In the world of aerial robotics, progress isn’t measured by individual breakthroughs but by the collective advancement of an entire ecosystem. The Pixhawk open standards exemplify this philosophy. When hardware manufacturers, software developers, and drone engineers align around common standards, we create something more valuable than any single proprietary solution – we create possibilities.
Introducing the Pixhawk FMUv6X-RT Standard
Today, we’re excited to announce the release of the Pixhawk FMUv6X-RT standard, building upon the success of the FMUv6X platform while introducing powerful new capabilities for real-time applications. At the heart of this new standard is the NXP IMX RT1176 processor, bringing enhanced processing power and real-time performance to the Pixhawk ecosystem.
The FMUv6X-RT standard emerges from the collaborative efforts of the Pixhawk Special Interest Group hosted by the Dronecode Foundation, developed through extensive discussions and technical workshops during our FMU Workgroup meetings. This latest advancement in the Pixhawk Open Standards family represents months of careful planning and engineering from our community of experts. Like all our standards, development participation remains open to all Dronecode Foundation members, ensuring diverse perspectives from across the industry shape our technology.
Community Collaboration
Dronecode members and partners collaborated to bring together the DS-020 standard, with Dronecode member NXP leading the effort.
“The new V6X-RT standard represents an exciting addition to the Pixhawk Ecosystem. By including the NXP MCIMXRT1176 and other i.MX RT family parts, this opens the path for multi core and GHz compute speed while also significantly easing memory constraints and enhancing features with improved interface robustness and hardware-backed security. Other additions include CAN-FD with Signal Improvement CAN (SIC) as well as introducing 100Base-T1 two wire Ethernet capability. The ecosystem including Holybro and Agam have already produced commercial offerings, and we are very much looking forward to seeing additional commercial derivatives of the published reference design MR-VMU-RT1176.”
Iain Galloway, Mobile Robotics Domain Lead, Drones and Rovers, NXP Semiconductors
Key Features of FMUv6X-RT
The FMUv6X-RT represents a significant advancement in drone flight controller technology, offering:
- The first NXP-based MCU on a Pixhawk: IMX RT1176
- Secure Operations: Integrated secure element (SE051) for secure authentication
- High-Speed Connectivity: Ethernet interface for advanced mission computer integration
- Triple Redundancy: Completely isolated sensor domains with separate buses and power control
- Advanced Sensor Suite:
- Redundant IMUs including Bosch BMI088, TDK ICM-42688-P, and ICM-42686-P
- Bosch BMM150 compass
- Bosch BMP390 pressure sensors
- Dual GPS with external magnetometer and barometer support
- High-accuracy barometric sensor
- Calibration EEPROM for both baseboard and high-accuracy sensors
Technical Innovations
At the technical level, the shift from the STM32H7 to the NXP IMX RT1176 processor increases the options available in the Pixhawk ecosystem by introducing a new level of real-time computing capability. This transition is accompanied by an upgrade to the memory interface, moving from standard SPI to FLEXSPI2 for FRAM access, which provides enhanced data throughput for configuration and parameter storage. The pin assignments have been extended to take advantage of the RT1176’s expanded I/O capabilities, though care has been taken to ensure that the core Pixhawk interfaces remain consistent with existing implementations.
Standards Access
The FMUv6X-RT standard documentation is now available for everyone to download from the Pixhawk GitHub repository.
- DS-020 Pixhawk FMUv6X-RT (PDF)
- All Pixhawk FMUv6 Open Standards on GitHub
- Additional 6th Generation Pixhawk Standards
- DS-012 Pixhawk FMUv6X (PDF)
- DS-018 Pixhawk FMUv6C (PDF)
Commercial Offerings
Some commercial offerings are available for developers and users looking for an FMUv6X-RT implementation for purchase.
- Holybro Pixhawk 6x-RT (Official Pixhawk®)
- Agam Autopilot v6X-RT
- multiple implementations currently in the works.
Join the Ecosystem
Are you interested in building products using any Open Source technologies hosted by Dronecode? Here’s how to get started:
- Join the Droneode Foundation Discord channel
- Participate in the weekly coordination calls.
- Consider becoming a Dronecode Foundation member.
The FMUv6X-RT standard represents a significant step forward in flight controller technology. It offers enhanced real-time capabilities while maintaining the open, collaborative spirit that has made Pixhawk the de facto standard in drone flight controllers. We look forward to seeing the innovations our community will build using this new platform.
