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Setuav Standard — Introduction

Purpose

The Setuav Standard defines a tool-agnostic format for describing UAV designs.

This repository contains only:

  • the standard text,
  • JSON Schemas,
  • YAML examples,
  • validation guidance.

Plugin APIs and any application-specific details are out of scope for this repository.

Scope

The Setuav Standard targets fixed-wing UAV designs and provides a comprehensive data model covering the entire design lifecycle:

  • Geometry: Parametric definition of airframe components including fuselage, wings, tails, and control surfaces.
  • Propulsion: Specifications for propulsion systems (motors, ESCs, propellers) and power systems (batteries).
  • Mass: Direct mass specifications for geometry and propulsion components, plus tracking of additional parts (electronics, landing gear, etc.).
  • Performance: Standardized format for storing flight performance analysis, stability results, and mission simulation data.

Out of scope

To maintain focus on the design definition, the following areas are out of scope:

  • Rotorcraft: Multirotor and helicopter configurations, and their specific parameters (rotor disks, collective/cyclic pitch, etc.).
  • Avionics Internal Logic: Detailed control laws, PID gains, or specific autopilot firmware code.
  • Detailed Structural Analysis: Raw FEA mesh data or internal stress/strain tensors (the standard focuses on high-level material properties and mass distribution).
  • Operational Data: Maintenance logs, flight logs, operator licensing, and real-time mission telemetry.

Key Principles

The standard is designed around several key principles:

  • Modularity: Large designs can be split into smaller, reusable component files.
  • Human-Readable: YAML format ensures that the data is easy to read and edit by humans.
  • Strict Validation: JSON Schemas provide clear rules for data structure and types.