Assets & Sub-Assets

This page defines the two entities every Zequent telemetry frame is described in terms of, and shows real, fully-populated telemetry for each of the supported configurations.

What is the difference between an Asset and a SubAsset?

An Asset is a registered top-level entity. A SubAsset is an optional child entity associated with an Asset.

A drone can therefore be either:

a top-level Asset, when it is operated independently, or
a SubAsset, when it belongs to another Asset such as a Dock.

Both are valid, fully supported configurations. Which one you have depends on how the device was registered, not on what kind of device it is.

Asset is not a synonym for "Dock"

An Asset is the primary, registered physical or logical entity. It can be a drone, a dock, a ground vehicle, a sensor gateway, a station, a camera, or any other device your adapter registers. The platform's own AssetTypeEnum makes this explicit:

ASSET_TYPE_AIRCRAFT   ASSET_TYPE_DOCK     ASSET_TYPE_SENSOR
ASSET_TYPE_CAMERA     ASSET_TYPE_JAMMER   ASSET_TYPE_SAPIENT
ASSET_TYPE_RNS        ASSET_TYPE_OTHER    ASSET_TYPE_UNKNOWN

ASSET_TYPE_AIRCRAFT is a first-class Asset type. A drone registered directly as an Asset is a normal, supported deployment — not a degenerate case.

A SubAsset is optional. In the platform's own data model the parent carries optional SubAssetProtoDTO sub_asset_dto — an Asset with no SubAsset is the default, not an incomplete record. An Asset and a SubAsset are described by the same field shape (both carry their own sn, name, type, vendor, model, organization, online), which is why the same device model can appear in either position.

The two supported configurations

1. Standalone Asset

The device is registered directly as an Asset and has no parent.

Asset  (ASSET_TYPE_AIRCRAFT, sn = SIM-DRONE-001)

Telemetry for it uses:

Field	Value
`sourceType`	`ASSET`
`asset`	populated
`subAsset`	`null`

2. Hierarchical Asset → SubAsset

A Dock/Station is the Asset; a Drone is a SubAsset belonging to it.

Asset  (ASSET_TYPE_DOCK, sn = ZQT-DOCK-0417)
└── SubAsset  (ASSET_TYPE_AIRCRAFT, sn = ZQT-DRONE-1123)

This configuration produces two independent telemetry streams, one describing the dock and one describing the drone:

Describing	`sourceType`	`asset`	`subAsset`
the Dock	`ASSET`	populated	`null`
the Drone	`SUB_ASSET`	`null`	populated

How `sourceType` is decided

sourceType is derived, not set by hand. It follows directly from which detail object is populated:

sourceType = ASSET — the telemetry originates from or describes the Asset itself. asset is populated, subAsset is null.
sourceType = SUB_ASSET — the telemetry describes a child SubAsset. subAsset is populated, asset is null.
sourceType = UNSPECIFIED — neither or both are set. This is invalid; the Edge SDK's validate() rejects it with "Exactly one telemetry source must be provided".

asset and subAsset describe the source/context of the telemetry — which entity the reading is about. They do not imply a device category.

Worked examples

The three frames below are complete, realistic telemetry payloads. Field names use the JSON/Java form (absoluteAltitude); the Python Edge SDK uses the snake_case equivalent (absolute_altitude). Exact timestamp rendering depends on your JSON mapper configuration — the epoch-with-nanoseconds form shown here is what the default platform serializer produces.

Note that batteryInformation.percentage and batteryInformation.returnToHomePower are strings, not numbers, in this contract.

Example 1 — Standalone drone registered as an Asset

SIM-DRONE-001 is a MAVLink drone registered directly as an Asset. It has no parent Dock, so subAsset is null and sourceType is ASSET. This frame is a correct, complete representation — not a partially-filled one.

{
  "tid": "8f14e45f-ceea-467a-9575-9f2a1b0c3d4e",
  "eventType": "TELEMETRY",
  "hasErrors": false,
  "sn": "SIM-DRONE-001",
  "assetId": "c1d7f3a2-95b4-4c1e-8f6d-2a7b9e0c4513",
  "timestamp": 1789024317.385502435,
  "telemetry": {
    "id": "SIM-DRONE-001",
    "sn": "SIM-DRONE-001",
    "timestamp": 1789024317.385502435,
    "latitude": 52.52000045776367,
    "longitude": 13.404999732971191,
    "absoluteAltitude": 34.0,
    "relativeAltitude": 34.0,
    "windSpeed": 3.305775,
    "heading": 0.0,
    "asset": {
      "mode": "ASSET_MODE_IDLE",
      "subAssetPercentage": 100.0,
      "hasActiveManualControlSession": false,
      "positionValid": true,
      "positionState": {
        "gpsNumber": 14,
        "rtkNumber": 0,
        "quality": 5
      },
      "networkInformation": {
        "type": "NETWORK_TYPE_4_G",
        "rate": 12.4,
        "quality": "NETWORK_STATE_QUALITY_GOOD"
      },
      "manualControlState": "MANUAL_CONTROL_STATE_DISCONNECTED",
      "debugModeOpen": false,
      "environmentTemp": 21.5,
      "humidity": 48.0,
      "rainfall": "RAINFALL_NO",
      "subAssetInformation": null,
      "subAssetAtHome": null,
      "subAssetCharging": null,
      "insideTemp": null,
      "coverState": null,
      "workingVoltage": null,
      "workingCurrent": null,
      "supplyVoltage": null,
      "airConditioner": null,
      "wirelessLink": null,
      "sdrState": null
    },
    "subAsset": null,
    "sourceType": "ASSET"
  },
  "error": null
}

The null fields in asset above are not missing data. coverState, airConditioner, workingVoltage, insideTemp, subAssetAtHome and similar describe dock enclosure hardware that a standalone drone does not have. AssetDetails is a superset covering every kind of Asset; each device populates the fields that physically apply to it. A standalone drone reporting coverState: null is correct behaviour.

Example 2 — Dock registered as an Asset

ZQT-DOCK-0417 is a dock with a paired drone. This frame describes the dock itself, so sourceType is ASSET — exactly as in Example 1, even though the device is a completely different kind of thing. Every AssetDetails field is populated here because a dock genuinely has all of this hardware.

{
  "tid": "f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479",
  "eventType": "TELEMETRY",
  "hasErrors": false,
  "sn": "ZQT-DOCK-0417",
  "assetId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "timestamp": 1789024322.104881000,
  "telemetry": {
    "id": "ZQT-DOCK-0417",
    "sn": "ZQT-DOCK-0417",
    "timestamp": 1789024322.104881000,
    "latitude": 41.015137,
    "longitude": 28.979530,
    "absoluteAltitude": 38.2,
    "relativeAltitude": 0.0,
    "windSpeed": 4.1,
    "heading": 275.0,
    "asset": {
      "environmentTemp": 24.8,
      "insideTemp": 27.3,
      "humidity": 52.0,
      "mode": "ASSET_MODE_WORKING",
      "rainfall": "RAINFALL_NO",
      "subAssetInformation": {
        "sn": "ZQT-DRONE-1123",
        "model": "Matrice 30T",
        "paired": true,
        "online": true
      },
      "subAssetAtHome": false,
      "subAssetCharging": false,
      "subAssetPercentage": 78.0,
      "debugModeOpen": false,
      "hasActiveManualControlSession": true,
      "coverState": "COVER_STATE_OPENED",
      "workingVoltage": 23940,
      "workingCurrent": 1420,
      "supplyVoltage": 24000,
      "positionValid": true,
      "networkInformation": {
        "type": "NETWORK_TYPE_ETHERNET",
        "rate": 94.6,
        "quality": "NETWORK_STATE_QUALITY_EXCELLENT"
      },
      "airConditioner": {
        "state": "AIR_CONDITIONER_COOL",
        "switchTime": 312
      },
      "manualControlState": "MANUAL_CONTROL_STATE_CONNECTED",
      "positionState": {
        "gpsNumber": 18,
        "rtkNumber": 12,
        "quality": 5
      },
      "wirelessLink": {
        "fourthGenerationFreqBand": 2.4,
        "fourthGenerationGndQuality": 4,
        "fourthGenerationLinkState": true,
        "fourthGenerationQuality": 4,
        "fourthGenerationUavQuality": 3,
        "dongleNumber": 1,
        "linkWorkmode": "SDR",
        "sdrFreqBand": 5.8,
        "sdrLinkState": true,
        "sdrQuality": 5
      },
      "sdrState": {
        "downQuality": 5,
        "upQuality": 4,
        "frequencyBand": 5.8
      }
    },
    "subAsset": null,
    "sourceType": "ASSET"
  },
  "error": null
}

Examples 1 and 2 are both sourceType = ASSET. That is the point: ASSET means "this reading is about the registered top-level entity", whether that entity is a drone or a dock.

Example 3 — Drone reported as a SubAsset of that Dock

ZQT-DRONE-1123 is the drone belonging to ZQT-DOCK-0417. Because the reading describes the child entity, sourceType is SUB_ASSET, subAsset is populated and asset is null.

Note that sn at the frame level is the parent Asset's serial number, while telemetry.id / telemetry.sn identify the SubAsset the reading is actually about.

{
  "tid": "9c8b7a65-4d3e-2f1a-0b9c-8d7e6f5a4b3c",
  "eventType": "TELEMETRY",
  "hasErrors": false,
  "sn": "ZQT-DOCK-0417",
  "assetId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "timestamp": 1789024327.551200000,
  "telemetry": {
    "id": "ZQT-DRONE-1123",
    "sn": "ZQT-DRONE-1123",
    "timestamp": 1789024327.551200000,
    "latitude": 41.015137,
    "longitude": 28.979530,
    "absoluteAltitude": 42.6,
    "relativeAltitude": 12.4,
    "windSpeed": 4.6,
    "heading": 187.5,
    "asset": null,
    "subAsset": {
      "horizontalSpeed": 2.8,
      "verticalSpeed": 1.1,
      "windDirection": "NORTH_WEST",
      "gear": 1,
      "mode": "SUBASSET_MODE_TAKEOFF_AUTO",
      "country": "TR",
      "heightLimit": 120,
      "homeDistance": 18.4,
      "totalMovementDistance": 1284.75,
      "totalMovementTime": 412.5,
      "batteryInformation": {
        "percentage": "78",
        "remainingTime": 1320,
        "returnToHomePower": "22"
      },
      "payloadTelemetry": {
        "id": "ZQT-DRONE-1123-PAYLOAD-1",
        "name": "H20T",
        "timestamp": 1789024327.551200000,
        "cameraData": {
          "currentLens": "zoom",
          "gimbalPitch": -32.5,
          "gimbalYaw": 187.2,
          "gimbalRoll": 0.0,
          "zoomFactor": 4.0
        },
        "rangeFinderData": {
          "targetLatitude": 41.015982,
          "targetLongitude": 28.980614,
          "targetDistance": 96.3,
          "targetAltitude": 12.8
        },
        "sensorData": {
          "targetTemperature": 31.4
        }
      }
    },
    "sourceType": "SUB_ASSET"
  },
  "error": null
}

Quick reference

Question	Answer
Is an Asset always a Dock?	No. An Asset is any registered top-level entity — drone, dock, vehicle, sensor gateway, camera, station.
Is a SubAsset always a Drone?	No. A SubAsset is any child entity belonging to an Asset.
Must every Asset have a SubAsset?	No. `subAsset` is optional; standalone Assets are a normal configuration.
Can a drone be an Asset?	Yes — when it is operated independently, as in Example 1.
Can a drone be a SubAsset?	Yes — when it belongs to a parent Asset such as a Dock, as in Example 3.
Can `asset` and `subAsset` both be set?	No. Exactly one, per frame. Both or neither is rejected as `UNSPECIFIED`.
What decides `sourceType`?	Which detail object is populated. It is derived, never set by hand.