PX4 User Guide (v1.13)

# Holybro Pixhawk 6C

WARNING

PX4 does not manufacture this (or any) autopilot. Contact the manufacturer (opens new window) for hardware support or compliance issues.

Pixhawk 6C® is the latest update to the successful family of Pixhawk® flight controllers designed and made in collaboration with Holybro® and the PX4 team.

It is equipped with a high performance H7 Processor, and comes with IMU redundancy, temperature-controlled IMU board, and cost effective design, delivering incredible performance and reliability. It complies with the Autopilot Bus Standard (opens new window) and Connector Standard (opens new window).

TIP

This autopilot is supported by the PX4 maintenance and test teams.

# Introduction

The Pixhawk® 6C is the latest update to the successful family of Pixhawk® flight controllers.

Inside the Pixhawk® 6C, you can find an STMicroelectronics® based STM32H743, paired with sensor technology from Bosch® & InvenSense®, giving you flexibility and reliability for controlling any autonomous vehicle, suitable for both academic and commercial applications.

The Pixhawk® 6C’s H7 microcontroller contain the Arm® Cortex®-M7 core running up to 480 MHz, has 2MB flash memory and 1MB RAM. Thanks to the updated processing power, developers can be more productive and efficient with their development work, allowing for complex algorithms and models.

The Pixhawk 6C includes high-performance, low-noise IMUs on board, designed to be cost effective while having IMU redundancy. A vibration isolation System to filter out high-frequency vibration and reduce noise to ensure accurate readings, allowing vehicles to reach better overall flight performances.

The Pixhawk® 6C is perfect for developers at corporate research labs, startups, academics (research, professors, students), and commercial application.

Key Design Points

  • High performance STM32H743 Processor with more computing power & RAM
  • New cost-effective design with low-profile form factor
  • Newly designed integrated vibration isolation system to filter out high frequency vibration and reduce noise to ensure accurate readings
  • IMUs are temperature-controlled by onboard heating resistors, allowing optimum working temperature of IMUs

# Technical Specification

# Processors & Sensors

  • FMU Processor: STM32H743
    • 32 Bit Arm® Cortex®-M7, 480MHz, 2MB memory, 1MB SRAM
  • IO Processor: STM32F103
    • 32 Bit Arm® Cortex®-M3, 72MHz, 64KB SRAM
  • On-board sensors
    • Accel/Gyro: ICM-42688-P
    • Accel/Gyro: BMI055
    • Mag: IST8310
    • Barometer: MS5611

# Electrical data

  • Voltage Ratings:
    • Max input voltage: 6V
    • USB Power Input: 4.75~5.25V
    • Servo Rail Input: 0~36V
  • Current Ratings:
    • TELEM1 Max output current limiter: 1.5A
    • All other port combined output current limiter: 1.5A

# Mechanical data

  • Dimensions: 84.8 * 44 * 12.4 mm
  • Weight: 59.3g

# Interfaces

  • 16- PWM servo outputs (8 from IO, 8 from FMU)

  • 3 general purpose serial ports

    • TELEM1 - Full flow control, separate 1.5A current limit
    • TELEM2 - Full flow control
    • TELEM3

  • 2 GPS ports

    • GPS1 - Full GPS port (GPS plus safety switch)
    • GPS2 - Basic GPS port

  • 1 I2C port

    • Supports dedicated I2C calibration EEPROM located on sensor module

  • 2 CAN Buses

    • CAN Bus has individual silent controls or ESC RX-MUX control

  • 2 Debug ports:

    • FMU Debug
    • I/O Debug

  • Dedicated R/C input for Spektrum / DSM and S.BUS, CPPM, analog / PWM RSSI

  • Dedicated S.BUS output

  • 2 Power input ports (Analog)

  • Other Characteristics:

    • Operating & storage temperature: -40 ~ 85°c

# Purchase

Order from Holybro (opens new window).

# Assembly/Setup

The Pixhawk 6C Wiring Quick Start provides instructions on how to assemble required/important peripherals including GPS, Power Module etc.

# Pinouts

# Serial Port Mapping

UART Device Port
USART1 /dev/ttyS0 GPS1
USART2 /dev/ttyS1 TELEM3
USART3 /dev/ttyS2 Debug Console
UART5 /dev/ttyS3 TELEM2
USART6 /dev/ttyS4 PX4IO
UART7 /dev/ttyS5 TELEM1
UART8 /dev/ttyS6 GPS2

# Dimensions

# Voltage Ratings

Pixhawk 6C can be triple-redundant on the power supply if three power sources are supplied. The three power rails are: POWER1, POWER2 and USB.

Normal Operation Maximum Ratings

Under these conditions all power sources will be used in this order to power the system:

  1. POWER1 and POWER2 inputs (4.9V to 5.5V)
  2. USB input (4.75V to 5.25V)

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Under these conditions the system will not draw any power (will not be operational), but will remain intact.

  1. POWER1 and POWER2 inputs (operational range 4.1V to 5.7V, 0V to 10V undamaged)
  2. USB input (operational range 4.1V to 5.7V, 0V to 6V undamaged)
  3. Servo input: VDD_SERVO pin of FMU PWM OUT and I/O PWM OUT (0V to 42V undamaged)

Voltage monitoring

Pixhawk 6C uses analog power modules.

Holybro makes various analog power modules for different need.

# Building Firmware

TIP

Most users will not need to build this firmware! It is pre-built and automatically installed by QGroundControl when appropriate hardware is connected.

To build PX4 for this target:

make px4_fmu-v6c_default

# Debug Port

The PX4 System Console and SWD interface run on the FMU Debug port.

The pinouts and connector comply with the Pixhawk Debug Full interface defined in the Pixhawk Connector Standard (opens new window) interface (JST SM10B connector).

Pin Signal Volt
1 (red) Vtref +3.3V
2 (blk) Console TX (OUT) +3.3V
3 (blk) Console RX (IN) +3.3V
4 (blk) SWDIO +3.3V
5 (blk) SWCLK +3.3V
6 (blk) SWO +3.3V
7 (blk) NFC GPIO +3.3V
8 (blk) PH11 +3.3V
9 (blk) nRST +3.3V
10 (blk) GND GND

For information about wiring and using this port see:

# Peripherals

# Supported Platforms / Airframes

Any multicopter / airplane / rover or boat that can be controlled with normal RC servos or Futaba S-Bus servos. The complete set of supported configurations can be seen in the Airframes Reference.

# Further info

← Holybro Pixhawk 5X (FMUv5X) →