Hardware Installation

Mechanical

Veronte Autopilot REx is covered with an aluminium enclosure with enhanced EMI shielding and IP protection, with 825 g as total weight.

Pressure lines

Veronte Autopilot REx has four pressure input lines; two for static pressure to determine the absolute pressure and two for pitot in order to determine the dynamic pressure.

For the fittings it is recommended to use a polyurethane tube of 2.5 mm inner diameter and 4 mm outer diameter.

• Pressure Intake

  • Pressure intakes must be located in order to prevent clogging.
  • Do not install pressure intakes on the propeller flow.
  • Design pressure tubing path in order to avoid tube constriction.

• Static Pressure

  • It is not recommended to use inside fuselage pressure if it is not properly vented.

• Pitot Tube

  • Pitot tube must be installed facing the airflow.
  • It is recommended to install it near the aircraft's x axis in order to avoid false measures during manoeuvres.
  • For low-speed aircraft it is recommended at least 6.3 mm tubes to prevent any rain obstruction.

The diagram above shows how the four external ports (2 static + 2 pitot) are distributed among the internal sensors of the three cores. The lines are grouped into two independent pneumatic channels, each with one static and one pitot port: one channel feeds the Primary core, while the other is shared by the Monitor and Recovery cores. Within each core, static pressure is measured by two redundant encapsulated barometers (Stat 1 and Stat 2), and dynamic pressure is obtained from a dedicated differential pressure sensor referenced between the pitot and static lines.

Location

The location of Veronte Autopilot REx has no restrictions. It is only required to configure its relative position respect to the centre of mass of the aircraft and the GNSS antenna.

Orientation

The orientation of Veronte Autopilot REx has no restrictions either. It is only required to configure axes respect to the aircraft by means of a rotation matrix or a set of correspondences between axes. The configuration of the orientation can be easily configured using 1x PDI Builder.

Axes are printed on the Autopilot REx box, as shown below.

Aircraft coordinates are defined by the standard aeronautical conventions, shown in the following figure.

Vibration Isolation

Although Veronte Autopilot REx rejects noise and high-frequency vibration modes with electronic filters, there may be situations where external isolation is needed.

Autopilot REx can be mounted in different ways in order to reject the airframe vibration, but it is recommended to use the Damping System designed for that purpose. It covers a wide frequency range of different aircraft types.

Damping System

Embention offers the Damping System as a solution to isolate Veronte Autopilot REx from vibrations.

This damping system weighs approximately 150 g.

Dimensions

Assembly steps

To assemble the Damping System into a vehicle with an Autopilot REx, read the following steps.

1. Remove the eight nuts located under the platform.

   

2. Screw the platform on the aircraft frame. The included screws have M3.

   

3. Screw the Autopilot REx on the Damping system.

   

   

Antenna Integration

The system uses different kinds of antenna to operate, they must be installed on the airframe. Here you can find some advice for obtaining the best performance and for avoiding antenna interferences.

• Antenna Installation

  • Maximize separation between antennas as much as possible.
  • Keep antennas far away from alternators or other interference generators.
  • Always isolate the antenna ground panel from the aircraft structure.
  • Make sure antennas are securely mounted.
  • Always use high-quality RF wires minimising the wire length.
  • Always follow the antenna manufacturer manual.
  • SSMA connections shall be tightened applying 1Nm of torque.
  • For all-weather aircraft, insert SSMA lightning protectors.

• GNSS Antenna

  • Antenna top side must point to the sky.
  • Install them on a top surface with direct sky view.
  • Never place wires or parts made of metal or carbon above the antenna.
  • It is recommended to install antennas on a small ground plane.
  • For all-weather aircrafts, insert SSMA lightning protectors.

• Recommended specifications for GNSS antennas

  Specifications	Range
  Antenna frequency L1	1561.098 MHz to 1602 MHz
  Antenna frequency L2	1207.14 MHz to 1246 MHz
  Amplifier gain	17 dB to 35 dB
  Out-of-band rejection	40 dB Note Higher values are preferable. 30 dB is considered the minimum acceptable value.
  Polarization	RHCP (Right-Hand Circular Polarization)
  Minimum supply voltage	2.7 V to 3.3 V
  Maximum supply current	50 mA

Electrical

Power supply

Autopilot REx can use unregulated DC (8 V to 54 V). All power supply pins are not common. It is possible to supply them with different voltages since they are internally protected with diodes. Nonetheless, all power supply pins must be connected to a power supply, in order to guarantee that Autopilot REx will work in case of failing one of them. These pins are summarized in the following table:

Connector	PIN	Signal
Connector J1	3	VIN PRIM
	5	VIN MON
	8	VIN PRIM
Connector J2	3	VIN REC
	5	VIN MON
	8	VIN REC

LiPo batteries between 2S and 8S can be used without voltage regulation. Remaining battery can be controlled by the internal voltage sensor and by configuring the voltage warnings on the PC application.

For higher voltage installations, voltage regulators must be used. For dimensioning voltage regulators take into account that a blocked servo can activate regulator thermal protection.

Autopilots and servos can be powered by the same or different batteries. In case there are more than one battery on the system, a single point ground union is needed to ensure a good performance. The ground signal should be isolated from other system ground references (e.g. engines).

It is recommendable to use independent switches for autopilot and motor/actuators. During the system initialization, PWM signal will be fixed to low level (0V), please make sure that actuators/motor connected support this behavior before installing a single switch for the whole system.

Power Domains

Veronte Autopilot REx implements a cross-linked, quad-input power scheme with two independent power inputs on Connector J1 and two on Connector J2. This allows the autopilot to be fed from separate battery or regulator sources across different connectors, so that the loss of an entire cable harness or of a single power rail never interrupts operation.

The four inputs are internally organized in two redundant power domains (A and B), electrically isolated from each other:

• Connector J1 and all its associated peripherals are powered by Power Domain A.
• Connector J2 and all its associated peripherals are powered by Power Domain B.

This separation enables redundancy management against internal power failures. For example, if the aircraft requires measuring a critical temperature from an external device, the user can connect two analog sensors to inputs on different power domains (one on J1 and one on J2) so that the measurement remains available even if one domain fails.

Pinout

Connector J1 pinout

PIN	Signal	Type	Internal Power Domain	Description
1	GND MON	GROUND	A	Supply negative for monitor, connected together with J2 pin 1
2	GND PRIM	GROUND	A	Supply negative for primary
3	VIN PRIM	POWER	A	Supply positive for Primary
4	J1_ATX0_P	OUTPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 0 positive output
5	VIN MON	POWER	A	Supply positive for Monitor, connected together with J2 pin 5
6	J1_ARX0_P	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 0 positive input
7	GND PRIM	GROUND	A	Supply negative for primary
8	VIN PRIM	POWER	A	Supply positive for Primary
9	J1_CAN_MUX_A_P	CAN BUS	A	CAN A J1 positive (muxed functionality)
10	J1_ATX0_N	OUTPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 0 negative output
11	J1_ATX1_P	OUTPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 1 positive output
12	J1_ARX1_P	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 1 positive input
13	J1_ARX0_N	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 0 negative input
14	ANALOG IN 1	INPUT	A	Analog input 1 (0V..5V)
15	ANALOG IN 3	INPUT	A	Analog input 3 (0V..12V)
16	J1_CAN_MUX_A_N	CAN BUS	A	CAN A J1 negative (muxed functionality)
17	J1_DIGIN_A	INPUT	A	5V digital input
18	J1_ARINC_GND	GROUND	A	Negative for ARINC 429 inputs of J1 connector
19	J1_ATX1_N	OUTPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 1 negative output
20	J1_ARX1_N	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 1 negative input
21	J1 ANALOG GND	GROUND	A	Negative for all J1 connector analog signals
22	ANALOG IN 5	INPUT	A	Analog input 5 (0V..54V)
23	J1_CAN_GND	CAN GROUND	A	Negative for all J1 connector CAN signals
24	J1_CAN_MUX_B_P	CAN BUS	A	CAN B J1 positive (muxed functionality)
25	J1_DIGIN_B	INPUT	A	5V digital input
26	J1 GND IO	GROUND	A	Negative for PWMs and Digital inputs of J1 connector
27	-	-	-	-
28	J1_ARINC_GND	GROUND	A	Negative for ARINC 429 inputs of J1 connector
29	J1 GND IO	GROUND	A	Negative for Opendrain FTS output of J1
30	J1_PWM4	OUTPUT	A	Digital output 4 of J1
31	J1_PWM1	OUTPUT	A	Digital output 1 of J1
32	J1_CAN_SHD_C_P	CAN BUS	A	CAN C J1 positive (shared functionality)
33	J1_CAN_MUX_B_N	CAN BUS	A	CAN B J1 negative (muxed functionality)
34	J1_FTS	OUTPUT OPEN-DRAIN	A	Flight termination system of J1
35	J1_INB_485_N	INPUT	A	J1 RS485 B negative input
36	J1_ARX2_P	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 2 positive input
37	J1_ARX2_N	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 2 negative input
38	-	-	-	-
39	J1_GND_RS232	GROUND	A	Negative for RS232 of J1 connector
40	J1_PWM2	OUTPUT	A	Digital output 2 of J1
41	J1_CAN_SHD_C_N	CAN BUS	A	CAN C J1 negative (shared functionality)
42	J1_CAN_SHD_D_P	CAN BUS	A	CAN D J1 positive (shared functionality)
43	J1_INB_485_P	INPUT	A	J1 RS485 B positive input
44	J1_OUTB_485_N	OUTPUT	A	J1 RS485 B negative output
45	J1_GND_RS485	GROUND	A	Negative for RS485 of J1 connector
46	J1_ARX3_P	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 3 positive input
47	J1_GND_RS485	GROUND	A	Negative for RS485 of J1 connector
48	J1_CAN_GND	GROUND	A	Negative for all J1 connector CAN signals
49	J1_PWM3	OUTPUT	A	Digital output 3 of J1
50	J1_CAN_SHD_D_N	CAN BUS	A	CAN D J1 negative (shared functionality)
51	J1_OUTB_485_P	OUTPUT	A	J1 RS485 B positive output
52	J1_INA_485_P	INPUT	A	J1 RS485 A positive input
53	J1_ARX3_N	INPUT	A	J1 ARINC 429 channel 3 negative input
54	J1_GND_RS232	GROUND	A	Negative for RS232 of J1 connector
55	J1_ETH_CHASSIS	ETH CHASSIS	A	Ethernet chassis, connected to enclosure
56	J1_RX_N	INPUT	A	Ethernet Rx negative of J1 connector
57	J1_RX_P	INPUT	A	Ethernet Rx positive of J1 connector
58	J1_INA_485_N	INPUT	A	J1 RS485 A negative input
59	J1_OUTA_485_N	OUTPUT	A	J1 RS485 A negative output
60	J1_RS232_TX_A	OUTPUT	A	RS232 A Tx of J1
61	J1_RS232_TX_B	OUTPUT	A	RS232 B Tx of J1
62	J1_TX_N	OUTPUT	A	Ethernet Tx negative of J1 connector
63	J1_TX_P	OUTPUT	A	Ethernet Tx positive of J1 connector
64	J1_OUTA_485_P	OUTPUT	A	J1 RS485 A positive output
65	J1_RS232_RX_A	INPUT	A	RS232 A Rx of J1
66	J1_RS232_RX_B	INPUT	A	RS232 B Rx of J1

Connector J2 pinout

PIN	Signal	Type	Internal Power Domain	Description
1	GND MON	GROUND	B	Supply negative for monitor, connected together with J1 pin 1
2	GND REC	GROUND	B	Supply negative for recovery
3	VIN REC	POWER	B	Supply positive for Recovery
4	J2_ATX0_P	OUTPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 0 positive output
5	VIN MON	POWER	B	Supply positive for Monitor, connected together with J1 pin 5
6	J2_ARX0_P	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 0 positive input
7	GND REC	GROUND	B	Supply negative for recovery
8	VIN REC	POWER	B	Supply positive for recovery
9	J2_CAN_MUX_A_P	CAN BUS	B	CAN A J2 positive (muxed functionality)
10	J2_ATX0_N	OUTPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 0 negative output
11	J2_ATX1_P	OUTPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 1 positive output
12	J2_ARX1_P	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 1 positive input
13	J2_ARX0_N	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 0 negative input
14	ANALOG IN 2	INPUT	B	Analog input 2 (0V..5V)
15	ANALOG IN 4	INPUT	B	Analog input 4 (0V..12V)
16	J2_CAN_MUX_A_N	CAN BUS	B	CAN A J2 negative (muxed functionality)
17	J2_DIGIN_A	INPUT	B	5V digital input
18	J2_ARINC_GND	GROUND	B	Negative for ARINC 429 inputs of J2 connector
19	J2_ATX1_N	OUTPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 1 negative output
20	J2_ARX1_N	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 1 negative input
21	J2 ANALOG GND	GROUND	B	Negative for all J2 connector analog signals
22	ANALOG IN 6	INPUT	B	Analog input 6 (0V..54V)
23	J2_CAN_GND	GROUND	B	Negative for all J2 connector CAN signals
24	J2_CAN_MUX_B_P	CAN BUS	B	CAN B J2 positive (muxed functionality)
25	J2_DIGIN_B	INPUT	B	5V digital input
26	J2 GND IO	GROUND	B	Negative for PWMs and Digital inputs of J2 connector
27	-	-	-	-
28	J2_ARINC_GND	GROUND	B	Negative for ARINC 429 inputs of J2 connector
29	J2 GND IO	GROUND	B	Negative for Opendrain FTS output of J2
30	J2_PWM4	OUTPUT	B	Digital output 4 of J2
31	J2_PWM1	OUTPUT	B	Digital output 1 of J2
32	J2_CAN_SHD_C_P	CAN BUS	B	CAN C J2 positive (shared functionality)
33	J2_CAN_MUX_B_N	CAN BUS	B	CAN B J2 negative (muxed functionality)
34	J2_FTS	OUTPUT OPEN-DRAIN	B	Flight termination system of J2
35	J2_INB_485_N	INPUT	B	J2 RS485 B negative input
36	J2_ARX2_P	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 2 positive input
37	J2_ARX2_N	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 2 negative input
38	-	-	-	-
39	J2_GND_RS232	GROUND	B	Negative for RS232 of J2 connector
40	J2_PWM2	OUTPUT	B	Digital output 2 of J2
41	J2_CAN_SHD_C_N	CAN BUS	B	CAN C J2 negative (shared functionality)
42	J2_CAN_SHD_D_P	CAN BUS	B	CAN D J2 positive (shared functionality)
43	J2_INB_485_P	INPUT	B	J2 RS485 B positive input
44	J2_OUTB_485_N	OUTPUT	B	J2 RS485 B negative output
45	J2_GND_RS485	GROUND	B	Negative for RS485 of J2 connector
46	J2_ARX3_P	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 3 positive input
47	J2_GND_RS485	GROUND	B	Negative for RS485 of J2 connector
48	J2_CAN_GND	GROUND	B	Negative for all J2 connector CAN signals
49	J2_PWM3	OUTPUT	B	Digital output 3 of J2
50	J2_CAN_SHD_D_N	CAN BUS	B	CAN D J2 negative (shared functionality)
51	J2_OUTB_485_P	OUTPUT	B	J2 RS485 B positive output
52	J2_INA_485_P	INPUT	B	J2 RS485 A positive input
53	J2_ARX3_N	INPUT	B	J2 ARINC 429 channel 3 negative input
54	J2_GND_RS232	GROUND	B	Negative for RS232 of J2 connector
55	J2_ETH_CHASSIS	ETH CHASSIS	B	Ethernet chassis, connected to enclosure
56	J2_RX_N	INPUT	B	Ethernet Rx negative of J2 connector
57	J2_RX_P	INPUT	B	Ethernet Rx positive of J2 connector
58	J2_INA_485_N	INPUT	B	J2 RS485 A negative input
59	J2_OUTA_485_N	OUTPUT	B	J2 RS485 A negative output
60	J2_RS232_TX_A	OUTPUT	B	RS232 A Tx of J2
61	J2_RS232_TX_B	OUTPUT	B	RS232 B Tx of J2
62	J2_TX_N	OUTPUT	B	Ethernet Tx negative of J2 connector
63	J2_TX_P	OUTPUT	B	Ethernet Tx positive of J2 connector
64	J2_OUTA_485_P	OUTPUT	B	J2 RS485 A positive output
65	J2_RS232_RX_A	INPUT	B	RS232 A Rx of J2
66	J2_RS232_RX_B	INPUT	B	RS232 B Rx of J2

Harnesses

A wire harness is a structured assembly of cables and connectors used to organize and manage wiring in electrical and electronic systems. It is designed to ensure a tidy and secure installation of cables, preventing tangles, electromagnetic interference, and facilitating maintenance.

Veronte Autopilot REx 2.0 has the following compatible harness:

Dimensions

• Cables length: 50 cm

• Harness plug dimensions:

  

Pinout

Veronte Harness

The pinout of the Veronte Harness is the same as the Connector J1 pinout above. The color code of the harness wires is given below.

PIN	Color Code	PIN	Color Code
1	White	35	Gray
2	Brown	36	Pink
3	Green	37	Blue
4	Yellow	38	Red
5	Gray	39	Black
6	Pink	40	Violet
7	Blue	41	Gray - Pink
8	Red	42	Red - Blue
9	Black	43	White - Green
10	Violet	44	Brown - Green
11	Gray - Pink	45	White - Yellow
12	Red - Blue	46	Yellow - Brown
13	White - Green	47	White - Gray
14	Brown - Green	48	Gray - Brown
15	White - Yellow	49	White - Pink
16	Yellow - Brown	50	Pink - Brown
17	White - Gray	51	White - Blue
18	Gray - Brown	52	Brown - Blue
19	White - Pink	53	White - Red
20	Pink - Brown	54	Brown - Red
21	White - Blue	55	White - Black
22	Brown - Blue	56	Green
23	White - Red	57	White - Green
24	Brown - Red	58	Yellow - Green
25	White - Black	59	Pink - Green
26	Brown - Black	60	Yellow - Pink
27	Gray - Green	61	White
28	Yellow - Green	62	Orange
29	Pink - Green	63	White - Orange
30	Yellow - Pink	64	Yellow
31	White	65	Gray
32	Brown	66	Pink
33	Green
34	Yellow

Dev Harness REx 2.0

The pinout of this harness is the same as the Connector J1 pinout above. In addition, this harness has some connectors already implemented for easy operation. Below is detailed information on which pins these connectors are connected to:

Connector	PIN	Signal
Power Input 1	1	GND_MON
	5	VIN_MON
Power Input 2	2 and 7	GND_PRIM
	3 and 8	VIN_PRIM
Jack connector	17	J1_DIGIN_A
	29	J1_GND_IO
Ethernet	55	J1_ETH_CHASSIS
	56	J1_RX_N
	57	J1_RX_P
	62	J1_TX_N
	63	J1_TX_P

Switch Over — Fault Handling

The Veronte REx is designed to be fully immune to any Single Point of Failure (SPOF) regarding flight control. The system relies on a robust hardware-level Switch-Over (SO) logic that manages the transition of command authority between the Primary, Monitor, and Recovery cores.

Hardware Signals for State Determination

The SO logic receives 8 critical hardware signals to continuously evaluate the operational state of the system:

• Controller Health Inputs (per core): Each controller provides dual-redundant health status indicators to the SO logic:
  • Watchdog Signal (Pulsed): A dynamic "heartbeat" signal verifying the real-time execution of the controller’s software.
  • Health Status (Discrete): A static digital signal (Permanent High/Low) serving as a secondary hardware-level integrity check.
• Monitor Command Arbitration: Beyond its own health signals, the Monitor utilizes two dedicated control lines to dictate command authority to the SO logic:
  • Arbitration Signals: A differential pair (a primary signal and its logical complement) instructing the SO logic which controller should be "In Command."
  • Integrity Check: The use of complementary signals ensures that a single-point failure (such as a short to ground or VCC) on these lines cannot cause an unintended command switch.

Switch-Over Operational Scenarios

The SO logic evaluates the aforementioned signals to execute the following logic:

• Normal Operations: All controllers are healthy. The Monitor arbitrates and explicitly assigns command authority.
• Primary Controller Failures:
  • Total Failure: Both "healthy" signals are de-asserted. The SO logic automatically transitions command to the Recovery unit.
  • Partial Failure: Only one "healthy" signal fails. The Monitor’s decision takes precedence. If the Monitor detects a true functional failure, it triggers the switch to Recovery. If it detects no functional fault, the system assumes a localized PCB/trace issue and maintains the current command state to prevent unnecessary switching.
• Recovery Controller Failures:
  • Total Failure: Both signals are lost. The SO logic physically inhibits any transition to the Recovery command.
  • Partial Failure: The system follows the same logic as a partial Primary failure (assumes a hardware trace issue rather than a functional fault).
• Monitor Controller Failures:
  • Total Failure (Standalone): Both signals are lost. The system assumes the Primary and Recovery are healthy. The currently active autopilot retains command authority, bypassing any further arbitration from the Monitor.
  • Partial Failure: Only one signal fails. It is treated as a hardware-level integrity issue. The Monitor's logic is still considered valid, and it is not flagged as a functional failure.
• Simultaneous / Cascading Failures:
  • Monitor & Primary Failure: If the Monitor fails first, and the Primary subsequently fails, the SO logic automatically transitions to the Recovery unit, regardless of the Monitor's last known state.
  • Triple Point Failure: If the Monitor, Primary, and Recovery units all fail simultaneously, the Flight Termination System (FTS) is automatically activated.

SO Latching

Once the Switch Over circuit transfers command from the Primary to the Recovery, a hardware latch keeps the Recovery in control even if the Primary is later restored, preventing spurious switchbacks.

To release the latch and hand authority back to the Primary, a best-of-three consensus circuit combines a dedicated request line from each core. When the three cores agree that the switchback is safe, the latch is released. This behaviour is configurable from the apps.

Each core exposes its release request on GPIO148 as an output signal (High = latch ON, Low = latch OFF):

• SO_RESET_PRIM — Primary
• SO_RESET_MON — Monitor
• SO_RESET_REC — Recovery

Flight Termination System (FTS) & Geocaging

The FTS is directly tied to the system's "System Error" bit. Triggering a System Error sets the core's "healthy" signals to a fault status. If the designated number of cores drop their healthy signals, the hardware Voting Stage triggers the physical FTS.

Geocaging Violation Scenarios

If the aircraft breaches a configured geocage (restricted area), the system behaves according to the current survival state of the cores:

• All Cores Healthy: Primary, Monitor, and Recovery are OK. Upon violation, all three stop outputting healthy signals → FTS Activated.
• Primary is Dead: Recovery is commanding. Upon violation, Recovery stops outputting healthy signals → FTS Activated.
• Recovery is Dead: Primary is commanding. Upon violation, Primary stops outputting healthy signals → FTS Activated.
• Monitor is Dead: Primary or Recovery is commanding. Upon violation, the surviving active cores stop outputting healthy signals → FTS Activated.