Dronecode Foundation members develop Pixhawk Open Standards to drive interoperability of the drone ecosystem through open-source. The DF facilitates an open process to develop the open standards. The standards enable multiple implementations to be delivered into the market to benefit users and developers by enabling choices in a marketplace. We are happy to announce the release of the Pixhawk FMUv6U Open Standard.
The Latest member of the Pixhawk FMU Family
The Pixhawk FMUv6U Open Standard builds on the battle-tested functionality of the FMUv5 and the newer architecture of the upcoming FMUv5X and adds a slight increase in processing power and High-Speed USB.
Enabling advanced computing opportunities on-board
The addition of the USB-HS support enables implementers of the open standard to think outside the box and expand their creations with extra functionality that wouldn’t be possible before. Manufacturers can augment their offerings with AI or ML components or a robust computer vision pipeline.
Proven Hardware Interfaces
- USB-HS Support
- SMSC-USB2517 (ULPI)
- Redundant sensors on separate buses.
- Bosch BMI088 (SPI3)
- TDK Invensense ICM-42605 (SPI2)
- TDK Invensense ICM-20602 (SPI1)
- Bosch BMM150 compass (I2C4)
- Bosch BMP388 pressure sensor (I2C4)
- GPS external mag + baro #1
- GPS external mag + baro #2
- FRAM memory for configuration data (SPI5)
- Extensive power monitoring
- 5V rail monitoring
- 3.3V rail monitoring for CPU
- 3.3V rail monitoring for sensor domain
- External sensor bus (SPI6)
- For NFC, one external I2C port needs to have an additional GPIO line and 5V to supply the external NFC reader.
Fully compatible with PX4 Autopilot
The FMUv6U takes full advantage of the latest PX4 autopilot feature set, providing a stable and safe configuration for manufacturers who wish to implement the standard—offering complete compatibility with our ecosystem of open source projects.
Made possible thanks to the FMU Workgroup
The Pixhawk FMUv6U Open Standard standardization process took over 12 months of development, with contributions and participation from Dronecode Member companies and the PX4 Maintainers.
DS-016 design Lead by Silver Member Gumstix
Our silver member Gumstix contributed most of the work behind the standard and has included the work on Upverter, their simplified design tool for electronics. You can now build a custom Pixhawk board based on the FMuv6U standard using Upverter.
Recommended Read
Gumstix has the first implementation of the standard available for sale
The CM4 + Pixhawk FMUv6U carrier board supports development, prototyping, or production-grade hardware for new drones and includes the following features:
- STM32H753 MCU
- 2x MIPI-CSI lanes for high-resolution imaging
- BMM150 three-axis geomagnetic sensor
- microSD card slot with isolated CD pins
- USB Type-C port
- 2x FTDI FT232RQ USB to UART interface
- Coral TPU via USB3
CM4 + Pixhawk FMuv6U Backside (Coral) 
CM4 + Pixhawk FMuv6U Backside Top (Raspberry Pi CM4)
The standard is now available for everyone to download
Have any questions regarding the spec, or want to help us build the next generation of Pixhawk? Join the monthly coordination calls from the Payload workgroup, organized by the Dronecode Foundation.
Help Drive the Future of the Drone Industry.
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The best way to contribute to the open efforts hosted under the Dronecode Foundation is to become a member. By becoming a member, organizations can help support open standards and guarantee the continued success of the open-source projects hosted under our umbrella.
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