Hardware Changelog

Hereby are described the main differences between the latest release of the Veronte Autopilot 4x hardware (v 1.8) and the previous commercial version (v 1.2).

Note

Note that all the technical differences related to Autopilot 1x are detailed in the Hardware Changelog section of the 1x Hardware Manual.

New funcionalities

  • Addition of second arbitrer microcontroller
  • Enhancement hardware detection mechanism for arbiters A and B
  • Implementation of independent power domains for each microcontroller and different peripherals
  • USB ID pin has a different functionality, now is the USB shielding connection
  • 5V_BUS and 3.3V_BUS removed from Main connector
  • Three UARTs (one from each Autopilot 1x) added to the redundant connector

Improvements

  • Optimized power supply circuit

Pinout changes from Autopilot 4x 1.2

The pinout for 1.2 and 1.8 versions are very similar, but they have several differences. To prevent any confusion, the following table shows the pinout for both versions. The different pins are marked with ⚠️, all the rest have the same function.

Pinout of Main and Arbiter connectors for both versions

Main Connector pinout

PIN Signal Type Internal Power Domain Description
1 I/O_0_MUXED I/O A MUXED PWM / Digital I/O signal (0-3.3V)

Warning
Each pin withstands a maximum current of 1.65 mA.
2 I/O_1_MUXED I/O B
3 I/O_2_MUXED I/O A
4 I/O_3_MUXED I/O B
5 I/O_4_MUXED I/O A
6 I/O_5_MUXED I/O B
7 I/O_6_MUXED I/O A
8 I/O_7_MUXED I/O B
9 GND* GROUND Ground pin for signals 1-8
10 I/O_8_MUXED I/O A MUXED PWM / Digital I/O signal (0-3.3V)

Warning
Each pin withstands a maximum current of 1.65 mA.
11 I/O_9_MUXED I/O B
12 I/O_10_MUXED I/O A
13 I/O_11_MUXED I/O B
14 I/O_12_MUXED I/O A
15 I/O_13_MUXED I/O B
16 I/O_14_MUXED I/O A
17 I/O_15_MUXED I/O B
18 GND* GROUND Ground pin for signals 10-17
19 MUXED_RS232_TX OUTPUT A MUXED RS-232 output
20 MUXED_RS232_RX INPUT A REDUNDANT RS-232 input
21 V2_USB_DP I/O Autopilot 2 USB positive data line
22 ANALOG_3 INPUT B REDUNDANT analog input (0-36V)
23 ANALOG_4 INPUT B
24 V2_USB_DN I/O Autopilot 2 USB negative data line
25 CANA_ARB_P I/O A CAN-bus interface. It supports data rates up to 1 Mbps.
A 120 Ohm Zo is required and twisted pair is recommended.
26 CANA_ARB_N I/O A
27 GND* GROUND GROUND pin for buses (except USB)
28 CANB_ARB_P I/O CAN-bus interface. It supports data rates up to 1 Mbps.
A 120 Ohm Zo is required and twisted pair is recommended.
29 CANB_ARB_N I/O
⚠️
30		 1.2: V2_USB_ID 1.2: I/O 1.2: Veronte 2 USB ID Line
1.8: V2_USB2_GND 1.8: GROUND 1.8: Autopilot 2 USB ground
31 I2C_CLK OUTPUT A MUXED Clock line for I2C bus (0.3V to 3.3V)
32 I2C_DATA I/O A MUXED data line for I2C bus
33 GND* GROUND Ground for 3.3V power supply
⚠️
34		 1.2: 3.3V 1.2: POWER B 1.2: 3.3V-100mA power supply
1.8: V1_ARB_TX 1.8: OUTPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART transmitter for Autopilot 1
⚠️
35		 1.2: GND 1.2: GROUND 1.2: Ground for 5V power supply
1.8: V1_ARB_RX 1.8: INPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART receiver for Autopilot 1
⚠️
36		 1.2: 5V 1.2: POWER B 1.2: 5v-100mA power supply
1.8: V2_ARB_TX 1.8: OUTPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART transmitter for Autopilot 2
⚠️
37		 1.2: GND 1.2: GROUND 1.2: Ground for analog signals
1.8: V2_ARB_RX 1.8: INPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART receiver for Autopilot 2
38 ANALOG_0 INPUT A REDUNDANT analog input (0-36V)
39 ANALOG_1 INPUT A
40 ANALOG_2 INPUT A
41 GND* GROUND Ground signal for buses
42 V3_USB_DP I/O Autopilot 3 USB positive data line
43 V3_USB_DN I/O Autopilot 3 USB negative data line
44 GND* GROUND Ground signal for buses
⚠️
45		 1.2: UART_TX 1.2: OUTPUT B 1.2: Muxed UART output
1.8: V3_ARB_TX 1.8: OUTPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART transmitter for Autopilot 3
⚠️
46		 1.2: UART_RX 1.2: INPUT B 1.2: Redundant UART input
1.8: V3_ARB_RX 1.8: INPUT 1.8: Microcontroller UART receiver for Autopilot 3
47 GND* GROUND Ground signal for buses
48
⚠️
49		 1.2: V3_USB_ID 1.2: I/O 1.2: Veronte 3 USB ID Line
1.8: V3_USB3_GND 1.8: GROUND 1.8: Autopilot 3 USB ground
50 OUT_RS485_P OUTPUT B MUXED non-inverted output RS-485 bus
51 OUT_RS485_N OUTPUT B MUXED inverted output RS-485 bus
52 IN_RS485_N INPUT REDUNDANT inverted inout RS-485 bus
53 IN_RS485_P INPUT REDUNDANT non-inverted input RS-485 bus
54 RS485_GND GROUND Ground for RS-485 bus
55 EQEP_A INPUT A for autopilots 1 and 2
B for autopilot 3		 Encoder quadrature redundant input A (0-5V)
56 EQEP_B INPUT Encoder quadrature redundant input B (0-5V)
57 EQEP_S INPUT Encoder strobe redundant input (0-5V)
58 EQEP_I INPUT Encoder index redundant input (0-5V)
59 GND* GROUND Autopilot 3 ground pin
60 V1_USB_DP I/O Autopilot 1 USB positive data line
61 V1_USB_DN I/O Autopilot 1 USB negative data line
⚠️
62		 1.2: V1_USB_ID 1.2: I/O 1.2: Veronte 1 USB ID Line
1.8: V1_USB1_GND 1.8: GROUND 1.8: Autopilot 1 USB ground
63 GND* GROUND Ground signal for buses
64 BAT_2 POWER Autopilot 3 power supply (6.5 to 36V)
65 GND* GROUND Autopilot 2 ground pin
66 GND* GROUND Autopilot 1 ground pin
67 BAT_1 POWER Autopilot 2 power supply (6.5 to 36V)
68 BAT_0 POWER Autopilot 1 power supply (6.5 to 36V)


Warning

Common grounds are marked with *.

Arbiter Connector pinout

Although being the same component, Main Connector and Arbiter connector are polarized differently, but they have different mechanical connections to avoid wiring swapping.

PIN Signal Type Internal Power Domain Description
1 I/O_0_EXTERNAL I/O A External MUXED PWM / Digital I/O signal (0-3.3V).

In case of employing an additional external autopilot, its pins I/XX must be connected here.

Each signal I/O_XX_EXTERNAL will be sent to I/XX of Main Connector if the arbiter commands it.

Warning
Input current must be limited to 25 mA for each I/O EXTERNAL pin.
2 I/O_1_EXTERNAL I/O B
3 I/O_2_EXTERNAL I/O A
4 I/O_3_EXTERNAL I/O B
5 I/O_4_EXTERNAL I/O A
6 I/O_5_EXTERNAL I/O B
7 I/O_6_EXTERNAL I/O A
8 I/O_7_EXTERNAL I/O B
9 I/O_8_EXTERNAL I/O A
10 I/O_9_EXTERNAL I/O B
11 I/O_10_EXTERNAL I/O A
12 I/O_11_EXTERNAL I/O B
⚠️
13		 1.2: VCC2 1.2: POWER 1.2: Veronte 2 power supply (6.5 to 36 V)
1.8: ARBITER_ANALOG_7 1.8: INPUT 1.8: Arbiter analog input (0-36V)
14 EXTERNAL_ANALOG_0 OUTPUT A External analog signal (0-3V).
This is the analog signal from ANALOG_0 on Main Connector, which is reduced from 0-36V to 0-3V.
15 EXTERNAL_ANALOG_1 OUTPUT A External analog signal (0-3V).
This is the analog signal from ANALOG_1 on Main Connector, which is reduced from 0-36V to 0-3V.
16 EXTERNAL_ANALOG_2 OUTPUT A External analog signal (0-3V).
This is the analog signal from ANALOG_2 on Main Connector, which is reduced from 0-36V to 0-3V.
17 EXTERNAL_ANALOG_3 OUTPUT B External analog signal (0-3V).
This is the analog signal from ANALOG_3 on Main Connector, which is reduced from 0-36V to 0-3V.
18 FTC_VOTING_B OUTPUT B This pin is an open drain output (0 - 48V), which is open or connected to GND depending on the FTS signals of the Autopilots 1x. This logic is implemented at the Voting Stage, explained in detail in the Flight Termination System section of this manual.

Use this pin for an emergency device; for example the ground of a relay that activates a parachute.

FTC_VOTING_A (pin 53) and FTC_VOTING_B (pin 18) do the same function, but they have dissimilarity.
19 EXT_RS232_TX INPUT A In case of employing an additional external autopilot, its pin RS 232 TX must be connected here.
If arbiter decides to multiplex this signal, it will be transmitted to MUXED_RS232_TX on Main Connector with RS232 protocol.
20 EXT_RS232_RX OUTPUT A In case of employing an additional external autopilot, its pin RS 232 RX must be connected here.
If arbiter decides to multiplex this signal, it will be transmitted to MUXED_RS232_TX on Main Connector with RS232 protocol.
21 IN_RS485_P OUTPUT This pin is connected with IN_RS485_P from Main Connector
22 IN_RS485_N OUTPUT This pin is connected with IN_RS485_N from Main Connector
23 EXT_OUT_RS485_P INPUT B In case of employing an additional external autopilot, its pin OUT_RS485_P must be connected here.
If arbiter decides to multiplex this signal and EXT_DETECT of Arbiter Connector is connected to GND, it will be transmitted to OUT_RS485_P on Main Connector with RS232 protocol.
24 EXT_OUT_RS485_N INPUT B In case of employing an additional external autopilot, its pin OUT_RS485_N must be connected here.
If arbiter decides to multiplex this signal and EXT_DETECT of Arbiter Connector is connected to GND, it will be transmitted to OUT_RS485_N on Main Connector with RS232 protocol.
25 CANA_P_ARB_A I/O This pin is connected with CANA_ARB_P from Main Connector
26 CANA_N_ARB_A I/O This pin is connected with CANA_ARB_N from Main Connector
⚠️
27		 1.2: VCC1 1.2: POWER 1.2: Veronte 1 power supply (6.5 to 36 V)
1.8: ARBITER_ANALOG_8 1.8: INPUT 1.8: Arbiter analog input (0-36V)
28 CANB_P_ARB_B I/O This pin is connected with CANB_ARB_P from Main Connector
29 CANB_N_ARB_B I/O This pin is connected with CANB_ARB_N from Main Connector
30 OUT_RS485_ARB_P OUTPUT A Non-inverted output for arbiter A RS-485 bus
31 OUT_RS485_ARB_N OUTPUT A Inverted output for arbiter A RS-485 bus
32 IN_RS485_ARB_N INPUT A Inverted output for arbiter A RS-485 bus
33 IN_RS485_ARB_P INPUT A Non-inverted input for arbiter A RS-485 bus
34 TX_OUT_P OUTPUT A Arbiter A ARINC positive output
35 TX_OUT_N OUTPUT A Arbiter A ARINC negative output
36 RIN1_ARINC_P INPUT A Arbiter A ARINC positive input
37 RIN1_ARINC_N INPUT A Arbiter A ARINC negative input
38 GND* GROUND Ground pin for buses
39 SCL_A_OUT_ARB OUTPUT A Clock signal for arbiter A I2C bus
40 SDA_A_OUT_ARB I/O A Data signal for arbiter A I2C bus
41 DSP_232_RX_B INPUT A Arbiter A RS-232 input B
42 DSP_232_TX_B OUTPUT A Arbiter A RS-232 output B
43 DSP_232_RX_A INPUT A Arbiter A RS-232 input A
44 DSP_232_TX_A OUTPUT A Arbiter A RS-232 output A
45 GND* GROUND Ground pin for analog signals
46 ARBITER_ANALOG_0 INPUT A Arbiter A analog input (0-36V)
47 ARBITER_ANALOG_1 INPUT A
48 ARBITER_ANALOG_2 INPUT A
49 ARBITER_ANALOG_3 INPUT A
50 ARBITER_ANALOG_4 INPUT A
51 ARBITER_ANALOG_5 INPUT A
52 ARBITER_ANALOG_6 INPUT A
53 FTC_VOTING_A OUTPUT A This pin is an open drain output (0 - 48V), which is open or connected to GND depending on the FTS signals of the Autopilots 1x.< This logic is implemented at the Voting Stage, explained in detail in the Flight Termination System section of this manual.

Use this pin for an emergency device; for example the ground of a relay that activates a parachute.

FTC_VOTING_A (pin 53) and FTC_VOTING_B (pin 18) do the same function, but they have dissimilarity.
54 GPIO_8_ARB I/O A Arbiter A PWM / digital I/O signal (0-3.3V)
55 GPIO_9_ARB I/O A
56 WD_EXT INPUT A Watchdog signal from external autopilot to arbiter A (0-3.3V)
57 EXT_DETECT INPUT A Connect to GND if external autopilot is connected, otherwise keep open
58 GND* GROUND Ground signal for GPIO
59 GPIO_0_ARB I/O A Arbiter A PWM / digital I/O signal (0-3.3V)
60 GPIO_1_ARB I/O A
61 GPIO_2_ARB I/O A
62 GPIO_3_ARB I/O A
63 GPIO_4_ARB I/O A
⚠️
64		 1.2: ARB_GPIO5 1.2: I/O A 1.2: Arbiter's PWM/Digital Output/Digital input signal (0-3.3V)
1.8: SEL_AP 1.8: OUTPUT A 1.8: CAP signal indicating the AP selected
⚠️
65		 1.2: ARB_GPIO6 1.2: I/O A 1.2: Arbiter's PWM/Digital Output/Digital input signal (0-3.3V)
1.8: FTS1_OUT 1.8: OUTPUT A 1.8: Deadman signal from comicro
⚠️
66		 1.2: ARB_GPIO7 1.2: I/O A 1.2: Arbiter's PWM/Digital Output/Digital input signal (0-3.3V)
1.8: FTS2_OUT 1.8: OUTPUT A 1.8: System OK bit
67 GND* GROUND Management Board ground
68 VCC_ARBITER POWER Power supply for Management Board (6.5 to 36 V)


Warning

Common grounds are marked with *.

Important

Apart from CAN buses, all communications are established only with arbiter A (I2C, RS-232, RS-485 and ARINC).

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