CUAV X25 EVO

The X25 EVO is an autopilot from the CUAV X25 series from China for heavy multicopters. It belongs among the industrial autopilots in the Pixhawk environment and is meant for heavy platforms on which a sensor failure weighs heavily.

The processor is an STM32H7 with a Cortex-M7 at 480 MHz. Three IMUs from TDK's industrial series, two IIM-42653 and one IIM-42652, supply the attitude data; two barometers, ICP-20100 or BMP581, provide altitude redundancy. The interfaces are rich: 16 PWM, 2 power CAN, 2 GPS, 2 telemetry, RC, Ethernet, CAN, SPI6, 2 ADC, USB-C and 3 I2C. The voltage is 10 to 18 V directly, 20 to 70 V through the PMU 2 Lite module, and 4.75 to 5.25 V at the USB input. The housing measures 76.5 × 45.45 × 32.2 mm and the weight is 110 g. PX4 and ArduPilot serve as firmware.

For US federal contracts, the Chinese origin of the flight controller is a ground for exclusion under the NDAA rules. In the EU the class of the finished drone applies; from 25 kg take-off mass or for flights beyond visual line of sight, the operation belongs in the specific category.

When selecting, the supply stage matters: direct operation only within 10 to 18 V, higher battery voltages through the PMU module. At installation, damping and mounting surface are decisive, because vibration damages the IMUs, and two identical sensors fail together in a shared resonance problem. CAN and power connectors are checked regularly; calibration follows after every modification.