STM32F405VGT6 — ARM Cortex-M4F MCU for Pixhawk / PX4 / ArduPilot Drone Autopilots by STMicroelectronics

The STM32F405VGT6 is STMicroelectronics' high-performance 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F microcontroller running at 168 MHz with 1 MB Flash and 192 KB (128 KB + 64 KB CCM) in a LQFP-100 (14×14 mm, 0.5 mm pitch). It is the legendary MCU behind the Pixhawk 1 and Pixhawk 2.4.x open-source drone autopilots — the reference hardware platforms for PX4 and ArduPilot firmware. With hardware single-precision FPU, ART Accelerator, dual CAN 2.0B, SDIO, and industrial temperature range (−40°C to +85°C), it remains the most proven silicon for professional multirotor, fixed-wing, and VTOL UAV platforms worldwide.

Part Number Decoded — Field by Field

Quick Specifications

Product Overview

The STM32F405VGT6 (100-pin LQFP) delivers the full F405 feature set with 82 GPIO — the sweet spot for full-featured Pixhawk 2.4.x designs requiring dual IMU SPI buses, external SPI Flash for parameter storage, UARTs for GPS + telemetry radios + companion computer, and PWM outputs for 8-motor configurations. The LQFP-100 package provides enough I/O for a complete drone autopilot without the BGA assembly complexity of higher-pin-count packages.

STM32F405 — the chip powering Pixhawk 1 and Pixhawk 2.4.x, the most widely deployed open-source drone autopilot hardware in the world.

Key Features & Benefits

168 MHz Cortex-M4F + Hardware FPU — PX4 & ArduPilot Native

The Cortex-M4F core with single-precision hardware FPU enables native float execution of PID controllers, EKF2/EKF3 Kalman filters, and quaternion attitude estimation. At 168 MHz with zero-wait-state Flash via ART Accelerator, the F405VGT6 sustains 8 kHz IMU update rates on dual-redundant IMU configurations.

1 MB Flash + 192 KB SRAM — Full Stack Headroom

With 1 MB Flash and 192 KB SRAM (including 64 KB CCM), the F405VGT6 runs the full ArduPilot stack with EKF3, terrain following, geofencing, Lua scripting, and MAVLink telemetry routing. The CCM RAM guarantees deterministic timing for the flight control loop even under heavy SDIO logging and multi-UART telemetry I/O.

82 GPIO — Full-Spectrum Autopilot I/O

The LQFP-100 package delivers 82 GPIO — enough for 8 PWM motor outputs, 4 UARTs (GPS, telemetry radio, companion computer, serial ESC telemetry), 2 SPI buses (dual IMU), 2 I²C buses (external compass + barometer/airspeed), 2 CAN 2.0B (UAVCAN peripherals), SDIO (microSD logging), and USB OTG (direct PC connection).

Dual CAN 2.0B — UAVCAN/DroneCAN Bus

Two independent CAN 2.0B interfaces connect to the UAVCAN/DroneCAN peripheral ecosystem: Here3/Here4 GPS+compass, airspeed sensors, ESC telemetry nodes, and power modules — all on a single shared bus with hardware-level priority arbitration.

SDIO + USB OTG — High-Bandwidth Logging & Configuration

Native SDIO 4-bit interface for high-speed microSD blackbox logging at sensor-native rates. USB 2.0 OTG Full Speed provides direct connection to Mission Planner/QGroundControl without external USB-UART bridges — reducing BOM cost and board complexity.

3× 12-bit ADC + 2× DAC — Analog Sensor Pipeline

Three simultaneous-sampling 12-bit ADCs read battery voltage/current, analog RSSI, differential pressure airspeed sensors, and sonar altimeters. Two 12-bit DACs generate analog control outputs for gimbal stabilization and OSD overlay circuits.

Target Applications

Pixhawk 2.4.x Full-Feature Autopilots

The STM32F405VGT6 powers premium Pixhawk 2.4.6/2.4.8 designs with the full complement of UARTs, dual SPI IMU buses, and dedicated I²C ports. These platforms run PX4 and ArduPilot on professional mapping drones, agricultural sprayers, and industrial inspection UAVs where multi-sensor fusion and redundant navigation are production requirements.

PX4 FMUv3 Reference Designs

With 100 pins providing headroom beyond the FMUv2 minimum, the VGT6 variant is the baseline MCU for FMUv3-class designs — adding a dedicated SPI port for an external FRAM/MRAM parameter storage chip, a third UART for companion computer MAVLink routing, and a second I²C bus for an external compass magnetometer.

Professional Fixed-Wing Autopilots

The 82 GPIO count supports complex fixed-wing configurations: 4 PWM for primary flight surfaces (aileron, elevator, rudder, throttle/flaps), 2 PWM for secondary controls (camera trigger, payload release), and 2 PWM for gimbal pitch/yaw — all while maintaining dual GPS/compass redundancy and airspeed sensor integration.

Hybrid VTOL Transition Controllers

For tilt-rotor and tailsitter VTOL platforms, the VGT6 manages the transition logic between hover and forward flight: reading airspeed, adjusting tilt servos, and switching between multirotor and fixed-wing PID banks — all within a single MCU running ArduPilot Plane's quadplane VTOL code.

CAN-Connected Multi-Node UAV Systems

The dual CAN interfaces enable distributed autopilot architectures: one CAN bus for safety-critical UAVCAN nodes (GPS, magnetometer, airspeed, power module) and a second CAN bus for payload peripherals (gimbal controller, payload release, lighting controller) — with hardware-level bus isolation preventing a payload fault from disrupting navigation.

F405 Series Variant Comparison

STM32F405VGT6 vs Competing Drone Autopilot MCUs

Frequently Asked Questions

What Pixhawk variants use STM32F405VGT6?

The VGT6 in LQFP-100 is used on full-featured Pixhawk 2.4.6 and 2.4.8 boards from Holybro, Radiolink, CUAV, and other manufacturers. It provides the 82 GPIO needed for dual IMU, dual CAN, multiple UARTs, and full PWM output — the practical maximum for a hand-solderable LQFP package in a drone autopilot design.

Does STM32F405VGT6 support redundant IMUs?

Yes. Two independent SPI buses connect to dual IMU sensors (e.g., ICM-20689 + ICM-20602 or ICM-20689 + BMI055) for hardware-level redundancy. ArduPilot and PX4 compare IMU data streams in real time, detecting and isolating a failed sensor without interrupting flight control.

Can this chip run PX4 with full MAVLink routing?

Yes. The VGT6 has sufficient UARTs (4× USART + 2× UART) to support simultaneous connections for GPS (UART1), telemetry radio (UART2), companion computer MAVLink routing (UART3), and serial ESC telemetry (UART4) — all with DMA-backed transfers to minimize CPU overhead.

What's the difference between STM32F405VGT6 and STM32F407VGT6?

The F407VGT6 adds an Ethernet 10/100 MAC and a DCMI camera interface. For pure drone autopilot use (where Ethernet and cameras are rarely needed on the FMU itself), the F405VGT6 is functionally equivalent and often more available and cost-effective. If your design requires a camera sensor or Ethernet connectivity, choose the F407VGT6.

Ordering Information

Design Resources

• Datasheet (DS8626): STM32F405xx/STM32F407xx — Complete datasheet with pin definitions and electrical characteristics.
• Reference Manual (RM0090): STM32F405/415, STM32F407/417, STM32F427/437 — Full register-level documentation.
• PX4 FMUv3 Reference: Open-source hardware design files for FMUv3-class Pixhawk autopilots.
• ArduPilot F4 Build: ArduPilot firmware build guide for STM32F405-based flight controllers.
• STM32CubeMX: Free ST pinout/clock configurator for F405 peripheral initialization code generation.

Request a Quote

SUPERB Automation supplies genuine STMicroelectronics STM32F405VGT6 MCUs with full traceability and batch-level QA documentation. Whether you need a single tray for prototype drone autopilot builds or pallet-level volumes for Pixhawk-class production, we source through verified channels with competitive lead times. Contact us with your target quantity, delivery date, and any special packaging or marking requirements — we'll respond with a detailed quotation within 24 hours.