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.

@Phillip,

"learn to use google @thomas!
https://github.com/CUAV88/Pixhack
I helped put them there! "

Does not contain the schematic!

OK, so let me see if I understand this correctly, and I respectfully do not mean to be flippant, since VRBrain, nor the Navio are merely "compatible" they do not and are not required to post their CAD files? What is the justification for them NOT posting CAD files?

However, as I understand it, Jerry, and I am not his advocate, started with a blank sheet and created his design, laid out the PCB, which is compatible with the PixHawk, or is the nexus that since a new HAL was not required to run the ArduCopter/APM code and his board IS compatible with no change to plain vanilla PixHawk code he IS in violation of the terms of the open source license?

Back to the techy talk...

@Martin, exactly, but the FFCs Jerry are using is a major start, servo/ESC wires have to be plugged in at some point, and additionally his board is isolated on silicone standoffs. As far as the IMU, I agree, that is how the heads on a DVD drive are isolated; though the smallest FFC cable. I studied the construction of several DVD, CDROM, and hard disk drives several years ago when I designed an adapter (posted on DIYDrones a few years ago while everyone else was tinkering with sticky foam tape mountings) for the Crius All-IN-One controller; it worked great, and isolated the controller from I/O and power connections through an FFC cable mounted in a U-shape effectively working like a spring to isolate the vibrations transmitted through wires. Jerry has his IMU on a soldered on daughtercard (a design flaw [because it provides no dampening or isolation of the gyro/accel] that is a common design nowdays) which is soldered to the board, so it would be fairly easy to change to a micro FFC cabled connection.

Jerry, perhaps add a micro FFC connector under the IMU for future use or to optionally use an FFC connected and damped IMU. Just a thought!

Happy flying!

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Comments

Jerry Giant February 12, 2016 at 3:29am

@Philip Yes. lots more will be delivered after chinese new year.

and the price is 400 rmb, less than 70USD.

Aramex shipping international will begin later this month.
Paul Dinardi February 12, 2016 at 3:09am

I just don't get the reluctant behavior, obviously by the responses here, people are intersted in the product, you are not inventing PH, comply with the license and give back to throw community, and all is gold.
Johnatan February 12, 2016 at 2:58am

I would never spend a penny on a product which such ignorant developer(cloner!)!
Pixracer is way better.
Moderator

Gary Mortimer February 12, 2016 at 2:16am

Good old Taobao
Developer

Philip February 12, 2016 at 1:48am

interesting....

http://world.taobao.com/item/524213308806.htm?fromSite=main&spm...

the 4 reviews are either fake... or you have already sold these and delivered them to customers!
Developer

Philip February 12, 2016 at 1:38am

@Thomas just checked, and you are correct, feel free to raise an issue on the repo, or directly with them.

re VR Brain.... it was developed 100% independently of Pixhawk, there was no intention for code compatibility, then, Ardupilot was ported to run on VR Brain, and the rest is history.

Re, Nav-IO, there is NO similarity to pixhawk! how is it possibly a clone of pixhawk?

@Jerry, the "pixracer style connectors" are from JST, they are the GH series, and all future supported boards will use these.

& yes you should put the correct mass onto your board.

It is VERY clear that this is NOT a clean sheet design, it is referenced from the PX4 FMUv2.4.5 drawings, Jerry does not deny this.

I will back off, if Jerry does release the full project in Altium (which is what he designed it in) as soon as the first one sells.

However, NO ONE in this community should support Jerry or any other manufacturer who does not get involved and support the development effort.
Jerry Giant February 12, 2016 at 1:16am

@Thomas Butler

Thanks for your opinion and searching. After Chinese new year, there will be a revision for both connector (Pixracer style connector) and dampers. new silicon dampers in white color is softer. different applications for its frame vibration characteristics may need different damping.

I think IMU module need some weight to get effective inertia to be stable. dji had foam+FFC+counterweight for vibration isolation years ago, and they had even temperature compensation in it. but i don't know which is better, saving counterweight by using main PCBA, or a dedicated double isolation you proposed here. adding a FFC with flip connector is more friendly to end user by avoiding soldering, but have some potential risk for signal condition.

I still like raspilot design. new a batch is being hand placed and will available soon. PX4 porting for raspilot will be more supported by some interested friends and organizations.

Happy soldering!
Thomas Butler February 12, 2016 at 12:48am

@Phillip,

"learn to use google @thomas!
https://github.com/CUAV88/Pixhack
I helped put them there! "

Does not contain the schematic!

OK, so let me see if I understand this correctly, and I respectfully do not mean to be flippant, since VRBrain, nor the Navio are merely "compatible" they do not and are not required to post their CAD files? What is the justification for them NOT posting CAD files?

However, as I understand it, Jerry, and I am not his advocate, started with a blank sheet and created his design, laid out the PCB, which is compatible with the PixHawk, or is the nexus that since a new HAL was not required to run the ArduCopter/APM code and his board IS compatible with no change to plain vanilla PixHawk code he IS in violation of the terms of the open source license?

Back to the techy talk...

@Martin, exactly, but the FFCs Jerry are using is a major start, servo/ESC wires have to be plugged in at some point, and additionally his board is isolated on silicone standoffs. As far as the IMU, I agree, that is how the heads on a DVD drive are isolated; though the smallest FFC cable. I studied the construction of several DVD, CDROM, and hard disk drives several years ago when I designed an adapter (posted on DIYDrones a few years ago while everyone else was tinkering with sticky foam tape mountings) for the Crius All-IN-One controller; it worked great, and isolated the controller from I/O and power connections through an FFC cable mounted in a U-shape effectively working like a spring to isolate the vibrations transmitted through wires. Jerry has his IMU on a soldered on daughtercard (a design flaw [because it provides no dampening or isolation of the gyro/accel] that is a common design nowdays) which is soldered to the board, so it would be fairly easy to change to a micro FFC cabled connection.

Jerry, perhaps add a micro FFC connector under the IMU for future use or to optionally use an FFC connected and damped IMU. Just a thought!

Happy flying!

CUAV88/Pixhack

Design files for Pixhack autopilot. Contribute to CUAV88/Pixhack development by creating an account on GitHub.
Jerry Giant February 11, 2016 at 5:22am

Hi JB, i didn't want this.

stopping the troll, easy, stop asking for design files before its distributed.

i think Lorenz Meier did the original and right now he has no complain about my talking for this derivative.

pull request for new board is a neutral process, it's not making new functions in firmware, but add makefile scripts and drivers to get your product sold, it's not giving back community.

raspilot is a contribution because its new, it works, and its simple, cheap. but who deleted it from repo? why?

so i did something does need to pull request to get it work here, you say i have to give away the design, even before its distribution, why?

i don't need to be judged by some wannabe 'developer', i am not asking for firmware dev to sell these boards, if i want to make money i could have pixracer cloned and selling it in half price now, or making some money by reverse engineer it and sell the bom and gerber to a fab in shenzhen.

if you wannabes want to make something open source and greatly embraced, get back to your workbench and start soldering. don't asking my work for nothing you could have.
JB February 11, 2016 at 3:24am

I think Jerry is borderline trolling now just for kicks.

It's fairly obvious from his comments and his attitude towards developers etc, what he intends to do, or in this case not do.

As they say "stop feeding the trolls".

--

On a more constructive note maybe a discussion should ensue to investigate ideas on how to get people of low moral standard and character to comply and support the development efforts instead? Maybe though, it is a lost cause and people who can't come up with an original thought of their own, should not benefit from those that do?

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