CubePilot Cube Yellow (CubePilot)

:::warning PX4 does not manufacture this (or any) autopilot. Contact the manufacturer for hardware support or compliance issues. :::

The Cube Yellow flight controller is a flexible autopilot intended primarily for manufacturers of commercial systems.

The controller is designed to be used with a domain-specific carrier board in order to reduce the wiring, improve reliability, and ease of assembly. For example, a carrier board for a commercial inspection vehicle might include connections for a companion computer, while a carrier board for a racer could includes ESCs for the frame of the vehicle.

Cube includes vibration isolation on two of the IMU's, with a third fixed IMU as a reference / backup.

:::tip The manufacturer Cube Docs contain detailed information, including an overview of the Differences between Cube Colours. :::

Key Features

  • 32bit STM32F777VI (32bit ARM Cortex M7, 400 MHz, Flash 2MB, RAM 512 KB).

  • 32 bit STM32F103 failsafe co-processor

  • 14 PWM / Servo outputs (8 with failsafe and manual override, 6 auxiliary, high-power compatible)

  • Abundant connectivity options for additional peripherals (UART, I2C, CAN)

  • Integrated backup system for in-flight recovery and manual override with dedicated processor and stand-alone power supply (fixed-wing use)

  • Backup system integrates mixing, providing consistent autopilot and manual override mixing modes (fixed wing use)

  • Redundant power supply inputs and automatic failover

  • External safety switch

  • Multicolor LED main visual indicator

  • High-power, multi-tone piezo audio indicator

  • microSD card for high-rate logging over extended periods of time

Where to Buy

Assembly

Cube Wiring Quickstart

Specifications

  • Processor:

  • Failsafe co-processor:

    • STM32F100 (32bit ARM Cortex-M3)

    • 24 MHz

    • 8 KB SRAM

  • Sensors: (all connected via SPI)

    • Accelerometer: (3) ICM20948, ICM20649, ICM20602

    • Gyroscope: (3) ICM20948, ICM20649, ICM20602

    • Compass: (1) ICM20948

    • Barometric Pressure Sensor: (2) MS5611

  • Operating Conditions:

    • Operating Temp: -10C to 55C

    • IP rating/Waterproofing: Not waterproof

    • Servo rail input voltage: 3.3V / 5V

    • USB port input:

      • Voltage: 4V - 5.7V

      • Rated current: 250 mA

    • POWER:

      • Input voltage: 4.1V - 5.7V

      • Rated input current: 2.5A

      • Rated input/output power: 14W

  • Dimensions:

    • Cube: 38.25mm x 38.25mm x 22.3mm

    • Carrier: 94.5mm x 44.3mm x 17.3mm

  • Interfaces

    • IO Ports: 14 PWM servo outputs (8 from IO, 6 from FMU)

    • 5x UART (serial ports), one high-power capable, 2x with HW flow control

    • 2x CAN (one with internal 3.3V transceiver, one on expansion connector)

    • R/C inputs:

      • Spektrum DSM / DSM2 / DSM-X® Satellite compatible input

      • Futaba S.BUS® compatible input and output

      • PPM-SUM signal input

    • RSSI (PWM or voltage) input

    • I2C

    • SPI

    • 3.3v ADC input

    • Internal microUSB port and external microUSB port extension

Pinouts and Schematics

Board schematics and other documentation can be found here: The Cube Project.

Ports

Top-Side (GPS, TELEM etc)

Serial Port Mapping

UARTDevicePort

USART2

/dev/ttyS0

TELEM1 (flow control)

USART3

/dev/ttyS1

TELEM2 (flow control)

UART4

/dev/ttyS2

GPS1

USART6

/dev/ttyS3

PX4IO

UART7

/dev/ttyS4

CONSOLE/ADSB-IN

UART8

/dev/ttyS5

GPS2

Debug Ports

USB/SDCard Ports

Building Firmware

:::tip Most users will not need to build this firmware! It is pre-built and automatically installed by QGroundControl when appropriate hardware is connected. :::

To build PX4 for this target:

make cubepilot_cubeyellow

Issues

CAN1 and CAN2 silk screen on the Cube are flipped (CAN1 is CAN2 and vice versa).

Further Information/Documentation

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