

Time of Day

Fly mid-day when the sun is highest in the sky (solar noon) to reduce shadowing effects. Solar noon will change depending on global location and time of year.

Cloud Cover

Flying with uniform lighting conditions is optimal for 65R. This means no clouds (clear), mostly clear, or completely overcast.

Precipitation

Flying in foggy, rainy, or snowy conditions is not advised.

Sentera Product Catalog

Red Solid

The 65R is booting/not ready.

Green Solid

The 65R has booted and a session has started.

White Flash

The 65R took a picture.

Red Flashing

the 65R has detected an error.

Purpose

The Micro SD card is used for recording diagnostic log file data.

Specifications

Provided Card

SD Card Formatting Tool

Required

Optional

Getting Started

The 65R stores the imagery on an internal solid state hard drive that is not removable from the sensor. Use the process outline below to access the collected data.

Power On Sensor

Power the 65R using the AC adapter or keep it attached to the aircraft and turn the aircraft on.

Then wait for the LEDS on the sensor to do the following:

This verifies that the sensor is fully booted and ready for data offload.

Connect USB Cable to Sensor and Computer

Connect the sensor to the computer using a USB cable.

Verify Connection

Open your wifi/network panel from the task bar. Verify that you see "unidentified network - No internet". This is the 65R appearing as a network device.

Open a File Browser Window

Navigate to Sensor Storage

Navigate to the 65R internal storage by typing \\192.168.42.1 into the address bar of the file browser and pressing enter.

Login to Sensor

Windows will display a network credentials pop-up. The user name is sentera and there is no password. Press OK.

Select Data Folder

Select Snapshots Folder

Select Session Folder

Session folders are the folders where the imagery is stored for each flight.

Copy Folder

If you are trying to offload data and are running into issue's to where its asking for a pin number instead of username and password and are running on a domain controlled account, see image below. Please go through the following steps below.

Steps to resolve issue:

1. Press windows button + L on your keyboard on your laptop or desktop computer. This will then go to the lock screen.

2. Click on "sign-in options" button underneath the pin, see image below.

1. Select password, i.e., there should be an icon that looks like a key, select the key button and then type in the windows password to get into the computer.

2. Go through the data offload process again, this time it should work. see link to page below.

Getting Started

Use the following pages to learn about what equipment is needed to offload data from the 65R, how to offload the data, and how to import the data into post processing software.

Equipment

Offload Process

Data Import

Introduction

65R uses standard metadata tagging formats and labels, such as EXIF and XMP. They are compatible with standard GIS and image processing tools, such as Pix4D.

Common Post Processing Tools

Getting Started

Learn how to update the firmware for the 65R sensor.

Latest Version

Equipment

How To Update

Version 4.1.3

Release Notes

4.1.3

Features

• Add WeedScout Phase-3 payload support

• Add Sentera RTK/PPK module support for IF800 drones

• Add CAMERA_INFORMATION message for MAVLink systems

• Network configurations allow for multiple IP addresses on a single port for platform compatibility

• Video feeds can be enabled to stream video over RTSP on supported platforms

  • Currently enabled for Inspired Flight UAVs

  • When enabled, the RTSP feed is found at: rtsp://[ip]:8554/video

• Upgraded camera operating system

Bug fixes

• Fixed purple pixels and scaling of video stream

• Fixed unique Ethernet MAC address issue

• Fixed intermittent application failure on WeedScout platforms

• Fixed metadata failure 71.5 minutes after power-on on WeedScout platforms

Known Issues

• The video feed appears to be all I-frames, which results in lower quality

• Manual photo capture button in IGC does not work

• Payload detection on Astro hangs on initialization within Auterion Mission Control

Previous Releases

Introduction

The 65R uses an internal SSD to store the captured data. This article will describe the file storage structure.

File Structure

The 65R file structure is as follows:

data > snapshots > session folders > rgb > image files

The session folders are labeled as YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS. Where YYYY-MM-DD is the date that the imagery was collected on, and HH-MM-SS is the UTC time that the session folder created at (when the 6X status lights turned green).

Inside of each session folder is a sub folder labeled rgb. This folder contains the the imagery.

Getting Started

The 65R stores the imagery on an internal solid state hard drive that is not removable from the sensor. Use the process outline below to access the collected data.

Power On Sensor

Power the 65R using the AC adapter or keep it attached to the aircraft and turn the aircraft on.

Then wait for the LEDS on the sensor to do the following:

This verifies that the sensor is fully booted and ready for data offload.

Connect USB Cable to Sensor and Computer

Connect the sensor to the computer using a USB cable.

Open a Finder Window

Once the 65R is fully booted it will appear as a network location in the left hand menu of the Finder window.

Select Data Folder

Select Snapshots Folder

Select Session Folder

Session folders are the folders where the imagery is stored for each flight.

Copy Folder

Eject Sensor

Power Sensor

Power the sensor using the AC power adapter or install into the aircraft and turn the aircraft on.

Then wait for the LEDS on the sensor to do the following:

This verifies that the sensor is fully booted.

Connect To Computer

Connect the sensor to the computer using a USB cable.

Verify Connection

Open your wifi/network panel from the task bar. Verify that you see "unidentified network - No internet". This is the 65R appearing as a network device.

Open Web Browser

Open a web browser (chrome, safari, firefox, etc).

Enter IP Address

In the address bar enter 192.168.42.1 and press enter/go.

Page Appears

The webpage will appear.

Download Firmware Update File

Before You Start

Power On Sensor

Power the 65R using the AC adapters or keep it attached to the aircraft and turn the aircraft on.

Then wait for the LEDS on the sensor to do the following:

This verifies that the sensor is fully booted.

Connect Sensor to Computer

Connect the sensor to the computer using a USB cable.

Verify Connection

Open your wifi/network panel from the task bar. Verify that you see "unidentified network - No internet". This is the 65R appearing as a network device.

Open Sensor Webpage

In a web browser (no internet required) type 192.168.42.1 into the address bar and press enter.

Select Update Firmware

Apply Firmware File

Allow Update to Execute

The software update process begins and may take several minutes. Do not turn off the power or disconnect the cable during this process. It may reboot several times during the process.

Allow Sensor to Self-Reboot

Complete

Once complete, the web page will refresh. You can check the firmware version after the web page refreshes by checking the 'Current Version' at the top of the update page, or the version in the lower left of the web page menu bar.

Introduction

The home page of the 65R webpage displays the sensor status, session control, trigger control, and calibration control menus. This is the default landing page when the webpage is accessed.

Status

The status field displays the telemetry information received from external sources like the aircraft autopilot or light sensor/GPS.

GPS Status

The GPS status displays the GPS information currently available to the 65R.

Attitude

Session Control

Session Control displays if the 65R is ready to take imagery or not. If a session is started, the 65R is ready. If a session is not started automatically the 65R may not be ready. However, a session can be started manually if desired.

Session control is displayed in 2 states:

Session In Progress

The 65R has detected that it is ready to begin collecting imagery. The session start criteria is based on the configuration of the 65R.

Start Session

The 65R did not automatically start a session.

To start a session manually:

1. Name the session in the text input box, or leave the default web_session name.

2. Press the Start Session button.

3. Verify the status lights on the 65R turn solid green.

Trigger Control

The 65R can be manually triggered using the Capture Image button in the Trigger Control field. This is useful for ground testing, or when manual image capture is applicable.

Press the Capture Image button (a session must be started) and the 6X will take an image (1 image per imager). The status LEDs on the 65R will briefly flash from green to white.

The 65R can also be manually triggered using the physical pushbutton trigger on the side of the sensor.

Calibration Control

This is not used for the 65R sensor. This feature is the result of the shared code base of the 6X series sensors and the 65R sensor. Calibration is not function for the 65R.

Introduction

The configuration page is used to change:

• How the 65R interacts with the aircraft it is connected to.

• The triggering method

In most cases the 65R is preconfigured based on what aircraft/system the camera is ordered for and the configuration doesn't need to be changed.

To learn how to change the configuration of the 65R or change the overlap for auto-height overlap mode, see the pages linked below.

How To Instructions

Platform/Metadata Configuration

The platform and metadata configuration is used to tell the 65R what aircraft it will be used with and where data sources (altitude, GPS, heading, etc) will come from.

Config File

The Config File field will display the currently config file. It also contains the change button used for changing the config file.

Depending on the current config file there will be limited config files displayed in the change menu. To display all configuration file options select the "All platform configurations" and/or the "Advanced configurations" radio buttons as shown in the advanced tab below.

Config Type

The Config Type is tied to the config file and gives more specific instruction about the metadata sources. The config names and data source information are listed below.

Trigger

The trigger field is used to set the trigger type and related settings.

Trigger Type

Please contact support@sentera.com for more information.

Documentation

NDAA Compliance

Blue UAS

the 65R is eligible for Blue UAS conformity. If Blue UAS is a requirement or you wish to sponsor the 65R for Blue UAS conformity please contact Sentera.

Introduction

The 65R hosts a local web page that is used for several applications including: Status, Configuration, Image Adjustment, and updating firmware.

How To Access Web User Interface

Home Page

Configuration Page

Image Adjustment Page

Firmware Update

Navigate to Image Adjustment Page

Set Desired Values

The settings on this page can be applied while a session is currently running and no reboot of the camera is needed.

Press Apply

After modifying one or more values, click the ‘Apply’ button in the lower right corner of the page. The settings will be updated for the next trigger.

Test Image (optional)

If a session is currently running, the ‘Capture Image’ button will be enabled on this page to allow more rapid testing of settings changes. Sessions can be started from the `Home` page if one isn’t currently running.

Navigate to Configuration Page

Locate Trigger Field and Select Overlap

Set Overlap

Press Apply and Restart

Wait For Sensor to Reconnect

Verify Correct Overlap is Shown

Navigate to Configuration Page

Click Change Button

Select Desired Configuration

Click Apply and Restart

Wait For Sensor to Reconnect

Verify Correct Configuration is Shown

Introduction

65R image settings are set by default for the best settings in most use cases. There is also the ability to alter some of the color and exposure settings for custom applications.

Exposure

In most normal usage, the exposure should not need to be adjusted, however if your images are consistently too bright or too dark, the auto-exposure settings can be modified. These settings will change how bright / dark the image is, as well as the shutter speeds and gains used to capture the image.

Color Adjustments

These settings allow adjustment to the overall brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image without modifying the exposure. They should be used for fine color adjustment if the default settings are not giving the quality of image needed for your application.

Pipeline

There are several onboard processing steps that the sensor performs to provide the best data product possible. While we recommend leaving these at their default settings, each of the processing stages can be disabled to get completely unmodified imagery from the sensor.

New 65R Sensors

Brand new 65R sensors should come pre-configured for the aircraft/installation that it is expected to be used with. This information is provided when the 65R is purchased from Sentera.

This means that the camera configuration should not need to be changed.

Used 65R Sensors

If a 65R has been used before and the configuration is unknown the camera configuration should be verified and changed as required.

The most common configurations are:

Getting Started

Everything needed to install the 65R sensor will be included in the case. This is the best place to start with a new 65R.

It is recommended to install the 65R and related equipment onto the aircraft in a controlled environment like an office before your first flight to ensure that everything fits and powers on as expected.

65R Installation

1. Install the 65R onto the aircraft.

2. Power the aircraft.

Detailed Sensor Installation Instructions

General Instruction

1. Power 65R using aircraft battery or AC power cable.

2. Connect 65R to a computer using the provided USB-C cable.

3. Open a file browser.

4. In the address bar type \\192.168.42.1 and press enter.

5. Login into the sensor. Enter the user name sentera and press okay. There is no password.

6. Select the data folder.

7. Select the snapshots folder.

8. Select the session folder with the correct data and copy it to the computer or an external hard drive

Detailed Data Offload Instructions

There are multiple options available for users to interface with the 65R. These interfaces support the following hardware devices:

• Sentera external GPS based triggering/metadata

• DJI Skyport based systems (plug and play gimbal mount)

• Freefly Dovetail based systems (plug and play gimbal mount)

• MAVLink based systems (3.3V UART)

• Sentera based systems (Ethernet)

• Customized ICD options, available upon request

• Gremsy HDMI Hyper Quick Mount based systems (plug and play gimbal mount)

Cables to interface to the sensor can be purchased directly from Sentera upon request. Contact support@sentera.com.

I/O

Communication Protocol

Mechanical

Gimbal Connectors

Electrical Connectors