P9X autopilot, a revised pixhawk

Pixhawk is a great autopilot, we love its robustness and rich sets of features. Nowadays it is a de-facto to low cost autonomous vehicle application.

There’re always some changes you want to make in an open source design, this rule also applies to Pixhawk. First, I want to make it smaller, to fit it into a f5B glider fuselage, with built-in dampers and a plastic shell could survive a hard crash. Then I want to make the sensors to be replaceable, so I can test new MEMs gyros. And lastly, I want to make the IO completely customizable to my specific application, eliminating 3-pin RC connectors, better fixture to a larger avionic payload motherboard, or an array of Pixhawks without messy wiring.

So in the last winter, we had it done, named it P9X

Some quick facts about P9X: (might subject to change due to its beta phase)

80mm x 50mm x 17.2mm box made of 1.5mm thickness mold injected PC/ABS
43mm x 50mm core PCBA size
Tested with Ardupilot
Tested with QGC 2.7 version PX4 firmware
PX4 master built not yet running (maybe a firmware issue)
Total weight: 45g
Connectors fully compatible with Pixhawk
Integrated silicon rubber damper (need help in axle alignment test)
4 copper nuts embedded for M3 screw mounting (dimension: 38mm x 25mm)
IMU sensors swappable (need soldering)

We need your Help!

The first 50pcs batch is out, we have invested in inject mold, silicon rubber mold, silk screen printing. We want more testers and a crowd funding campaign, before that, we want to make sure this hardware revision has no serious design issues. If you are experienced user, developer, embedded engineer, please consider purchase one of these beta samples and send us feedback.

How to get one.

Back in the last year, Raspilot project generated no income, Emlid and Erle Robotic has inspired by its design then they have made their similar design products. I don’t want to bankrupt in my hobby, and make it serious to be a self-employed job. So no more free samples.

I want to sell these 50 pcs unit for 150USD each, with Aramex shipping from Shanghai, China. Please give me feedback about the price.

Thanks.

PixHack, PixRaptor, HobbyKing PixFalcon, HKPilot32, HKPX4Lite, and PixRacer; to name a few have NOT published their design files...

If this project is in fact a clean start, then there is no reason to publish the design files. Since the board emulates the original PX4 functionality.

Since the board is NOT a modification and does not fork back into the original design, the argument for publishing the design files is not valid.

Just as with ArduCopter software source code. If the source is used (or original CAD design files) to build a new modified version then the new version must be published. However, if a clean start is created which emulates the functionality of the original, then the source is owned by the clean start creator and does NOT have to be published. The fact that the new design uses the same microcontroller or electronic components or provides the same functionality does NOT mean it is a copy of the original design.

DJI's flight controller has nearly all the functionality of ArduCopter, yet the source is not published.

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Comments

Thomas Butler February 10, 2016 at 5:08am

PixHack, PixRaptor, HobbyKing PixFalcon, HKPilot32, HKPX4Lite, and PixRacer; to name a few have NOT published their design files...

If this project is in fact a clean start, then there is no reason to publish the design files. Since the board emulates the original PX4 functionality.

Since the board is NOT a modification and does not fork back into the original design, the argument for publishing the design files is not valid.

Just as with ArduCopter software source code. If the source is used (or original CAD design files) to build a new modified version then the new version must be published. However, if a clean start is created which emulates the functionality of the original, then the source is owned by the clean start creator and does NOT have to be published. The fact that the new design uses the same microcontroller or electronic components or provides the same functionality does NOT mean it is a copy of the original design.

DJI's flight controller has nearly all the functionality of ArduCopter, yet the source is not published.
Paul Dinardi February 10, 2016 at 5:07am

Can you post the repo, the licence and design files! Please?
Developer

Philip February 10, 2016 at 4:36am

If you find others that have not complied with the licence, please list each project!

You are currently selling hardware! And I assume you will want the dev team to support you in debugging the remaining issues you have! So, you have the opportunity to get on board as a good member of this community, you will find us very helpful! But you need to do your part! Show some appreciation for our work!

We don't discriminate! We enforce this on EVERY derived or cloned hardware.
Jerry Giant February 10, 2016 at 4:28am

looks like i am not the only guy who have not fulfilled your IP right claims, and yet i am not shipping these units, so i don't have to publish any of these.

7. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

so, take it easy. i'll carefully consider all your request.
Developer

Philip February 10, 2016 at 4:16am

I'm confused as to why you are asking me to publish PixRacer files?

I am the designer (and copyright holder) of the Pixhawk2, and not only have I published the drawings in the PX4 folder, but my live working directory is also public, with all the yet to be released hardware!
Developer

Philip February 10, 2016 at 4:13am

http://www.oshwa.org/definition/
Jerry Giant February 10, 2016 at 4:11am

still i insist my opinion, before any units was shipped out, i will hold both design files and product still.

i could not find any HK zip file

pixracer: https://github.com/hyper-it/PixRacer is this the repo? please publish the files.

hyper-it/PixRacer

Contribute to hyper-it/PixRacer development by creating an account on GitHub.
Developer

Philip February 10, 2016 at 4:03am

Please publish your files!
Martin February 10, 2016 at 4:03am

@Philip,

The CC-BY-SA 3.0 license seems to be awfully vague. Could you point me to the clause that states that modifications have to be also made public? Clause b of the license grant only seems to require me to state that modifications have been made, but not to identify the individual changes.

to create and Reproduce Adaptations provided that any such Adaptation, including any translation in any medium, takes reasonable steps to clearly label, demarcate or otherwise identify that changes were made to the original Work. For example, a translation could be marked "The original work was translated from English to Spanish," or a modification could indicate "The original work has been modified.";
Developer

Philip February 10, 2016 at 4:00am

HK provide a zip file of their designs, PixRacer is by AUAV, and they have their own gir repository.

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