ModalAI Forum

Eric Katzfey

Our downloads page was recently updated and in the process the Hexagon SDK download file sdk.tgz was locked. We'll get that fixed and let you know when it is ready.

Eric Katzfey

Yes, unfortunately some of the dependencies have changed. Can you checkout tag sdk-1.6.4-1 of voxl-mpa-tools and then in the docker ./install_build_deps.sh qrb5165 sdk-1.6. That should work.

Vinny

Hi @adam These claims remain true.
We are exploring some items in the future for individual certification to ease downstream efforts by integrators, but as of today, the efforts still largely fall on the end-product integrator (which is unavoidable no matter what certifications we employ) and we can help where needed if any requests are specific and actionable.

Vinny

Hi @muqing-cao Correct, M0213 does not have a USB hub on it like M0090.

tom

@RoyAzriel 1.6.4 release is tested on Starling 2 now, go ahead and use that from the link I emailed you.

Moderator

Hi, thanks for the detailed questions on the M0189. Answering below — full specs are on the datasheet at https://docs.modalai.com/M0189/ and the product/ordering page at https://www.modalai.com/products/m0189.

1. Integration Guidelines

The M0189 doesn't plug directly into VOXL 2 Mini — it connects to a M0188 or M0195 carrier board (which itself mounts on VOXL 2 Mini), via one of four ToF ports (J01/J23/J45/J67) using an MCBL-00128 cable. The module is hardware-strapped for I2C, so only power, ground, and I2C are routed through the connector — no host-side mode-pin configuration needed.

On the software side, it's managed by voxl-mini-tof-server (see docs.modalai.com/M0189/ for the link, or search "mini-tof-server" on docs.modalai.com

Reads a JSON config from /etc/modalai/voxl-mini-tof-server.conf (or multiple files in .conf.d/ if you're running sensors across separate I2C buses)
Publishes point cloud data over MPA on the rangefinder_pc pipe
Ships with a config wizard (voxl-configure-mini-tofs -i) for known hardware setups, plus non-interactive list/set commands
Supports multiple sensors via a TCA9548A I2C mux
Output is inspectable with voxl-inspect-points or viewable live as a point cloud in VOXL Portal

Sensor location/orientation relative to the vehicle's center of gravity has to be set manually and precisely in the config — there's no auto-calibration step. I didn't find a dedicated worked example/reference design specifically for VOXL 2 Mini + M0189 beyond the datasheet and server docs, but the mounting/connector details and full pinout are on the datasheet page.

2. Sensor Performance and Use Cases

Per the datasheet and product page:

FOV: 45° × 45° (65° diagonal)
Range: up to 400 cm, target- and lighting-dependent
Resolution: up to 8×8 (64 zones) — this is genuine multizone depth, output as a 3D point cloud over MPA (not single-point, and not a dense depth image)
940 nm Class 1 eye-safe VCSEL, direct-ToF (dToF)

Neither page gives quantified outdoor/bright-sunlight derating numbers or flight-tested obstacle-avoidance performance data — that's probably worth a direct follow-up if you need hard numbers before committing to a platform design.

3. Availability and Purchasing

Currently listed as an active, in-stock product at $44.99 (MPN MDK-M0189-2-00, board only) — see https://www.modalai.com/products/m0189. You'll also need the M0188 or M0195 carrier and the MCBL-00128 cable, both sold separately. Per the compatibility table on that page, it works with VOXL 2 Mini (via the carrier) and VOXL 2 (with additional cabling), but not VOXL or VOXL Flight. No lead-time info is posted, so I'd check with sales directly on that.

Vinny

Hi @markdelo,
Is your question similar to this recent post?
https://forum.modalai.com/topic/5309/m0213-wifi-board-pinout-and-availability
The info you provided are serial numbers, not product numbers.
If you can provide product numbers, that would help us better understand your question.
If the linked post is indeed similar in request, then I do apologize we do not have a ready-made solution for that.

Thanks!

Vinny

Hi @awagner
Apologies for the delayed response. It looks like this post slipped through during our recent forum and documentation site refactor.
Are you still experiencing issues with your M0041-4?
A few clarifying questions will help:

When you mention "that is dead too", can you please clarify what exactly is no longer working? The M0041-4 power module, the VOXL 2 Mini, your power supply, or some combination of the three?
Can you share more details about your ESC, make, model, and how the battery pads are connected to the power module? A photo of your wiring connections would be very helpful here.

On the spark at plug-in: direct battery connection is the standard way to power up a drone, so that in itself is not unexpected. The spark on connection is not uncommon with a 6S pack due to charge balancing and inrush transient at the moment of contact (especially with our FPV ESC with near 1,000uF of capacitance). That said, we do include protection on the M0041-4 for this reason, so something unusual may have happened in your specific setup, which is why we'd like to see the connections.
As a general note, we typically see XT-30 used up to 4S and XT-60 up to 6S. Running 6S on an XT-30 is outside the more common usage pattern and worth flagging as a potential factor. We had some folks mistake a 4S ESC for 6S due to exactly that on early Stinger models. We've since remedied that.

One practical note: depending on what has failed, a replacement power module may be a faster and cheaper path than a full debug effort. That said, we do want to help you identify the root cause so this does not repeat. Replacing hardware without understanding the failure just puts the next module at the same risk.
Let us know and share photos if you can.
Again, sorry for the long delayed response.
Thanks!

Vinny

Hi @muqing-cao I am glad you like the M0213, as it does offer more power than most USB-A dongles, which is why we went to it.
The Only thing I can think of is to buy an MCBL-00022 and when plugged into the M0090 5G Modem Board USB 10-pin JST port, you have a standard USB host port, and maybe Bots Unlimited makes a USB-A version you can use. We just do not offer a clean/direct solution to accomplish what you are asking for.

Alex Kushleyev

Hello @luisrzdearbulo-0 ,

Since the IMU clock stopped functioning after disassembly / re-assembly of the drone, it is likely that a small component (clock buffer) was damaged in the process. If that is the case, fixing it yourself would be extremely difficult without proper equipment and experience. Also, unfortunately, we do not offer repair services for such cases.

You have two options:

Option 1

configure px4 to use IMU without the clock signal. you need to change the following two files and re-build voxl-px4:

https://github.com/modalai/px4-firmware/blob/voxl-dev/boards/modalai/voxl2-slpi/src/drivers/icm42688p/ICM42688P.hpp#L63
as a result, the IMU will use its own built-in clock source, which may be slightly off from real clock, so the samples won't be generated at the true desired rate (8000Hz, for example), however the effect most likely wont be noticeable (many flight controllers do not use IMU clock sync).

Note that if the clock buffer chip is broken, then the second IMU will also not work (which is used for VIO), so the IMU server for the Apps Proc IMU will also need to be re-built with clock disabled : https://gitlab.com/voxl-public/voxl-sdk/services/qrb5165-imu-server/-/blob/master/server/src/icm42688.cpp?ref_type=heads#L54

as a test, you should check if your apps proc IMU is running or also reporting clock issues (see voxl-imu-server and voxl-inspect-imu on voxl2)

Option 2

replace the VOXL2 board to get back the original functionality - I am afraid there is no other alternative.

Alex

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