The Cube Module
Overview
The Cube Fixed Board
Black, Green, BlueF4, PurpleF4 STM32F427;
cash 2MB, RAM 256KB.
Yellow STM32F777; cash 2MB, Ram 512KB.
Orange, BlueH7, PurpleH7 STM32H753; cash
2MB, RAM 1MB.
Orange+ STM32H757; cash 2MB, RAM 1MB.
On-board 16KB SPI FRAM
Black, Green, BlueF4, Purple MPU9250 16G
integrated accelerometer / gyro.
Orange,Orange+, BlueH7, ICM 20649 30G
integrated accelerometer / gyro.
MS5611 Barometer
All sensors connected via SPI.
Micro SD interfaces via SDIO.
*CubeBlue “manufactured in USA with US and
allied components”
EOL And Substitution
MPU9250, LSM303D, L3GD20 are all EOL, As
such, all new designs should use the H7
based boards CubeBlueH7, CubeOrange, and
CubePurpleH7 are 100% plug and play with
all carrier boards that are compliant with our
reference design dating back to 2014.
at the time of the latest edit here, cube
PurpleF4 was still in stock, but when stocks
run out, CubePurpleH7 will take its place.
Vibration Damped IMU board
version 1 (Fitted to Cube Black,
Cube BlueF4, Cube Green)
LSM303D integrated accelerometer /
magnetometer.
L3GD20 gyro.
MPU9250 Gyro / Accel
MS5611 Barometer
All sensors connected via SPI.
Vibration Damped IMU board
version 2 (Fitted to Cube
Orange, Cube BlueH7 and Cube
Yellow)
ICM20602
ICM 20948
MS5611 Barometer
All sensors connected via SPI.
Vibration Damped IMU board
version 3 (Fitted to Cube
Orange+)
ICM45686 / ICM20649
ICM20948 / ICM42688 / ICM45686_EXT2
ICM42688 / ICM45686
MS5611 barometer
All sensors connected via SPI.
I/O ports
14 PWM servo outputs (8 from IO, 6 from
FMU).
R/C inputs for CPPM, Spektrum / DSM and
[Link].
Analogue / PWM RSSI input.
[Link] servo output.
5 general purpose serial ports, 2 with full cow
control
Two I2C ports
One SPI port (un-buffered, for short cables
CubePilot
only not recommended for use).
Two CAN Bus interface. (CAN FD for BlueH7
and Orange with CubePilot Logo)
3 Analogue inputs
High-powered piezo buzzer driver. (On
expansion board)
High-power RGB LED. (I2C driver compatible
Connected externally only)
Safety switch / LED.
System architecture
The Cube continues with the FMU + IO
architecture from the previous generation,
incorporating the two functional blocks in a
single physical module.
PWM Outputs
The Cube has eight PWM outputs that are
connected to IO and can be controlled by IO
directly via R/C input and on-board mixing even
if FMU is not active (failsafe / manual mode).
Multiple update rates can be supported on
these outputs in three groups; one group of four
and two groups of two. PWM signal rates up to
400Hz can be supported. These 8 PWM's are
output ONLY and are capable of driving up to
50mA each, but only a total of 100mA for the 8.
Six PWM outputs are connected to FMU and
feature reduced update latency. These outputs
cannot be controlled by IO in failsafe conditions.
Multiple update rates can be supported on
these outputs in two groups; one group of four
and one group of two.
PWM signal rates up to 400Hz can be
supported.
All PWM outputs are EDS-protected, and they
are designed to survive accidental mis-
connection of servos without being damaged.
The servo drivers are speci^ed to drive a 50pF
servo input load over 2m of 26AWG servo cable.
the I/O PWM outputs can also be con^gured as
individual GPIOs. Note that these are not high-
power outputs – the PWM drivers are designed
for driving servos and similar logic inputs only,
not relays or LEDs.
Peripheral Ports
All peripherals are connected through a single
80 pin connector, and the peripherals are
connected via a baseboard that can be
customized for each application
Base Board
The initial base board features separate
connectors for each of the peripheral ports (with
a few exceptions.
Five serial ports are provided. Serial 1 and 2
feature full cow control. Serial 3 is
recommended as the GPS port and has the
safety button and (possibly the safety led) as
well as I2C for the compass and RGB LED. Serial
4 also has I2C, but on the second bus, thus
allowing two compass modules to be
connected at the same time. Serial 5 is available
as a header underneath the board. Serial ports
are 3.3V CMOS logic level, 5V tolerant, buffered
and ESD-protected.
The SPI port is not buffered; it should only be
used with short cable runs. Signals are 3.3V
CMOS logic level, but 5V tolerant. SPI is only
available to test points on the ^rst base board,
along with a CS and INT pin.
Analogue 1-3 are protected against inputs up to
12V, but scaled for 0-3.3V inputs. The RSSI input
supports either PWM or analogue RSSI. This
input shares a pin with [Link] output - only one
may be connected at a time.
CPPM, [Link] and DSM/Spektrum input are
unchanged from previous versions.
The CAN ports are standard CAN-Bus;
termination for one end of the bus is ^xed on-
board. Drivers are on-board the FMU
The piezo port will drive most piezo elements in
the 5 - 300nF range at up to 35V. it is intended to
be extremely loud, with the achievable sound
pressure level limited by the sensitivity of the
piezo element being driven.
I2C is direct driven, un-buffered, and pulled up to
*3.3v on-board* the FMU
Serial 5 is used for the on-board ADSB-IN
receiver that is featured on newer carrier boards
Sensors
All cight sensors in The Cube are connected via
SPI.
CUBE TYPE Life Cycle IMU1
CubeBlack
CubeBlueF4 EOL MPU9250
CubeGreen
CubeBlack+ EOL MPU9250
CubePurple
EOL MPU9250
F4
CubePurple
ACTIVE ICM20649
H7
CubeOrange
CubeYellow ACTIVE ICM20649
CubeBlueH7
CubeOrange ICM45686 /
ACTIVE
+ ICM20649
IMU1, Non-Isolated
IMU2 & 3, Isolated
Data-ready signals from all sensors are NOT
ROUTED on the Isolated IMU
*CubeBlue “manufactured in USA with US and
allied components”
Power Architecture
The Cube removes the power management
from the FMU, the Servo rail is no longer the
primary source of backup power for the FMU,
and it leaves it there for the IO last chance
failsafe.
The supply of 3.3v
Split digital and analogue power domains for
FMU and sensors.
Backup power for IO in the case of FMU
power supply failure.
Current
Overload
sensing
Power
rail
Power
Sensing
MAIN MAIN On/Off
SERIAL 1
Battery POWER 2.7-5.7 V EMI
TELEM HP
Sensing 5.3 V 1.5 A limit
SERIAL 2
TELME LP
5.7 V limit
AUX AUX
Battery POWER 5.7 V limit SERIAL 3
On/Off
Sensing 5.3 V GPS 1
5.7 V limit
SERIAL 4
GPS 2
USB
5V On/Off
2.7-5.7 V EMI CAN / I2C / ADC
1.5 A limit
[Link] Current
Voltage SERVO
CPPM Overload Backup Battery
Sensing 4.5-10 V
5V sensing
2.7-10 V
Voltage
5.5 V LDO 250 mA limit
Sensing
250 mA limit
I/O FMU
EMI
LEDs LEDs
Switch
FMU Sensor
3.3 V / 300 mA
I/O LDO On/Off Switch
FMU LDO
3.3 V / 300 mA
3.3 V / 300 mA IMU Sensor
I/O FMU
Reset Reset
I/O FMU
RTC / SRAM RTC / SRAM
5V
5.75 V (max) 3.3 V 5V
FMU I/O
Logic Logic
4.5 V - 8 V 3V Control /
10.5 V (max) Backup Battery Monitor
Power management module
(separate from the FMU)
Key features of The Cube power architecture:
Single, independent 5V supply for the cight
controller and peripherals.
Integration with *2 power bricks* or
compatible alternative, including current and
voltage sensing.
Low power consumption and heat
dissipation.
Power distribution and monitoring for
peripheral devices.
Protection against common wiring faults;
under/over-voltage protection, overcurrent
protection, thermal protection.
Brown-out resilience and detection.
FMU and IO Power Supplies
Both FMU and IO operate at 3.3V, and each has
its own private dual-channel regulator. As in The
Cube (formerly known as Pixhawk), each
regulator features a power-on reset output tied
to the regulator’s internal power-up and drop-out
sequencing.
Power Sources
Power may be supplied to The Cube via USB, via
the power brick port, or the second brick port.
Each power source is protected against reverse-
polarity connections and back-powering from
other sources.
The Cube F4 series FMU + IO power budget is
450mA, including all LEDs and the Piezo buzzer.
Peripheral power is limited to 2.5A total. The
Cube F7 and H7 series FMU + IO power budget
is 550mA, including all LEDs and the Piezo
buzzer. Peripheral power is limited to 2.5A total.
The increase in power budget is due to the
improved heater on the cube orange
USB IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN FLIGHT ON
Nuttx code
Power Brick Port
The brick port is the preferred power source for
Cube, and brick power will always be selected if
it is available.
Servo Power
The Cube supports both standard (5V) and high-
voltage (up to 10V) servo power with some
restrictions.
IO will accept power from the servo connector
up to 10V. This allows IO to failover to servo
power in all cases if the main power supply is
lost or interrupted.
FMU and peripherals will NOT accept power
from the servo connector.
Aux Power
The Cube introduces a backup power port; this
is set up the same as the primary power input.
At input voltages over 5.7V power is locked out.
The Cube and peripherals combined may draw
up to 2.75A total when operating on Aux power,
provided that the Brick or other power source
can supply the required current.
Power is never supplied by The Cube to servos.
Servo rail
The I/O chip takes power up to 10.5v from the
servo rail; this is used to revert to manual mode
in the unfortunate event that the other two main
sources of power fail. This is only useful for
plane, and only useful if the I/O chip has been
mapped correctly.
USB Power
Power from USB is supported for software
update, testing and development purposes. USB
power is supplied to the peripheral ports for
testing purposes, however total current
consumption must typically be limited to
500mA, including peripherals, to avoid
overloading the host USB port.
Multiple Power Sources
When more than one power source is
connected, power will be drawn from the
highest-priority source with a valid input voltage.
In most cases, FMU should be powered via the
power brick or a compatible off board regulator
via the brick port or auxiliary power rail.
In desktop testing scenarios, taking power from
USB avoids the need for a BEC or similar servo
power source (though servos themselves will
still need external power).
Summary
For each of the components listed, the input
voltage ranges over which the device can be
powered from each input is shown.
Brick port Aux port
FMU 4 - 5.7V 4 - 5.7V
IO 4 - 5.7V 4 - 5.7V
4 - 5.7 2.5A 4 - 5.7 2.5A
Peripherals
max max
The Cube provides power routing, over/under
voltage detection and protection, ^ltering,
switching, current-limiting and transient
suppression for peripherals. Power outputs to
peripherals feature ESD and EMI ^ltering, and
the power supply protection scheme ensures
that no more than 5.5V is presented to
peripheral devices. Power is disconnected from
the peripherals when the available supply
voltage falls below 2.7V, or rises above
approximately 5.7V.
Peripheral power is split into two groups:
Serial 1 ( TELEM 1 ) has a private 1.5A current
limit, intended for powering a low power. This
output is separately EMI ^ltered and draws
directly from the USB / Brick inputs. Peak power
draw on this port should not exceed 1.5A, never
power your telemetry from this port under any
circumstance.
All other peripherals share a 1A current limit
and a single power switch. Peak power draw on
this port should not exceed 1.5A. Each group is
individually switched under software control.
The Spektrum / DSM R/C interface draws power
from its own regulator, rather than from either
of the groups above. This port is switched under
software control so that Spektrum / DSM
binding can be implemented. Spektrum
receivers generally draw ~25mA.
[Link] and CPPM receivers are powered by a
dedicated power supply. Please do not connect
any servos to this power, only an RX by itself.
Capacitor Backup
Both the FMU and IO microcontrollers feature
Capacitor-backed real-time clocks and SRAM.
The on-board backup Capacitor has capacity
suncient for the intended use of the clock and
SRAM, which is to provide storage to permit
orderly recovery from unintended power loss or
other causes of in-air restarts. The capacitors
are recharged from the FMU 3.3V rail. this will
only function in the event of software existing to
support this feature.
Voltage, Current and Fault Sensing
The battery voltage and current reported by
both bricks can be measured by the FMU. In
addition, the 5V unregulated supply rail can be
measured (to detect brown- out conditions). IO
can measure the servo power rail voltage.
Over-current conditions on the peripheral power
ports can be detected by the FMU. Hardware
lock-out prevents damage due to persistent
short-circuits on these ports. The lock- out can
be reset by FMU software. The under/over
voltage supervisor for FMU provides an output
that is used to hold FMU in reset during brown-
out events.
EMI Filtering and Transient Protection (on the
normal Base Board, must be specified for
externally supplied base boards.)
EMI ^ltering is provided at key points in the
system using high-insertion-loss pass- through
^lters. These ^lters are paired with TVS diodes
at the peripheral connectors to suppress power
transients.
Reverse polarity protection is provided at each
of the power inputs. USB signals are ^ltered and
terminated with a combined termination/TVS
array.
Most digital peripheral signals (all PWM
outputs, serial ports, I2C port) are driven using
ESD-enhanced buffers and feature series
blocking resistors to reduce the risk of damage
due to transients or accidental misconnections.
The Cube Series Interface Specification
Scope of this Document
This document covers the complete interface
standard and core mechanical, electrical and
external connection options of The Cube
module series. Sections marked as LT (long
term) are intended to be kept stable to isolate
vehicle from autopilot revisions.
Interface Standard
Connector Series
Low density: 0.1” over mould Futaba keyed
servo connectors (Mfg. to be identi^ed)
Cabling: AWG24, ribbon or round, iconic
colour scheme
Stack: Hirose DF17, 80pos , 4 mm stacking
height, 0.5 mm pitch, drop-proof
High density: JST-GH 1.25 mm
Cabling: AWG28, ribbon, iconic colour
scheme
Power Module: Molex Clik-Mate 2 mm for both
main and backup power(on bottom of board?)
The Cube
Mechanical: 30x30 mm M3 mounting hole
pattern, 35x35 mm footprint
80 position DF17 connector. Carries all autopilot
interface connections.