ARK Electronics ARKV6X

The ARKV6X is an autopilot module from ARK Electronics in the USA following the Pixhawk FMUv6X standard, intended for mid-size multicopters. The module is built in the USA and sits on a baseboard that provides the connectors.

The processor is an STM32H743IIK6 with 480 MHz, 2 MB flash and 1 MB RAM. Three IMUs – two ICM-42688-P and one IIM-42652 – allow plausibility checks across two chip types; one barometer supplies altitude, and a 1 W sensor heater keeps the sensors at a constant temperature, which reduces drift in the cold and with temperature swings. PX4 and ArduPilot are supported; PX4 is preinstalled and ArduPilot can be flashed. The link to the baseboard is the Pixhawk Autopilot Bus (PAB), and a microSD slot is included. The module expects 5 V, measures 36 × 29 × 5 mm and weighs 5 g, without baseboard.

ARK lists the ARKV6X as Blue Framework listed, built in the USA and NDAA compliant, which US authority contracts may require. In the EU the class, Remote ID and geo-awareness attach to the finished drone.

When selecting, a matching PAB baseboard is mandatory and its weight adds to the 5 g. The connection between module and baseboard is the mechanical weak point: it is checked under vibration and detached as rarely as possible. When switching from PX4 to ArduPilot or back, parameters are not carried over; the IMU, compass and radio are set up again afterwards. The sensor heater needs sufficient supply from the baseboard.