Intel Aero Installation instructions

Intel®Aero Compute Board
Hardware Features and Usage
Rev 1.5.2

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Contents
1Introduction...................................................................................................... 5
2Intel®Aero Compute Board Block Diagram ........................................................... 6
3Connector Specifications..................................................................................... 7
3.1 Connector Part Numbers.......................................................................... 7
3.2 Connector Locations and Pin Orientation .................................................... 7
3.3 8MP Camera Connector ........................................................................... 8
3.3.1 Connector Pin Definition ............................................................. 8
3.4 VGA Camera Connector ........................................................................... 8
3.4.1 Connector Pin Definition ............................................................. 8
3.5 RealSense USB 3.0 Camera Connector ...................................................... 9
3.5.1 Connector Pin Definition ............................................................. 9
3.5.2 Software Access ........................................................................ 9
3.6 Power & UART Connector ......................................................................... 9
3.6.1 Connector Pin Definition ........................................................... 10
3.6.2 Software Access to the Processor HSUART .................................. 10
3.7 IO Expansion Connector ........................................................................ 10
3.7.1 Connector Pin Definition ........................................................... 10
3.7.2 Software Access ...................................................................... 11
3.8 80-pin Accessories Connector Pinout Definition......................................... 13
3.8.1 “J1” Power Board..................................................................... 13
3.8.2 “J2” Radio Control ................................................................... 14
3.8.3 “J3” GPS................................................................................. 14
3.8.4 “J4” Compass.......................................................................... 14
3.8.5 “J5” Telemetry ........................................................................ 14
4On-Board Sensors............................................................................................ 15
5LED Definition and Usage.................................................................................. 16
5.1 Compute Board LEDs............................................................................. 16
5.2 Compute Board Top Side LED Locations................................................... 17
5.3 Compute Board Bottom Side LED Locations.............................................. 18
6Intel®Aero Flight Controller .............................................................................. 19

4
Revision History
Revision
Number
Description
Revision Date
1.0
Initial release
February 2017
1.5
Updated the block diagram (Figure 1)
Corrected SPI1 chip-select assignments CS-0 and CS-1
Added detail for Intel®Aero Flight Controller interfaces
Updated the voltage input requirement section 3.6.1
Added CAN bus pin assignments to the table in section 3.7.1
Added a new section discussing the Intel®Aero Flight Controller
which is assembled with the Intel®Aero Compute Board
inside the Intel®Aero Ready to Fly Drone (section 6)
July 2017
1.5.1
Corrected reference to chip selects in body of text 3.7.1 to
match the block diagram in Figure 1
February 2018
1.5.2
Corrected CPU kernel GPIO # and pin assignments in sections
3.7.1 and 3.7.2.2
Updated URL references throughout the document
Eliminated one subsection in section 5 that was sufficiently
addressed in 5.1
Corrected the pin numbering for the 80-pin IO Expansion
Connector in Figure 2 and Figure 7
April 2018

Introduction
5
1Introduction
The Intel®Aero Compute Board is designed with ease and flexibility for connecting a
broad variety of sensors and peripherals. In addition to several fixed-function
interfaces: USB 3.0 OTG, micro-HDMI, CSI-2 (MIPI), M.2 for SSD, M.2 for LTE, micro-
SD, and HSUART, the Compute Board is designed with an IO Expansion Connector
(Section 3.7) that exposes 6 processor GPIOs, 28 FPGA GPIOs, and 5 FGPA analog
sense inputs (ADC). Chapter 3 describes the pinout for both the fixed-function and
programmable interface connectors as well as the method for accessing these
interfaces via software. To access the IO Expansion Connector, developers can either
use the supplied 80-pin Accessories Connector (Section 3.8) or build a custom
expansion / breakout board to suit their needs. Mating connector part numbers are
provided in Section 3.1.
This document also defines the function of the 8 LEDs found on the Intel®Aero
Compute Board (Chapter 5) and how a developer can control the two LEDs that are
user-programmable.
Lastly, some details about the Intel®Aero Flight Controller are captured in Chapter 6.
The Intel®Aero Flight Controller is assembled as part of the Intel® Aero Ready to Fly
Drone. The Flight Controller plugs directly into the Intel®Aero Compute Board using a
dedicated connector. For developers using the Ready to Fly Drone, the block diagram
and usage information provided in the referenced web article can be helpful when
working with one of the supported autopilots: PX4* and ArduPilot*, or for custom
flight control firmware.

Intel® Aero Compute Board Block Diagram
6
2Intel®Aero Compute Board
Block Diagram
Figure 1. Intel®Aero Compute Board Block Diagram
Placement of connectors and components in this block diagram is representational only and does
not reflect the physical placement on the printed circuit board.
Connector
CPU Connection
FPGA Connection
Flight Controller Connection
LEGEND
Intel Component
USB3-OTG
M.2 SSD
SIM
CAN
CTLR
CAN
XCVR
DDR3
CSI (x1)
CSI (x4)
USB3
PCIe0
SPI1
HSUART1
32 GB
eMMC
eMMC(x8)
Analog[5], GPIO[24]
GPIO[6]
SD3 (x4)
PCIe1
USB3
HDMI
SDIO (x4)
USB2
SPI3
I2C2
CS-1
CS-0
SDIO2 (x4)
M.2 LTE
HSUART1 + Power
WiFi
Intel
AC8260
Intel®Atom™
x7-Z8750
Processor
4 cores/4 threads
2.56GHz burst
2M Cache
64-bit
4 GB
RAM
HDMI
SD
slot
Alt
IMU
Mag
Intel® RealSense™ VGA Camera
8MP Camera
PMIC
Altera®
MAX®10
FPGA
GPIO[4]
UART2 (CPU)
UART1 (Motors) UART3 (GPS) I2C1 (Mag) UART4 (RC) UART5 (Telem)
CAN
IO Expansion
Intel® Aero
Flight Controller

Connector Specifications
7
3Connector Specifications
Users may connect various devices to the Compute Board by building a custom cable
using the connector information provided in Section 3.1 and the pin definitions
captured in Chapter 3.
3.1 Connector Part Numbers
Connector
Manufacturer
Name
Manufacturer Part
Number
Mating Connector
Part Number
Front Facing
8MP Camera
JAE Electronics
WP7A-S030VA1-R500
WP7-P030VA1-R500
Down Facing
VGA Camera
Advanced Connectek
BBR43-24KB533
BBR13-24K6417
RealSense
USB3.0 Camera
Dai-Ichi Seiko
20347-310E-12R
20347-310E-12R
Power and Console
UART
Molex
53261-1071
51021-1000
IO Expansion
JST
80PS-JMDSS-G-1-TF
80R-JMDSS-G-1-TF
3.2 Connector Locations and Pin Orientation
Figure 2. Connector Locations and Pin Orientation
129
230
1
12
13
24

Connector Specifications
8
3.3 8MP Camera Connector
This 4-lane CSI-2 (MIPI) interface is intended for connection with the 8MP RGB
camera included in the optional Intel®Aero Vision Accessory Kit.
Refer to Figure 2. Connector Locations and Pin Orientation.
3.3.1 Connector Pin Definition
Pin Name
Pin #
Pin #
Pin Name
GND
1
2
+2.8V (AF MOTOR)
MIPI1_DATA1_DN
3
4
GND
MIPI1_DATA1_DP
5
6
I2C_SCL
GND
7
8
I2C_SDA
MIPI1_DATA0_DN
9
10
GND
MIPI1_DATA0_DP
11
12
CLOCK1
GND
13
14
GND
MIPI1_CLK_DN
15
16
VSYNC
MIPI1_CLK_DP
17
18
CAMERA_RESET_N
GND
19
20
GND
MIPI1_DATA2_DN
21
22
GND
MIPI1_DATA2_DP
23
24
+2.8V (ANALOG)
GND
25
26
+1.8V
MIPI1_DATA3_DN
27
28
+1.2V
MIPI1_DATA3_DP
29
30
GND
Figure 3. 8MP Camera
Connector Pin Orientation
3.4 VGA Camera Connector
This single-lane CSI-2 (MIPI) interface is intended for connection to the VGA camera
with global shutter, included in in the optional Intel®Aero Vision Accessory Kit.
Refer to Figure 2. Connector Locations and Pin Orientation.
3.4.1 Connector Pin Definition
Pin Name
Pin #
Pin #
Pin Name
GND
1
13
GND
+1.8V
2
14
NC
+1.5V
3
15
GND
GND
4
16
+2.8V
CLOCK2
5
17
GND
GND
6
18
INTERRUPT
MIPI2_DATA0_DP
7
19
GND
MIPI2_DATA0_DN
8
20
I2C_SDA
GND
9
21
I2C_SCL
MIPI2_CLK_DP
10
22
GND
MIPI2_CLK_DN
11
23
CAMERA_RESET_N
GND
12
24
GND
Figure 4. VGA Camera
Connector Pin Orientation

Connector Specifications
9
3.5 RealSense USB 3.0 Camera Connector
The Intel®Aero Compute Board has a dedicated connector for the Intel®RealSense
camera (R200) which is included in the optional Intel®Vision Accessory Kit. This low-
profile custom connector interfaces directly to one of the processor’s USB 3.0 ports.
Refer to Figure 2. Connector Locations and Pin Orientation
3.5.1 Connector Pin Definition
Pin #
Pin Name
1
GND
2
USB3_RXN3
Input to Atom
Input to Atom
3
USB3_RXP3
4
GND
5
USB3_TXN3
Output from Atom
Output from Atom
6
USB3_TXP3
7
GND
8
RESERVED
9
+3.3V
10
+3.3V
Figure 5. USB 3.0 Camera
Connector Pin Orientation
3.5.2 Software Access
The Intel®RealSense™ camera (R200) supports Full HD color and IR depth sensing
features. It connects to the Intel®Aero Compute Board through a USB 3.0 connector.
For more details, please refer to the “Cameras and Video” article on the Wiki for the
Intel®Aero Platform.
3.6 Power & UART Connector
This connector supplies all the power for the Compute Board. It also provides access
to the processor’s high-speed UART (HSUART).
Refer to Figure 2. Connector Locations and Pin Orientation.

Connector Specifications
10
3.6.1 Connector Pin Definition
Pin #
Pin Name
1
+VIN
2
+VIN
3
GND
4
GND
5
GND
6
+VIN
7
+VIN
8
GND
9
HSUART_TX
Output from Aero
10
HSUART_RX
Input to Aero
Figure 6. Power & UART
Connector Pin Orientation
Notes:
The acceptable input voltage for +VIN is +5V DC.
The UART interface is 3.3V tolerant. Signal voltage should not exceed 3.6 V.
3.6.2 Software Access to the Processor HSUART
The UART available on this 10-pin connector can be used for other purposes such as
connecting an external flight controller. Please refer to Connecting an External Flight
Controller to the Intel®Aero Compute Board.
3.7 IO Expansion Connector
3.7.1 Connector Pin Definition
The Intel®Aero Compute Board has a configurable 80-pin
IO Expansion Connector. In addition to power and ground
pins, this connector provides access to the processor GPIOs
and processor HSUART. The on-board Altera®MAX®10
FPGA provides an additional 24 FPGA GPIOs and 5 FPGA
analog inputs (ADC). The FPGA is accessible using the
processor SPI1 interface (chip select 1).
A dedicated CAN bus is also available and accessible using
the same SPI1 bus (chip select 0).
The IO Expansion Connector pin definition and pin mapping
to the FPGA are captured in the table below.
Figure 7. IO Expansion
Connector Pin Orientation
FPGA
Pin #
Pin Name
Pin#
Pin#
Pin Name
FPGA
Pin #
+3.3V
1
2
+3.3V
+3.3V
3
4
+3.3V
GND
5
6
GND
GND
7
8
GND
GND
9
10
AERO_RTF_FC_SDIO /
FGPA_GPIO_25
M5
Pin 1
indicator

Connector Specifications
11
FPGA
Pin #
Pin Name
Pin#
Pin#
Pin Name
FPGA
Pin #
G5
FPGA_ADC_1
11
12
AERO_RTF_FC_SDIO /
FGPA_GPIO_26
M4
F5
FPGA_ADC_2
13
14
AERO_RTF_FC_SDIO /
FGPA_GPIO_27
R3
B1
FPGA_ADC_3
15
16
AERO_RTF_FC_SDIO /
FGPA_GPIO_28
P3
GND
17
18
GND
C2
AERO_RTF_DRONE_VBATS
ENSE / FPGA_ADC_4
19
20
FPGA_GPIO_01
P15
D2
FPGA_ADC_5
21
22
FPGA_GPIO_02
R14
GND
23
24
FPGA_GPIO_03
M9
CPU_GPIO_05
25
26
FPGA_GPIO_04
L9
CPU_GPIO_06
27
28
GND
GND
29
30
FPGA_GPIO_05
N1
CPU_GPIO_01
31
32
FPGA_GPIO_06
P2
CPU_HSUART0_TX
33
34
FPGA_GPIO_07
L4
CPU_HSUART0_RX
35
36
FPGA_GPIO_08
L5
GND
37
38
GND
CPU_GPIO_02
39
40
FPGA_GPIO_09
K4
CPU_GPIO_03
41
42
FPGA_GPIO_10
K5
GND
43
44
FPGA_GPIO_11
J4
CPU_GPIO_04
45
46
FPGA_GPIO_12
B13
CPU_GPIO_07
47
48
GND
GND
49
50
FPGA_GPIO_13
A14
M14
FPGA_GPIO_21
51
52
FPGA_GPIO_14
D12
L15
FPGA_GPIO_22
53
54
FPGA_GPIO_15
A5
GND
55
56
FPGA_GPIO_16
C8
R11
FPGA_GPIO_23
57
58
GND
P12
FPGA_GPIO_24
59
60
FPGA_GPIO_17
E9
FC_CAN_L
61
62
FPGA_GPIO_18
E11
FC_CAN_H
63
64
FPGA_GPIO_19
P1
GND
65
66
FPGA_GPIO_20
R2
RESERVED
67
68
GND
RESERVED
69
70
CPU_CAN_H
GND
71
72
CPU_CAN_L
RESERVED
73
74
GND
RESERVED
75
76
+VBAT
GND
77
78
+VBAT
RESERVED
79
80
RESERVED
3.7.2 Software Access
Software access to each of the interface signals available through the IO Expansion
Connector is described below.
3.7.2.1 IO Configurable via the FPGA
The on-board Altera®MAX®10 FPGA allows user-configurable IO that are routed to
the 80-pin IO Expansion Connector. An FPGA sample configuration file is provided

Connector Specifications
12
which contains implementations of several standard electrical interfaces. These
include PWM, ADC, I2C, UART, and digital GPIO. All are accessible via the Intel®
Atom™processor using its SPI1 bus. Refer to the “FPGA Sample Configuration”
article on the Wiki for the Intel®Aero Platform for the register mapping and software
access instructions. A sample binary and source code are also provided.
Features supported in the FPGA sample configuration file:
SPI bus (connects to the processor, refer to the block diagram in Chapter 2)
General Purpose digital IO (GPIO)
5 analog sense inputs (ADC, 12 bits, voltage range 0 ~ 3 Volts)
Up to 12 PWMs (16 bits) limited to the accessible FPGA IOs
1 UART up to 115.2Kbps (no hardware flow control)
1 I2C Bridge
1 I2C Bus (100KHz)
3.7.2.2 Processor GPIOs
The following Intel®Atom™processor GPIOs (digital) are accessible via software as
described in the “Processor GPIOs” article on the Wiki for the Intel®Aero Platform.
Processor GPIO Name
SW Kernel #
CPU_GPIO_01
GPIO-350
CPU_GPIO_02
GPIO-481
CPU_GPIO_03
GPIO-485
CPU_GPIO_04
GPIO-348
CPU_GPIO_05
GPIO-487
CPU_GPIO_06*
Power Off
CPU_GPIO_07
GPIO-319
* Grounding this pin for 3 seconds will initiate shutdown on the Compute Board. This
is hardcoded in the BIOS. It cannot be re-purposed by the user.
3.7.2.3 Processor CAN Bus
The Intel®Aero Compute Board includes a CAN Bus interface (MCP2515 CAN
Controller and a MCP2562 CAN Transceiver) that is connected to the Intel®Atom™
processor’s SPI bus. (see block diagram in Chapter 2).
For usage information, refer to the “CAN Controller” article on the Wiki for the Intel®
Aero Platform.
3.7.2.4 Processor HSUART
The Intel®Aero Compute Board drives a high speed serial interface (HSUART) that
can be used to connect to a system flight controller or other peripheral device.
The HSUART can be accessed through Linux sysfs at node /dev/ttyS1.
For more information, refer to the article under the “Connecting an External Flight
Controller” topic in the Wiki for the Intel®Aero Platform.

Connector Specifications
13
3.8 80-pin Accessories Connector Pinout Definition
The 80-pin Accessories Connector is a flexible circuit board with five Hirose DF13
connectors that is packaged with the Intel®Aero Compute Board. This Accessories
Connector plugs into the IO Expansion Connector (Section 3.7). Signal routing for
each of the five connectors, labeled J1 through J5, is defined in the pin definition
tables below. Developers can repurpose / reconfigure the connector pin assignments
using the processor (CPU) and FPGA GPIO pin mapping information provided in the
same tables.
Figure 8. 80-pin Accessories Connector
Note: Pin 1 on each connector is indicated by the white triangle silkscreen marking.
3.8.1 “J1” Power Board
Pin #
Pin Name
FPGA or CPU Pin Name†
1
+3.3V
2
CPU_GPIO_01
CPU_GPIO_01
3
RESERVED
4
ANALOG_INPUT
FPGA_ADC_4
5
LED CTRL
CPU_GPIO_03
6
FAN CTRL
CPU_GPIO_04
7
NC
8
NC
9
UART_RX
FPGA_GPIO_20
10
UART_TX
FPGA_GPIO_19
11
GND
† Refer to the IO Expansion Connector pin definition table in Section 3.7.
NC: No Connect

Connector Specifications
14
3.8.2 “J2” Radio Control
Pin #
Pin Name
FPGA Pin Name†
1
+3.3V
2
GND
3
RC_RX
FPGA_GPIO_18
† Refer to the IO Expansion Connector pin definition table in Section 3.7.
3.8.3 “J3” GPS
Pin #
Pin Name
FPGA Pin Name†
1
+VBAT
2
GPS_TX
FPGA_GPIO_15
3
GPS_RX
FPGA_GPIO_16
4
NC
5
NC
6
GND
† Refer to the IO Expansion Connector pin definition table in Section 3.7.
NC: No Connect
CAUTION: +VBAT is equivalent to +VIN (Section 3.6.1) and could potentially exceed
the input voltage limit of some GPS devices. Limit +VBAT to meet the GPS device
requirements.
3.8.4 “J4” Compass
Pin #
Pin Name
FPGA Pin Name†
1
GND
2
MAG_SDA
FPGA_GPIO_13
3
MAG_SCL
FPGA_GPIO_14
4
+VBAT
† Refer to the IO Expansion Connector pin definition table in Section 3.7.
CAUTION: +VBAT is the same as +VIN (Section 3.6.1) and could potentially exceed the
input voltage limit of some Compass devices. Limit +VBAT to meet the Compass device
requirements.
3.8.5 “J5” Telemetry
Pin #
Pin Name
FPGA Pin Name†
1
GND
2
CTS
FPGA_GPIO_05
3
RTS
FPGA_GPIO_06
4
RX
FPGA_GPIO_07
5
TX
FPGA_GPIO_08
6
+5V
† Refer to the IO Expansion Connector pin definition table in Section 3.7.

On-Board Sensors
15
4On-Board Sensors
The Intel®Aero Compute Board is designed with a 6 Degree of Freedom IMU
(BMI160), a magnetometer (BMM150), and an altimeter (MS5611). The sensors are
connected to the processor SPI bus and I2C bus.
Full details how to access each sensor can be found in the article “Onboard Sensors”
on the Wiki for the Intel®Aero Platform.

LED Definition and Usage
16
5LED Definition and Usage
5.1 Compute Board LEDs
The Intel®Aero Compute Board has a total of 8 LEDs. Four are located on the top
side of the board. The other Four LEDs are located on the bottom side. Refer to
Figure 9 and Figure 10
The table below describes each LED and its function. Two of the LEDs can be
programmed via software as described in the “LEDs” article on the Wiki for the Intel®
Aero Platform.
LED Color
LED “ON”Function
Software controlled
GPIO?
Green
FPGA Program Loaded LED
No
Green
PMIC Power OK
No
Green
Processor Power On LED
No
Green
M.2 SSD Active LED
No
Green
M.2 Power On LED
No
Green
Flight Controller Connected LED
No
Orange
User Programmable
Yes
Processor GPIO # 507
Tricolor
Red
Yes
Processor GPIO # 437
Green
Yes
Processor GPIO # 341
Blue
Yes
Processor ISH GPIO # 347
Note that the “Flight Controller Connected LED”is used only with the Intel®Aero
Flight Controller which is assembled with the Intel®Aero Ready to Fly Drone.

LED Definition and Usage
17
5.2 Compute Board Top Side LED Locations
Figure 9. LEDs on Top Side of Compute Board

LED Definition and Usage
18
5.3 Compute Board Bottom Side LED Locations
Figure 10. LEDs on Bottom Side of Compute Board

Intel® Aero Flight Controller
19
6Intel®Aero Flight Controller
The Intel®Aero Flight Controller ships with the Intel®Aero Ready to Fly Drone. It is
pre-loaded with Dronecode* PX4* autopilot flight control firmware. The Flight
Controller plugs directly into the Intel®Aero Compute Board through a dedicated
connector.
Software access details are provided on the Wiki for the Intel®Aero Platform.
Figure 11. Hardware Block Diagram –Aero Flight Controller
UART2 (CPU)
Gyro/Accel
(MPU-6500)
SPI1
Alt/Pressure
(MS5611 or 5607)
Mag
(HMC5883L)
0x77
0x0E
I2C3
UART1 (Motors) UART3 (GPS)
I2C1 (Mag and ADC)
UART4 (RC) UART5 (Telem) SDIO (x4)
Intel® Aero Flight Controller
Analog[5], GPIO[24]
Intel® Aero
Compute Board
(partial)
GPIO[4]
Altera® MAX®10
FPGA
Intel® Atom™
x7-Z8750
CAN_IO
Connector
IO Expansion
STM32 MCU
(STM32F427VI)
CAN
(TJA1051)
CAN
Connector
FPGA Connection
Flight Controller Connection
LEGEND
Micro-controller Connection