www.pixhawk2.comPixhawk 2 is a small cube, with a 38.5mm square footprint.All connection to the cube is via a DF17 connector coming out the bottom of the cube.This modularity allows for multiple form factors to suit multiple platforms.For the stand alone market, it will be coming out in two form factors to start with, a "Full" configuration, and a "mini" configuration. The full will have connectors for everything, the kitchen sink.... While the mini is restricted to the bare essentials.For RTF's or kit aircraft, I am working on a series of plug and fly systems, that allow you to remove most of your wiring from your aircraft, and take advantage of the easy to use modular structure.The cube also has a massive quality advantage. Given that every single pin is available on the DF17 connection on the base, it allows complete factory full motion testing and calibration of each cube.Pixhawk 2 is continuing to grow. When we release the Pixhawk 2 stand alone, it will be using the latest sensors available on the market, in a form factor that allows the ultimate in flexibility.Please note. Pixhawk 2 Stand alone is NOT a 3DR product. It is a community driven product, designed by the community for the community.A key requirement for my partner companies who will be making this will be active support of the community.Looking forward to announcing more info soon!Philip RowseLead Systems EngineerProfiCNCLead EE on Pixhawk 2 PX4 and Ardupilot Dev team member(formally 3DR sponsored)
Great to see you making progress on releasing the Pixhawk 2 platform and that the devs are on board to support it's success. Can't wait to get my hands a few, put me on the list please! ;-)
From what I can tell from the picture the DF17 connector does the cable connection, but is there the possibility to use the screw holes to physically secure the PXH2 to the breakout board? If so are there any considerations to be made to dampen/isolate the breakout board, or is this all taken care of in the PXH2 itself?
The next question is I suppose is what breakout boards will be available to accompany the PXH2 when it goes on sale, as many will not be able to use it without one. Ideally I'd like to see a small form factor one with limited IO for small quads etc, along with another full IO version. The optimal version would be one coupled directly to a companion computer to allow computer vision, wifi comms and video etc all from the same packaging. This will likely put it one step ahead of what is currently out there. Maybe one based around the recently released Odroid C0 might be a compact variation worth pursuing, or around the XU4 for more performance? (BTW I realise that PXF/Navio etc fill that area somewhat, but I prefer my FC separate) I think that's where the industry will be heading next, and Pixhawks success was mostly due to the fact it was both innovative, accessible and people were successfully using them for many different applications.
I'd also like to see some new CAN based hardware become the norm for peripherals (like the CANESC from PX4 etc). I think there is an opportunity to set new "standards" for hardware that can be developed in that area which will significantly improve the reliability and functionality of such hardware. This will further reduce the "wiring" birdsnest and resulting issues.
OT again… I can understand why 3dr decided not to support ALL the platforms. Trad heli, rover etc.. they don’t even sell those vehicle platforms! It’s really amazing they did at all. Not sure maybe they didn’t monetarily support all the platforms but surely they did some other than just copter. I get the idea they continue to support copter [ Randy and I hope he has some help ! ] which obviously is related to the solo. I have always been amazed at the professionalism of the Devs and the civility of the forum. Thanks Phillip for the details of who you are etc. Can’t wait to see more details of the Pixhawk 2!!! Good luck!!
Thx for providing some info on the future of Pixhawk as it is very very unclear and confused right now !
Due to what appears to be a major political and strategy changes from 3DR. I dare also say we hear a contradictory information from 3DR as Chris Anderson wrote himself on this diydrones that 3DR will continue producing and selling Pixhawk, etc.
So what is going on ? Will 3DR continue selling/produce Pixhawk(2)? Who owns what about Pixhawk ? Is Pixhawk open source hardware as I thought it was and designed by ETH (I hear now that "Philip Rowse" is the designer ? Who are you Philip : an individual diy maker, affiliated to some interest or company? please, a full disclosure would be appreciated)
Side question : does this mean you will stop producing or replace the recently announced Pixracer with a future stripped down pixhawk2 version ?
Really, I believe 75.000 members of diydrones deserve some open and transparent communication of what is happening behind the scene with and between major actors, namely 3DR, dronecode foundation. We need to have a clear roadmap and lifecyle planning of all of the versions/variants of the Pixhawk flight controller.
You're saying you were working for 3DR and you're not sponsored anymore. You're not alone apparently (cf Robert's post, etc) : we thus also need a clear positionning of major/critical people for this community since 3DR stopped active support of this DIY community (by stopping sponsoring key people and stopping production of key hardware drone components such as 3DR radios and Pixhawk, if I understood right), like Randy, Craig, Robert, Tridge, etc...
Hi Hugues, Who am I... Good question, though I don't tend to code, I have been part of the core Dev team on Ardupilot for nearly 4 years, most Tuesday's I do the notes for the development team weekly calls. I have worked on Ardupilot and PX4 hardware back to mods on the APM2.6.2 (identified and fixed the level shifter issue) I started The PXF project, (which ERLE Robotics have continued) and well over two years ago, started on the Pixhawk 2 PX4 / Ardupilot cooperative project. Pixhawk 2 was always intended for release to the general public.
With the design of Solo, they went for Pixhawk 2 as the Autopilot. This unfortunately delayed the ability of our team to release this to the public.
What people failed to realise, is I joined Ardupilot and PX4 to support the community, not a corporate entity.
Regarding PixRacer... It is awesome work by AUAV, Both products will be equally supported by the team. And Both PixRacer and Pixhawk 2 will be directly contributing to the team.
Phillip K and myself are both part of the PX4 hardware group and 100% support each other... That being said there is room for different platforms, Pixhawk 2 is not a 1 solution for all problems. There is also the upcoming QFlight, and other systems out there...
Regarding supported Devs... There have been up to 20 supported Devs in the team, but now we are down to two.... That is OK! As a team, we are finding other ways to fund ourselves. And companies that use Ardupilot are starting to step up and "adopt a Dev"
But we are well off topic here.
As far as who Pixhawk is? Lorenz owns The Pixhawk name, I designed Pixhawk 2 as part of the PX4 Team. And I own the copyright to my drawings of Pixhawk 2, which are licensed under the Cc-BY-SA 3.0 agreement.
Replies
Hi Philip
Great to see you making progress on releasing the Pixhawk 2 platform and that the devs are on board to support it's success. Can't wait to get my hands a few, put me on the list please! ;-)
From what I can tell from the picture the DF17 connector does the cable connection, but is there the possibility to use the screw holes to physically secure the PXH2 to the breakout board? If so are there any considerations to be made to dampen/isolate the breakout board, or is this all taken care of in the PXH2 itself?
The next question is I suppose is what breakout boards will be available to accompany the PXH2 when it goes on sale, as many will not be able to use it without one. Ideally I'd like to see a small form factor one with limited IO for small quads etc, along with another full IO version. The optimal version would be one coupled directly to a companion computer to allow computer vision, wifi comms and video etc all from the same packaging. This will likely put it one step ahead of what is currently out there. Maybe one based around the recently released Odroid C0 might be a compact variation worth pursuing, or around the XU4 for more performance? (BTW I realise that PXF/Navio etc fill that area somewhat, but I prefer my FC separate) I think that's where the industry will be heading next, and Pixhawks success was mostly due to the fact it was both innovative, accessible and people were successfully using them for many different applications.
I'd also like to see some new CAN based hardware become the norm for peripherals (like the CANESC from PX4 etc). I think there is an opportunity to set new "standards" for hardware that can be developed in that area which will significantly improve the reliability and functionality of such hardware. This will further reduce the "wiring" birdsnest and resulting issues.
Regards
Congratulations and thanks a lot Philip. Can you show us some pictures? Any estimates of when it will be available?.
OT again… I can understand why 3dr decided not to support ALL the platforms. Trad heli, rover etc.. they don’t even sell those vehicle platforms! It’s really amazing they did at all. Not sure maybe they didn’t monetarily support all the platforms but surely they did some other than just copter. I get the idea they continue to support copter [ Randy and I hope he has some help ! ] which obviously is related to the solo. I have always been amazed at the professionalism of the Devs and the civility of the forum. Thanks Phillip for the details of who you are etc. Can’t wait to see more details of the Pixhawk 2!!! Good luck!!
thank you very much for the information and pics on Pixhawk 2 - I am very much looking forward to it :-)
Me to Felix,you have the best shop for original Pixhawk in EU...
thanks :-)
Thx for providing some info on the future of Pixhawk as it is very very unclear and confused right now !
Due to what appears to be a major political and strategy changes from 3DR. I dare also say we hear a contradictory information from 3DR as Chris Anderson wrote himself on this diydrones that 3DR will continue producing and selling Pixhawk, etc.
So what is going on ? Will 3DR continue selling/produce Pixhawk(2)? Who owns what about Pixhawk ? Is Pixhawk open source hardware as I thought it was and designed by ETH (I hear now that "Philip Rowse" is the designer ? Who are you Philip : an individual diy maker, affiliated to some interest or company? please, a full disclosure would be appreciated)
Side question : does this mean you will stop producing or replace the recently announced Pixracer with a future stripped down pixhawk2 version ?
Really, I believe 75.000 members of diydrones deserve some open and transparent communication of what is happening behind the scene with and between major actors, namely 3DR, dronecode foundation. We need to have a clear roadmap and lifecyle planning of all of the versions/variants of the Pixhawk flight controller.
You're saying you were working for 3DR and you're not sponsored anymore. You're not alone apparently (cf Robert's post, etc) : we thus also need a clear positionning of major/critical people for this community since 3DR stopped active support of this DIY community (by stopping sponsoring key people and stopping production of key hardware drone components such as 3DR radios and Pixhawk, if I understood right), like Randy, Craig, Robert, Tridge, etc...
Hi Hugues,
Who am I... Good question, though I don't tend to code, I have been part of the core Dev team on Ardupilot for nearly 4 years, most Tuesday's I do the notes for the development team weekly calls. I have worked on Ardupilot and PX4 hardware back to mods on the APM2.6.2 (identified and fixed the level shifter issue) I started The PXF project, (which ERLE Robotics have continued) and well over two years ago, started on the Pixhawk 2 PX4 / Ardupilot cooperative project. Pixhawk 2 was always intended for release to the general public.
With the design of Solo, they went for Pixhawk 2 as the Autopilot. This unfortunately delayed the ability of our team to release this to the public.
What people failed to realise, is I joined Ardupilot and PX4 to support the community, not a corporate entity.
Regarding PixRacer... It is awesome work by AUAV, Both products will be equally supported by the team. And Both PixRacer and Pixhawk 2 will be directly contributing to the team.
Phillip K and myself are both part of the PX4 hardware group and 100% support each other... That being said there is room for different platforms, Pixhawk 2 is not a 1 solution for all problems. There is also the upcoming QFlight, and other systems out there...
Regarding supported Devs... There have been up to 20 supported Devs in the team, but now we are down to two.... That is OK! As a team, we are finding other ways to fund ourselves. And companies that use Ardupilot are starting to step up and "adopt a Dev"
But we are well off topic here.
As far as who Pixhawk is? Lorenz owns The Pixhawk name, I designed Pixhawk 2 as part of the PX4 Team. And I own the copyright to my drawings of Pixhawk 2, which are licensed under the Cc-BY-SA 3.0 agreement.
Thx for the info and much clearer for me now.
Impatient to try pixhawk2...
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