1. 4g enhanced drone

The best way to use 4G is not to replace your existing system, but to work together with your current drone setup.
Your drone still keeps the original point-to-point control (like RC / telemetry link),
and 4G is added as an extra layer for remote access and monitoring.

This way:

• Near distance → you still use normal controller (low latency, very stable)
• Long distance or remote → you can switch to 4G
• If one link fails → you still have backup

4G is not replacing your drone system. It is enhancing it.

2. Obstacles

Point-to-point fails easily with blockage
Even if your point-to-point system works well in open area,
it becomes very unreliable when there are obstacles.

Typical cases:

• Mountains
• Buildings
• Trees / forest
• Urban environments

In these situations, signal can drop very quickly, even within a short distance.
4G does not rely on line-of-sight, so it can keep connection even when the drone is behind obstacles.

3. Unlimited range

Many people think 4G means unlimited range.
Technically, yes — as long as both sides have internet,
you can control and monitor your drone from very far away.
In most regions, long-distance operation is allowed for commercial or professional use,
but may require approval or reporting.

We only support this feature for professional teams and commercial applications.
Please always follow your local laws and regulations.

Latency

Latency is often misunderstood. You should not expect FPV-level latency (tens of milliseconds), and in reality this is not achievable over 4G by any system.

In a typical setup, the network latency from WebRTC is usually around 100–200 ms, which is already quite good for cellular networks. However, what many people overlook is that the camera contributes a large part of the delay. A typical RTSP camera can easily introduce another 200–300 ms latency. So in practice, a total video latency of around 200–300 ms is expected.

The control latency is usually close to the network latency, so it remains responsive enough for most industrial or inspection use cases. But if your total latency goes beyond 300 ms, it is usually a sign that something is not right — either your network condition is unstable, or your RTSP camera is adding too much delay.

So the key point is simple: if you are looking for FPV racing-level responsiveness, Puffin is not the right solution. It is designed for reliability and range, not extreme low latency

Network Stability

Network stability is a broad topic, and it depends on multiple factors. The most important ones are your carrier, the local network coverage, and the environment you are operating in. Hardware performance and software design also play a role, but in most real-world cases, the network itself is the limiting factor.

On the Puffin side, we use industry-proven high-performance 4G modules, and the software is designed specifically for drone use. The system is built on WebRTC, which handles packet loss and jitter better than many traditional solutions. In addition, Puffin includes an automatic reconnect mechanism. If the connection drops, it will continuously try to recover, and once the network becomes available again, it reconnects automatically.

In practice, if you have good 4G coverage, the system will be stable. If the coverage is weak or inconsistent, any system will struggle. The important thing is that Puffin is designed to recover from these situations instead of failing permanently.

1. Drone Knowledge

You need basic drone knowledge to use Puffin properly. Ideally, you should have experience with Ardupilot or PX4-based drones, including assembling your own system. You should understand what MAVLink is, and have used ground control software like Mission Planner or QGroundControl. You should also know how to configure parameters on a flight controller.

Puffin is not suitable for complete beginners. In many cases, problems during setup come from the drone system itself rather than Puffin. For users who are already familiar with drones, Puffin is actually very easy to integrate and use.

2. Flight Controller PX4 & Ardupilot

Puffin only supports flight controllers based on PX4 or Ardupilot. Other firmware such as INAV or Betaflight are NOT supported.

At the same time, Puffin is compatible with most mainstream PX4 and Ardupilot hardware available on the market. This is one of its key advantages. However, you must make sure your flight controller is within this ecosystem. Otherwise, the system will not work regardless of configuration.

3. Camera

Puffin ONLY supports RTSP cameras. If you are familiar with systems like Skydroid or SIYI, you should already understand what an RTSP camera is.

You can either connect a dedicated RTSP camera directly to Puffin, or share a camera with an existing point-to-point system. In the shared setup, you will typically need an IP switch to distribute the video stream properly.

4. Power Supply

Puffin supports an external power input of 4–16V. The typical power consumption is around 1.5W, with peak values up to 4W.

You can power it via USB or directly through pin headers. Many flight controllers provide a 5V output, which is usually sufficient to power Puffin.

However, you must avoid connecting multiple power sources at the same time. Supplying power from two inputs simultaneously can overload the board and may permanently damage it.

5. SIM Card

You need a nano SIM card. Do not use IoT SIM cards, and Puffin does not support eSIM.

A regular mobile SIM card is sufficient. You can think of Puffin as a very small smartphone that is constantly streaming video and data over the network.

6. Server

Since the system relies on network transmission, a server is required for signaling and data relay. However, this part is fully handled by Puffin.

You do NOT need to set up anything, and there is no registration required. Once you insert the SIM card and power on the device, it connects to the network automatically and is ready to use.

7. Ground Station

Puffin currently supports PC versions of Mission Planner and QGroundControl.

You will need to install the Puffin plugin on your computer, and then use Mission Planner or QGroundControl as you normally would. The workflow remains the same as your existing setup.

Your computer must be connected to the internet during operation. Also note that ONLY Windows PC is supported — macOS and Android are not supported at this time

Hardware Overview

Puffin UAV is derived from our earlier Kickstarter project, so you will notice that the board has quite a few interfaces. However, in most real-world drone setups, you only need to use a small subset of them.

The module itself is compact and lightweight, with a size of 30 × 60 × 20 mm and a weight of around 30 g, making it easy to integrate into most UAV platforms without affecting balance or payload.

In a typical setup, the only interfaces you really need are:

• Ethernet port (for RTSP camera input)
• UART (for flight controller / MAVLink connection)
• Power input (USB or pin header)

Other interfaces are reserved for advanced or customized use cases, and most users will not need them.

Standalone Setup

The simplest way to use Puffin is as a standalone system.

In this setup, you connect the RTSP camera directly to Puffin via Ethernet, and connect the flight controller to Puffin using a UART cable. Once powered on with a valid SIM card inserted, the system will automatically go online and start working.

There is no complex configuration required on the hardware side. As long as your camera and flight controller are set up correctly, the integration is very straightforward.

Integration with Point-to-Point Systems

Puffin can also be used together with existing point-to-point video systems such as traditional RF links.

The only difference compared to the standalone setup is on the camera side. Since both systems need access to the same RTSP stream, you will need a small network switch. The RTSP camera connects to the switch, and the switch splits the stream into two paths: one going to your existing point-to-point system, and the other going to Puffin.

This allows both systems to work in parallel — your local operator can still use the point-to-point link, while Puffin provides remote access over 4G.

Tina Linux & go

Puffin is built on the Allwinner V851 platform and runs Tina Linux. This makes it flexible and suitable for further customization beyond the standard use case.

If you have specific requirements — such as integrating additional sensors, modifying data pipelines, or building a customized control workflow — it is possible to extend the system accordingly.

If you are working on a specialized project, feel free to contact us and describe your requirements. We can help evaluate and implement custom solutions based on your needs.