The SOM includes the processor, RAM, memory, and WiFi chip for the NavQ.
The NavQ SOM (System on Module) contains the brains of the NavQ. On this board, we have our i.MX 8M Mini processor, 2GB of LPDDR4 memory, 16GB of eMMC flash storage, and a QCA9377 WiFi AC + BT 5.0 chip. There are connectors on the bottom of this board that allow for modularity.
The NavQ's dimensions are 3" W x 2" L x 7/16" H.
The Media Board consists of an SD Card slot, MIPI connectors for a camera serial interface as well as a display serial interface, and a PCIe connector.
Image of Google Coral Camera + MIPI to HDMI Adapter:
The Google Coral Camera dimensions are 25mm x 25mm, as shown in the tech specs here:
https://coral.ai/products/camera/#description
The HoverGames Interposer Board (HGI) is the final board in the stack and has a multitude of I/O for your needs in HoverGames. Connect sensors, switches, and LEDs to the NavQ using the HGI to drastically improve your drone system, and even control your drone using NavQ using offboard control with MAVROS.
Name
Details
NXP i.MX 8M Mini Processor
Quad ARM Cortex-A53, Cortex-M4 @ 1.8GHz
LPDDR4 Memory
2GB
eMMC Flash
16GB
Qualcomm WiFi/BT
802.11ac + BT 5.0
Name
Details
SD Card slot
MicroSD card compatible
MIPI CSI
Google Coral Camera connection
MIPI DSI
MIPI to HDMI adapter for full desktop
Name
Details
UART
3 UART ports for serial communication through JST-GH connectors.
USB-C
Powers the board and serves as an interface for flashing new firmware.
MicroUSB
Connect USB devices to this port such as keyboards and mice. USB hub included.
SPI
JST-GH connector for SPI interface.
Hirose IX Industrial Ethernet
IX Industrial ethernet cable is included.
2 Wire Automotive Ethernet
JST-GH connector for 2-wire ethernet as well as GPIO.
JTAG
Pads are available for JTAG. You may solder your own JTAG connector.
Boot Mode Switches
You can use these switches to boot from eMMC or SD card, or boot into fastboot.
GPIO
Through-hole points for GPIO headers.
RGB LED
WS2811 RGB LED available for status
If you would like to take a look at the schematics of each board in the NavQ, you can download the .zip file at the bottom of this page. The table below gives detail for each folder inside the .zip file.
The HoverGames Interposer Board has a large amount of connectors and I/O for you to connect your devices, sensors, switches, LEDs, and more. This section will give you an overview of the connector pinouts on the HGI. The picture below has a few silkscreen labels for pinouts on each connector, but some connectors have multiplexers to make them more flexible.
UART2 is used for the serial monitor, and should not be used for anything other than the serial monitor. It should not be altered.
UART3 will mainly be used for serial communication to the FMU in HoverGames, but it can be used as an SPI port if you're not using it for the drone.
The bottom 9 pin JST-GH connector in the image of the HGI is used for UART4/I2C/GPIO.
The UART4 port on this connector is tied to the ARM Cortex-M4 core. It is not available for use in Linux.
The UART4 pins do not have flow control on this connector. There is no multiplexing on this connector as well. The pinout is below.
The SPI/GPIO port has a full pinout for SPI as well as 3 GPIO pins. The SPI pins can be muxed to a full UART 4 port with flow control. The pinout is below.
The GPIO header pads on the HGI are not labeled correctly with the silkscreen. The layout is shown below with TP labels and schematics.
GPIO Pin (JST-GH Pin)
Linux GPIO ID
GPIO1_IO10 (6)
10
GPIO1_IO12 (7)
12
GPIO1_IO14 (8)
14
GPIO Pin (JST-GH Pin)
Linux GPIO ID
GPIO1_IO11 (6)
11
GPIO1_IO13 (7)
13
GPIO1_IO15 (8)
15
Folder Name
Description
RDDRONE-8MLPDDR4
Schematics for the top SoM board, with the CPU, RAM, eMMC, and WiFi/BT chips
RDDRONE-HGI8MM
HoverGames Interposer Board schematics with GPIO, UART, i2C, SPI, HiRose IX Industrial Ethernet, and more
RDDRONE-MEDIA8MM
Media Board schematics with MIPI CSI/DSI, PCIe, and SD Card
RDDRONE-MIPIHDMI
Schematic for the MIPI HDMI board
RDDRONE-T1ADAPT
Schematic for the 100BaseT1 2-Wire Automotive Ethernet Adapter board
