ModalAI VOXL 2

:::warning PX4 does not manufacture this (or any) autopilot. Contact the manufacturer for hardware support or compliance issues. :::

The ModalAI VOXL 2 (Datasheet) is ModalAI’s next-gen autonomous computing platform built around the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor. VOXL 2 boasts 8 cores, integrated PX4, seven camera concurrency, advanced onboard AI up to 15+ TOPS, and 5G connectivity. At 16 grams, VOXL 2 is the future of fully autonomous and connected drones!

::: info This flight controller is manufacturer supported. :::

Specifications

System

| Feature | VOXL 2 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | CPU | QRB5165
8 cores up to 3.091GHz
8GB LPDDR5
128GB Flash | | OS | Ubuntu 18.04 - Linux Kernel v4.19 | | GPU | Adreno 650 GPU – 1024 ALU | | NPU | 15 TOPS | | Flight Controller Embedded | Yes (Sensors DSP, PX4) | | Built in WiFi | No | | Add-on Connectivity | WiFi, 5G, 4G/LTE, Microhard | | Video Encoding | 8K30 h.264/h.265 108MP still images | | Computer Vision Sensors | QTY 6 4-lane CSI, QTY4 CCI (e.g. 2 stereo pair, hires, tracking) | | Tracking Sensor | Yes | | Dimensions | 70mm x 36mm | | Weight | 16g | | VOXL SDK: GPS-denied nav., SLAM, obstacle avoidance, object recognition | Yes | | ROS | ROS 1 & 2 | | QGroundControl | Yes | | ATAK | Yes | | NDAA ’20 Section 848 Compliant | Yes, Assembled in USA | | PMD TOF | Yes (SDK 1.0 and newer) | | FLIR Boson | USB | | FLIR Lepton | USB, SPI |

::: info More detailed hardware documentation can be found here. :::

Dimensions

2D Dimensions

3D Dimensions

3D STEP File

PX4 Firmware Compatibility

voxl-dev branch

ModalAI is actively maintaining a branched PX4 version that can be used.

As VOXL 2 runs Ubuntu, the production releases of PX4 for VOXL 2 are distributed through apt package management and the VOXL SDK.

More information about the firmware can be found here.

main branch

PX4 mainline supports VOXL 2 (board documentation here).

QGroundControl Support

This board supported in QGroundControl 4.0 and later.

Availability

• PX4 Autonomy Developer Kit
• Starling 2
• Starling 2 MAX
• Sentinel Development Drone powered by VOXL 2
• Demo Video
• VOXL 2 Flight Deck, ready to mount, tune and fly
• VOXL 2 Development Kits
• Demo Video

Quick Start

Quickstarts from the vendor are located here.

VOXL SDK

VOXL SDK (Software Development Kit) consists of the open source voxl-px4, core libraries, services, tools, utilities, and build environments that ModalAI provide to accelerate the use and development of VOXL compute boards and accessories.

VOXL SDK runs on VOXL, VOXL 2 and RB5 Flight!

The source code for projects within VOXL SDK can be found at https://gitlab.com/voxl-public, alongside build instructions.

Connectors

Detailed information about the pinouts can be found here along with a video overview here

All single ended signals on B2B connectors J3, J5, J6, J7, and J8 are 1.8V CMOS unless explicitly noted. All single ended signals on cable-to-board connectors J10, J18, & J19 are 3.3V CMOS unless explicitly noted.

| Connector | Description | MPN (Board Side) | Mating MPN (Board/Cable Side) | Type | Signal Feature Summary | | --------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | J2 | Fan | SM02B-SRSS-TB(LF)(SN) | SHR-02V-S | Cable Header, 2-pin R/A | 5V DC for FAN + PWM Controlled FAN-Return (GND) | | J3 | Legacy B2B | QSH-030-01-L-D-K-TR | QTH-030-01-L-D-A-K-TR | B2B Receptacle, 60-pin | 5V/3.8V/3.3V/1.8V power for plug-in boards, JTAG and Debug Signals, QUP expansion, GPIOs, USB3.1 Gen 2 (USB1) | | J4 | Prime Power In | 22057045 | 0050375043 | Cable Connector, 4-pin R/A | +5V main DC power in + GND, I2C@5V for power monitors | | J5 | High Speed B2B | ADF6-30-03.5-L-4-2-A-TR | ADM6-30-01.5-L-4-2-A-TR | B2B Socket, 120-pin | More 3.8V/3.3V/1.8V power for plug-in boards, 5V power in for “SOM Mode”, QUP expansion, GPIOS (including I2S), SDCC (SD Card V3.0), UFS1 (secondary UFS Flash), 2L PCIe Gen 3, AMUX and SPMI PMIC signals | | J6 | Camera Group 0 | DF40C-60DP-0.4V(51) | DF40C-60DS-0.4V | B2B Plug, 60-pin | Qty-2 4L MIPI CSI ports, CCI and camera control signals, 8 power rails (from 1.05V up to 5V) for cameras and other sensors, dedicated SPI (QUP) port | | J7 | Camera Group 1 | DF40C-60DP-0.4V(51) | DF40C-60DS-0.4V | B2B Plug, 60-pin | Qty-2 4L MIPI CSI ports, CCI and camera control signals, 8 power rails (from 1.05V up to 5V) for cameras and other sensors, dedicated SPI (QUP) port | | J8 | Camera Group 2 | DF40C-60DP-0.4V(51) | DF40C-60DS-0.4V | B2B Plug, 60-pin | Qty-2 4L MIPI CSI ports, CCI and camera control signals, 8 power rails (from 1.05V up to 5V) for cameras and other sensors, dedicated SPI (QUP) port | | J9 | USB-C (ADB) | UJ31-CH-3-SMT-TR | USB Type-C | Cable Receptacle, 24-pin R/A | ADB USB-C with re-driver and display port alternate mode (USB0) | | J10 | SPI Expansion | SM08B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN) | GHR-08V-S | Cable Header, 8-pin R/A | SPI@3.3V with 2 CS_N pins, 32kHz CLK_OUT@3.3V | | J18 | ESC (SLPI Access) | SM04B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN) | GHR-04V-S | Cable Header, 4-pin R/A | ESC UART@3.3V, 3.3V reference voltage | | J19 | GNSS/MAG/RC/I2C (SLPI Access) | SM12B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN) | GHR-12V-S | Cable Header, 6-pin R/A | GNSS UART@3.3V, Magnetometer I2C@3.3V, 5V, RC UART, Spare I2C |

User Guide

The PX4 user guide for VOXL 2 is available here.

Developer Guide

The PX4 developer guide for VOXL 2 is available here.

How to Build

See the VOXL PX4 Build Guide on how to build.

Support

Please visit the ModalAI Forum for more information.