- The document describes the Multipilot 32, a flight controller board developed by LASER NAVIGATION. - It has an ARM Cortex-M3 processor, 512KB flash memory, 64KB RAM, and interfaces for sensors, radios, motors and more. - The board runs ChibiOS or VROS and supports projects like OpenPilot, AutoPilot and Paparazzi. It is compatible with many sensors, radios and brushless ESC/servos. - Developers can use IDEs like CooCox, Eclipse, or commercial options, with libraries for sensor control, radio control and more. - The Multipilot 32 is available for pre-

1. LASER NAVIGATION
and
www.virtualrobotix.com
MULTIPILOT 32

2. Index
Index of presentation :
•Technical Specification.
•Hardware Feature :
●
Power Managment.
●
Firmware Uploader and Bootloader available.
●
Sensor port and digital bus channel.
●
Control port and bus channel : Servo and Brushless controller.
•Application Enviroment :
●
Available IDE.
●
Bootloader.
●
Available library.
●
ChbiOS and VROS distribution.
•Project that could be supported by Multipilto32.
•Developer Community.
•Price and order info.

3. MULTIPILOT 32 ST

4. LASER NAVIGATION
• LASER NAVIGATION was established in 1971 with the aim to implement solutions in
the field of security and Building Automation. Laser Navigation since 1985, opted for
the development of a localisation system applicable to any type of vehicle, initially
with Loran, later with the use of the GPS system, developing as well mathematical
algorithms for coordinates precision data process . The experience gained in the field
of navigation, location and management of resources and also in the field of security
and logistics on ground vehicles, ships and lately aircrafts has enabled Laser
Navigation products and systems to become a standard reference. The systems
include Command and Control Operations Stations, 2D GIS, 3D GIS as well Spherical,
Localization Devices, U.A.S. equipments and more generally Unmanned Systems, so
that LN has become one of the national reference points by creating an international
community called VIRTUALROBOTIX (www.virtualrobotix.com). The Command and
Control Operations Stations are still the most reliable and accurate at European level.
LASER NAVIGATION also has great experience in the fields of Remote Reading and
Remote Monitoring, Telemedicine and Environmental Safety. Certifications
– Rina N.8360/03/S IQNET N. IT 29287
– ISO 9001 VISION 2000
– NATO Standard Software Security
– Qualified Research Laboratory MIUR
– TUV 05 ATEX 7190 / 7192 X
– Certificate of Integration Integrity ProQA for EMS

5. Technical Specification
The MULTIPILOT 32 ST is the standard version of a family of boards for UAV systems developed by LASER NAVIGATION
The characteristics of Multipilot 32 ST are:
Hardware: -ARM7 Cortex-M3 processor STM32F103VET6. 72 Mhz
-Flash 512 Kbytes RAM 64 Kbytes
-16-bit Timer 4
-SPI 2 (ADC Interface, MicroSD connection)
-I ² C 2 (First I2C (sensor), Second I2C control until ESC 12)
-USART 5 (GPS, DEBUG Console, XBee Pro Telemetry)
-USB 1 (Upload Firmware, Debug Console, Power Board for Debug)
-CAN 1 (Interconnection with Professional ESC 1 Mbit update rate)
-6 PWM Output Bit 16 (ESC / Servo Control)
-8 PWM Input 16 Bit (RC Input Channel, accept PPM SUM)
-8 Analog Input 12 Bit.
-Professional 4 layers PCB.
-DC: DC 30 V (6s Lipo): 5 volts and 3.3 volts

6. Standard Quad Configuration :)

7. Power Managment
• Three kind of power input :
– From external Bec until 6v : normally is used when is available a standard ESC
with classic Bec Output.
– Directly from lipo using internal DC:DC converter our internal dc converter
support until 6S lipo. (30 volt)
– Directly from the usb connection : normally this configuration is used for debug
of board.
– We support on our standard power configuration the possibility to have a second
BEC when you use Servo that need a lot of current for example. In this case you
can use in first configuration 2 Bec one on PIN 1 of Channel input and the other
BEC on another pin on output channel. The +5 volt are interconncted . Only the
pins on channel 1 on Radio input is not connected to the other +5. If you want
put the +5volt on other pin you need to interconect it by a jumper.

8. Hardware : Bootloader
• On Multipilot 32 there're different kind of upload firmware :
– Using ttl serial port one or two available on the board , normally is possible to
upload the board using a serial bootloader software developed by ST.
– Using JTAG Port . On the board is available a standard Jtag connector available
for uploading , downloading and realtime debugger.
– DFU bootloader available on USB port. The advantages is that with only one port
is possilbe power up the board and upload and download firmware.

9. Sensor Port and Digital bus channel
Multipilot 32 support 2 kind of different sensor : Digital and Analog.
•There're are available 4 kind of Digital bus.
●
2 I2C.
●
2 SPI.
●
1 CAN BUS.
●
4 Serial Port.
●
8 PPM input (capture and compare).
•There're available 8 12 bit Analog port where you can connect different kind of analog
sensor with 12 bit you can have 4096 point of resolution.

10. Lot of sensor available :
Multipilot 32 support a lot of sensor start from very low cost device as wii hack as nunch
nunch or wmp to professional calibrate sensor from analog device or other professional
source:
•Gyro. , Accelerometer. ,Sonar. Proximity ir sensor. 3 axis Magnetometer , GPS ecc ecc

11. Sensor Port and Digital bus channel
Multipilot 32 support 2 kind of different kind of Brushless Regulator and Servo.
It is compatibile with :
•Standard brushless controller that use PWM as input. The advantages is that he use a 16
bit PWM as output instead of standard arduino PWM that use only 8 bit pwm so is possible
to have until 32767 step in 1000-2000 standard range of control.
•Advanced bidirectional Brushless controll that use i2c or can bus. On bidirectional BL CTR
is possible to have some feedback as temperature , current , rate of motor ecc.
•The same is for Servo. The 16 Bit resolution is very good for appplication where you need
a high resolution as variable pitch propeller used on hely or in advanced quadcopter as HG3
project.
•With MP32 you can controll also advanced servo used for robotic application that is
normally used for robot application.
•For professional application is available a CAN bus interface . Normally this bus is used in
automotive application where need a lot of device on same bus with high speed and safety
connection . The trasmission speed is unitll 1 mbit :)

12. Lot of ESC and Servo available :
Multipilot 32 support a lot of Brushless controller and Servo . All standard available on the
market and special product as Mikrokopter I2c or compatible. Openservo i2c Servo and
other kind of servo where the protocol is open and available.
•PWM Brushless Controller from 10 – 200 Amp.
•I2C Brushless Controller from 20 – 40 Amp.
•PWM and I2C Servo. On the board is available a different power supply scheme for servo
that need a lot of current.

13. Available IDE - Toolchain
For developing firmware on MP32 there're is lot of ide available , but the toolchain normaly
used is only three or four.
In my research and test i found three different kind of ide :
Opensource IDE that support only native 'C' code.
Opensource IDE that support C++ code.
Professional ide.
In my test i check the compatibility of MP32 with :
Opensource IDE:
•CooCoax IDE : http://www.coocox.org/ good library multi processor no support C++
•Eclipse + gcc toolchain tutorial found in ChibiOs site thanks Giovanni :) Support C++
Lite version and professional product:
•Ride7 : http://www.mcu-raisonance.com no support C++ only C good Jtag interface R-
Link
•Keil uVision : http://www.keil.com/ support C++
I normally use on MP32 Eclipse + Gcc Toolchain.

14. Upload firmware on board.
• For upload the firmware on board is possible to use:
– Serial uploader. Work fine on serial 1 and 2
– Jtag interface. I use R-link Work fine.
– DFU boot loader using usb. Work in progress.
• Specific Thread on Forum :
http://www.virtualrobotix.com/forum/topics/what-ide-do-you-prefer-for

15. Available Library
Multipilot 32 support a lot of library available for STM32 Microcontroller :
•ST standard library, supported by Coocox.
•Xduino C++ wrapper a initial support to Arduino api.
•Libmaple a custom library developed by leaflabs is a C++ library that is
compatible with arduino api , but isn't optimized
•ChibiOS a free realtime operating system developed in italy that have a
optimized HAL . I love this RTOS :)
•A lot of other api available on the net :)
•Now I'm working on a special revision of Ardu Pilot Mega library developed by
Diydrones community.
Main functionality available are :
•Sensor control library. (gyro , acc , magnetometer ecc)
•Radio Control lib.
•PPM / I2C lib for brushless controller and servo.
•PID library.
•Telemetry lib.
And other …
•Ask me for complete list i have a xcel available with status .

16. ChibiOS and VROS Distribution
Check the white paper :)
http://www.virtualrobotix.com/forum/topics/vros-01-white-paper

17. Project Supported by Multipilot 32
The Multipilot32 hardware architecture are the same of next generation project
available on the net :
The main that i know opensource available on the net are :
•OpenPilot.
•AutoPilot.
•Paparazzi.
•ChibiOS Marko Quad.
FoxTeam acutaly are working to port all the code developed on Arducopter
Project on MP32 platform. We yet doing our first flight , but is only the first
result :)
With MP32 platform we can support better this functionality the performance is
from 9x to 24x fast as standard Ardu Pilot Mega :
•
•Gps Hold.
•Altitude hold using barometer and sonar.
•Waypoint navigation.
•Position Hold using Randy video device.
•And improve the quality of flight in hard condition.

18. Support and Community
Multipilot 32 will be supported officialy by Virtual Robotix community and by
other partner as Diydrones.
Is available a Professional support doing by our qualify partner. If you are
interest to our professional version of product or if you are interest to became
a qualify partner or our distributor contact us.
www.virtualrobotix.com
Skype contact is : virtualrobotix
Mail is : lasernav@gmail.com

19. PRICE AND ORDER INFO
Multipilot Price is :
Worldwide 99 $
Europe 70 €
Open Pre Order the products available
from 1/3/2011

20. Thanks For your Attention :
www.virtualrobotix.com
Roberto Navoni
Skype contact : virtualrobotix