The ARK Pi6X by ARK Electronics is a carrier board compatible with the compact Raspberry Pi CM4. This device integrates a PX4-based flight controller, a power module, and a 4-in-1 ESC mounting system into a single compact board, consolidating multiple UAV subsystems to reduce component complexity and improve integration efficiency.

This board functions as a carrier for the Raspberry Pi CM4, supporting MicroSD storage, Micro HDMI, Ethernet, USB-C host, and dual USB JST GH ports. It features two MIPI CSI interfaces for camera input, a dedicated programming Micro USB port, and multiple connectivity options, including I2C, UART, and general-purpose GPIOs.

The integrated ARKV6X flight controller is built around the STM32H743IIK6 MCU, which operates at 480 MHz and includes 2MB of flash memory and 1MB of RAM.

ARK Pi6X block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

For autopilot control, the board supports TELEM (UART), RC input (UART), GPS (UART + I2C), CAN bus, and PWM output (x8). Debugging interfaces include SWD and UART console access. Other components include a dedicated LED strip GPIO and a CPU fan connector, providing additional configurability.

Sensor integration includes two ICM-42688-P accelerometer/gyroscopes (6-axis MEMS MotionTracking), an IIS2MDC 3-axis magnetometer, a 24-bit BMP390 barometer, and an INA226 voltage/current monitor for flight telemetry and power management. An onboard heater is included to enhance sensor stability.

ARK Pi6X
(click image to enlarge)

The power system supports a 6S (25.2V max) battery input, with consumption varying based on usage and peripherals, while the board measures 91.5mm × 56mm and weighs 41g (without CM4 and ESC).

For documentation and software support, Ark Electronics provides a Wiki and a GitHub repository featuring ARK-OS, a software suite offering MAVLink routing, video streaming, flight log uploads, firmware updates, and network RTK corrections.

Further information

The bundle configuration, which includes a Raspberry Pi CM4 Lite (4GB RAM, Wi-Fi) and a 128GB SanDisk MicroSDXC with ARK UI pre-installed, is priced at $745.00, while the version excluding the Raspberry Pi CM4 costs $660.00. Additionally, the ARK Pi6X is manufactured in the USA and is NDAA-compliant, as stated on the product page.