Skynode S embedded mission computer

Skynode S is an embedded mission computer from Auterion for small uncrewed aircraft. It is a compact, chip-down board that combines a flight management unit with a Linux-based companion computer, so it serves as both flight controller and onboard processing platform for payload sensors, cameras and mission applications.

The computing section uses a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor running at 1.8 GHz, with a neural processing unit rated at 2.3 TOPS for onboard inference. It carries 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory and 32 GB of eMMC storage, and its hardware encoder handles two 1080p60 streams in H.264 or H.265. For an integrator this means video compression and object detection can run on the board itself, leaving the radio link and the ground station to carry encoded video rather than raw frames. The software stack is Auterion Enterprise, which pairs the AuterionOS operating system with PX4.

Physically the unit measures 49 mm by 39 mm by 21 mm including a 15 mm heatsink. The circuit board weighs 14 g and the heatsink 24 g. Mounting uses four M3 holes on a 30.5 mm by 30.5 mm pattern, with rubber inserts, which suits small airframes where weight and volume are tight.

Power enters through the ESC connector at 12 V to 36 V, with an absolute maximum input of 30 W for the board plus its peripherals. The board alone draws roughly 4 W to 6 W under CPU load. The input voltage is converted to a shared 5 V rail with a 25 W peripheral budget, divided among the USB-C port (5 V, 2 A, host mode), the USB 2 port (5 V, 2 A), the GPS port (5 V, 1 A) and the two extension ports (5 V, 1 A each). The datasheet lists output power by pack size: 10 W on 4S, 18 W on 6S and 25 W on 8S, so higher-voltage packs suit payloads with heavier 5 V demand.

Interfaces include a USB-C port with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 lines, a host-only USB 2 port, and two four-lane MIPI-CSI camera inputs on 22-pin ribbon connectors compatible with Raspberry Pi cameras. The ESC connector offers four motor outputs that can be set to PWM, OneShot or DShot, together with a UART telemetry input and an analog current input. The GPS connector provides UART and I2C for an external receiver and compass. The Extras 1 connector brings out CAN with an internal 120 ohm termination, a second telemetry UART, RC input and analog or PWM lines. The Extras 2 connector adds four auxiliary PWM outputs plus GPIO and a UART or SPI port controlled from Linux.

Typical applications are small multirotor and fixed-wing platforms that need an onboard computer for AI-assisted inspection, mapping, surveillance and autonomous mission logic, where payload software runs next to the autopilot on the same board.