Pixhawk
Open-source standards for flight controller hardware on unmanned vehicles.
Pixhawk is a project that creates open-source standards for flight controller hardware used in unmanned aerial vehicles. Flight controllers built to these open standards often include "Pixhawk" in their name and are used for academic, professional, and amateur applications, supported by the PX4 and ArduPilot autopilot firmware options.
- First manufacturer
- 3D Robotics (2013)
- Supported firmware
- PX4 and ArduPilot
- Autopilot versions released
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 4X, 5, 5X, 6X, 6U, 6C
- Connector standard
- JST GH for most interfaces
- Governing organization
- Dronecode (non-profit under the Linux Foundation, founded 2014)
- Origin
- ETH Zurich, master's student Lorenz Meier, 2008
Lore & Background
In 2008, Lorenz Meier, a master's student at ETH Zurich, wanted to build an indoor drone using computer vision for autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance. With Professor Marc Pollefeys and 14 teammates, he created custom flight controller hardware, firmware, and software, winning first place in the indoor autonomy category of a European Micro Air Vehicle competition in 2009. The team named itself "Pixhawk." After realizing the lack of existing industry tools, the team released the entire project as open source, including the ground control software, the MAVLink communication protocol, the PX4 autopilot software, and the Pixhawk flight controller hardware.
Over time, MAVLink was adopted by the ArduPilot project, and QGroundControl became the ground control software for MAVLink systems. In 2013, 3D Robotics became the first commercial manufacturer of Pixhawk flight controllers, lowering the barrier to entry for autonomous flight. The Dronecode organization was founded in 2014 under the Linux Foundation to standardize developments and keep the project open-source. Pixhawk flight controllers typically feature one or two microcontrollers, with onboard sensors including an IMU, magnetometer, and GPS.
Reader's Guide
The Pixhawk project's significance lies in establishing open standards that enable compatibility across manufacturers and firmware. The standards dictate hardware requirements for compatibility with PX4 and, through ArduPilot's adaptation, ensure compatibility with ArduPilot as well. The standards include the Autopilot Reference Standard (mechanical and electrical specs for each FMU version), the Autopilot Bus Standard (for system-on-module designs like the 5X and 6X), the Connector Standard (specifying JST GH connectors and pin-out conventions), the Payload Bus Standard (for compatible payloads), and the Smart Battery Standard (not yet published). The project's legacy is that anyone can purchase a Pixhawk-standard flight controller, flash it with free PX4 or ArduPilot firmware, and have a university research-level drone platform. Lorenz Meier credits the open-source community for the platform's success, as combined development power exceeded that of a well-resourced company.
Did You Know?
- Pixhawk originated from a master's student project at ETH Zurich in 2008.
- The Pixhawk standards include a Smart Battery Standard that has not yet been published.
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