Deterministic Control
Sensor-redundant flight control with triple IMUs, dedicated compass, and centimeter-level barometer for precise, reliable attitude and heading reference.
SkyPulse Helios FMU
SkyPulse Helios is an integrated avionics and compute stack engineered for next-generation unmanned systems.
P/N SP-HEL-4G
- Triple redundant IMUs (Industrial grade) with extremely low drift
- 6–36 V direct input, no need for external hardware
- Fully compatible with ArduPilot and PX4 - including custom builds
- 100% NDAA Compliant
- Onboard companion computer running Linux for navigation, detection and custom algorithms
- Regular price
- $850.00 USD
- Sale price
- $850.00 USD
- Regular price
-
SkyPulse
SkyPulse Helios FMU- Regular price
- $850.00 USD
- Sale price
- $850.00 USD
- Regular price
-
100% NDAA compliant hardware
Questions? Email an engineer
Last updated
SkyPulse Helios FMU: key capabilities
Numbers that matter
73 g
Mass
6–36 V
Input
~12 W
Full load
Firmware
Passive cooling
Thermal
NDAA Compliant
manufacturing
Onboard Compute
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 companion computer with 4x Cortex-A76 cores, up to 8 GB RAM, and Debian Bookworm for real onboard AI and autonomy workloads.
Rugged Thermal Design
Passive cooling and a low-SWaP-C architecture engineered for sustained operation in harsh vibration and temperature environments.
Open Integration
Native ArduPilot and PX4 support, 6 UARTs, 2 CAN buses, 3 I2C ports, PCIe expansion, and open firmware for custom builds.
One board where a conventional stack needs three.
Helios is an integrated flight controller and companion computer in a single thermally managed unit, accepting battery voltage directly. The comparison below is against a conventional multi-board architecture, not against any specific product.
Conventional stack
- Pixhawk-class flight controller
- Separate companion computer
- DC-DC power converter
- Interconnect harness between all three
Helios
- Flight controller and companion compute on one unit
- 6–36 V accepted directly at J5
- One documented connector set
Full documentation
SkyPulse Helios FMU: the complete reference
Overview
Flight control and companion compute, unified.
Helios combines a sensor-redundant flight controller with a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 companion computer in a single integrated module. Triple IMUs, a dedicated compass, and centimeter-level barometric sensing feed deterministic control, while the onboard CM5 runs Debian Bookworm with PCIe expansion for AI accelerators. Native ArduPilot and PX4 support keeps the platform open and field-proven across hundreds of flight hours.
SkyPulse Helios is an integrated avionics and compute stack engineered for next-generation unmanned systems.
Specifications
Flight Control & Sensors
| Main IMU | Low drift, high accuracy in harsh vibration environments |
|---|---|
| Secondary IMU | High vibration rejection, strong temperature stability |
| Third IMU | 6-DOF industrial, extended temperature range |
| Compass | Dedicated compass; accurate heading, extremely low drift |
| Barometer | 1x onboard barometer with centimeter-level accuracy |
| Motor Outputs | 8 outputs (DSHOT, PWM, OneShot, Relay — protocols can be mixed and matched) |
| RC Input | ELRS, CrossFire, SBUS, FrSky |
| CAN Ports | 2 CAN bus ports, redundant |
| I2C Ports | 3 I2C ports on separate buses |
| UARTs | 6 UARTs |
| Safety Switch | Safety-switch input |
| Logging / Status | Micro-SD slot, buzzer, RGB status LED, FRAM for parameters and mission waypoints |
Companion Compute
| Companion Computer | Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (eMMC variant) |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Debian Bookworm (clean image) |
| CPU | 4x Arm Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB or 8 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB or 64 GB onboard eMMC |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth |
| USB | 1x USB 2.0; 2x USB 3.0 |
| MIPI CSI-2 | 2x MIPI CSI-2 camera interfaces, 4 lanes each |
| IP Camera Protocol | RTSP |
| Ethernet | 1x Gigabit Ethernet |
| Video Output | micro-HDMI output, analog video output |
| PCIe | PCIe for AI accelerators, SDRs, storage, expansion |
| GPIO | GPIOs for servos, actuators, custom I/O |
| Companion UART | CM_RX/CM_TX (ttyAMA0) to flight controller UART4/SERIAL3; J4 pin 24 (CM_RX), pin 26 (CM_TX) |
Interfaces & I/O
| Connector Family (FMU) | Molex Pico-Clasp 501189-3010 |
|---|---|
| Power Connector (J5) | 2-pin Molex Nano-Fit locking (45130-0201); Pin 1 = VIN, Pin 2 = GND J5 polarity must be verified before power-up; reverse polarity damages the unit. |
| J1 / J2 (FMU1 / FMU2) | Flight-controller interfaces: telemetry radios, sensors, ESCs, RC, CAN, I2C |
| J3 (Interface) | Companion: Ethernet, USB cameras, AI accelerators, PCIe |
| J4 (GPIO) | Companion: GPIO, USB, UART, secondary 5 V / 3.3 V outputs |
| BATT_VOLT / BATT_CURR | Analog voltage and current sensing inputs BATT_VOLT and BATT_CURR are sensing inputs only; connecting more than 3.3 V can significantly damage the unit. |
| J3 VIN Pins (25, 28) | Direct battery VIN, unprotected outputs J3 pins 25 and 28 are direct battery VIN, unprotected outputs — must NOT be used to power Helios. |
Serial port mapping
| UART | ArduPilot Serial | PX4 Serial | Recommended Function | Flow Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UART2 | Serial 1 | TEL1 (ttyS0) | Main Telemetry | Yes |
| UART3 | Serial 2 | GPS1 (ttyS1) | GPS Module | Yes |
| UART4 | Serial 3 | TEL2 (ttyS2) | Helios companion computer | No |
| UART6 | Serial 4 | TEL3 (ttyS3) | Secondary Telemetry / Payload | Yes |
| UART7 | Serial 5 | TEL4 (ttyS4) | ESC Telemetry / Debug | No |
| UART8 | Serial 6 | RC in (ttyS5) | RC Receiver | No |
Power, Thermal & Firmware
| Input Voltage | 6–36 V |
|---|---|
| Max Input | 36 V |
| Battery | 2–6S |
| Power Draw (Full Load) | ~12 W |
| Power Draw (Moderate) | ~7 W |
| Power Draw (Idle) | 2.7 W |
| Recommended BEC | >20 W for headroom Required for systems above 36 V. |
| Thermal | Passive cooling; low-SWaP-C design for sustained operation |
| Weight | 94 g |
| Firmware Support | ArduPilot, PX4, custom builds |
| Default Firmware | ArduCopter (PX4 flashable via USB) |
| Compliance | 100% NDAA compliant, built on high-quality non-Chinese components. |
| Communications Tested | ELRS, CrossFire, DTC, MicroHard, Siyi, FrSky, Futaba, RFD900x, Silvus, Doodle Labs, fiber optics Validated over hundreds of flight hours. |
Interfaces & pinout
Every connector is documented: designator, type, function and mating part number. J5 carries power, J1/J2 the flight-controller interfaces, J3 the companion-computer interfaces and J4 the additional GPIO.
Flight-controller I/O
6 UARTs, 2 CAN bus ports, 3 I2C ports on separate buses and 8 motor outputs supporting DSHOT, PWM and OneShot — protocols may be mixed. RC input covers ELRS, CrossFire, SBUS and FrSky.
Companion-computer I/O
1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 2x MIPI CSI-2 and Gigabit Ethernet, plus micro-HDMI and analog video out. PCIe is available for AI accelerators, SDRs and storage.
Documented mating parts
J5 power is a 2-pin Molex Nano-Fit 45130-0201. The FMU and interface connector family is Molex Pico-Clasp 501189-3010. Order the matching harness without guessing.
Pinout drawing is being prepared for publication. Contact engineering for the current revision.
Software & firmware
Production ArduPilot and PX4 on a standard toolchain — no vendor SDK licence required. The companion computer runs a clean Debian Bookworm image.
- ArduPilot Supported Helios ships with ArduCopter by default.
- PX4 Supported Can be flashed via USB.
- Custom builds Supported Custom firmware builds are described as supported in the documentation set.
- ROS / TensorFlow / OpenCV Supported Run on the companion computer alongside the SkyPulse software stack.
Compliance & export
100% NDAA compliant, built on high-quality non-Chinese components.
Country of origin, customs classification and export position are stated on the shipping & compliance page.
Downloads
All documents are public. No email, no account.
Known limitations
- Direct 8S connection requires external protection
- For systems up to 6S, direct battery connection is typical. Direct 8S connection requires an external filter or protection circuit because of inductive motor spikes.
- 36 V is the documented maximum input
- Above 36 V, use a BEC with adequate current capacity. Because Helios can draw approximately 12 W at full load, the documentation recommends a BEC capable of delivering more than 20 W to preserve headroom.
- J5 polarity is not reverse-protected
- Reversing J5 polarity will damage the unit. Verify polarity before every power-up.
FAQ
What firmware does Helios support?
Helios fully supports ArduPilot and PX4. Custom firmware builds are also supported. Helios FMUs ship with ArduCopter by default; PX4 can be flashed via USB.
What companion computer does Helios use?
Helios integrates a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (eMMC variant) running a clean Debian Bookworm image, with 4x Arm Cortex-A76 cores at 2.4 GHz, up to 8 GB RAM, and up to 64 GB onboard eMMC.
Can I run AI workloads on Helios?
Yes. The companion computer supports TensorFlow, OpenCV, ROS, and other applications from the SkyPulse software stack, and PCIe on the J3 Interface connector is available for AI accelerators.
How do I power Helios?
Helios accepts up to 36 V via the J5 Molex Nano-Fit connector. Direct battery connection is typical for systems up to 6S. For direct 8S, an external filter or protection circuit is required due to inductive motor spikes. For systems above 36 V, use a BEC capable of delivering more than 20 W. Always verify J5 polarity before power-up — reversing polarity will damage the unit.
What connectors does Helios use?
J5 is a 2-pin Molex Nano-Fit locking connector (45130-0201) for power. J1/FMU1 and J2/FMU2 use Molex Pico-Clasp 501189-3010 connectors for flight-controller interfaces. J3 provides companion-computer interface signals (Ethernet, USB, PCIe), and J4 exposes additional GPIO, USB, and UART signals.
Is Helios NDAA compliant?
Yes. 100% NDAA compliant, built on high-quality non-Chinese components.
Questions about integration? Email an engineer.
From the docs
Getting started with the companion computer
The companion computer runs Debian 12 (Bookworm) by default. The first connection is over Ethernet; after that you can add your own Wi-Fi credentials and SSH in wirelessly.
-
Connect and power up
Connect the supplied Ethernet adapter to the Interface connector, then power up the unit.
-
Join the subnet
Give your computer a static IPv4 address on the 192.168.168.X network. The Helios answers on 192.168.168.33.
-
SSH into the companion computer
Default credentials are listed in the getting-started guide.
ssh skypulse@192.168.168.33 -
Check the flight-controller link
The flight controller talks to the computer on SERIAL3 (UART4), seen as /dev/ttyAMA0. Set SERIAL3_PROTOCOL to MAVLink2 and SERIAL3_BAUD to 921600, install PySerial, PyMavlink, MAVProxy and Future, then run:
MAV> Detected vehicle 1:1 on link 0~/.local/bin/mavproxy.py --master=/dev/ttyAMA0 --baudrate=921600
Default port map · ArduPilot/PX4
| UART | ArduPilot Serial | PX4 Serial | Recommended Function | Flow Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UART2 | Serial 1 | TEL1 (ttyS0) | Main Telemetry | Yes |
| UART3 | Serial 2 | GPS1 (ttyS1) | GPS Module | Yes |
| UART4 | Serial 3 | TEL2 (ttyS2) | Helios companion computer | No |
| UART6 | Serial 4 | TEL3 (ttyS3) | Secondary Telemetry / Payload | Yes |
| UART7 | Serial 5 | TEL4 (ttyS4) | ESC Telemetry / Debug | No |
| UART8 | Serial 6 | RC in (ttyS5) | RC Receiver | No |
| Ethernet | — | — | High-speed link | — |
| CH1–8 | — | — | PWM / DShot / relay | — |
| I2C | — | — | Sensor input | — |
| CAN bus | — | — | Sensor input / IO | — |
Before powering up for the first time, remove all propellers. Full pinout in the Helios datasheet.
