Our heavy-lift octocopter runs a 12S pack (up to about 50 V). Which drone mission computers can take that voltage directly?

Question

Rapidflare · Accepted Answer

Three drone mission computers are rated for an input range that covers about 50 V, so they can run straight off your 12S pack:

**Drone mission computers rated for direct 12S input**

| Product | Manufacturer | Input voltage range | Jetson module |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Just A Jetson | ARK Electronics | 5.5–75 V | Jetson Orin NX / Orin Nano |
| Auterion AI Node | Auterion | 11.5–65 V | Jetson Xavier NX |
| RMC-604 | Lambortech | 10–60 V | Jetson Orin NX (8GB/16GB) or Orin Nano 8GB |

- **ARK Just A Jetson** has the widest range. ARK describes it as a carrier board with direct battery input up to 75 V.
- **Auterion AI Node** is built to work with Auterion's Skynode.
- **Lambortech RMC-604** is rated for 3S–14S batteries.

**Not suitable for direct 12S input:**
- The **ARK Jetson PAB V3** and the **ARK Jetson PAB Carrier (V1)** need 5 V from a separate power module, such as the ARK PAB Power Module.
- Other models top out well below 50 V. For example, the SDK Systems UAVNX16-100R and Lambortech ECM001 are rated 9–36 V, the Lambortech ECM002 and ECM004 12–36 V, and the DJI Manifold 2-G 13.2–27 V.

**Input voltage not listed in the catalog:** Amovlab Allspark 2, Auterion Skynode N, InDro Pilot, Mobilicom SA Compute PRO-AR and the SignalGeneriX LOTUS mission computer. I can't confirm whether any of these accept 12S directly, so check with the manufacturer before ruling them in or out.

Drone mission computers that take a 12S pack voltage of about 50 V directly

Sources

Product	Manufacturer	Input voltage range	Jetson module
ARK Just A Jetson	ARK Electronics	5.5–75 V	Jetson Orin NX / Orin Nano
Auterion AI Node	Auterion	11.5–65 V	Jetson Xavier NX
RMC-604	Lambortech	10–60 V	Jetson Orin NX (8GB/16GB) or Orin Nano 8GB