CubePilot
Where to buySupportArdupilotProducts
  • CubePilot
  • Licences
  • US Defence
  • Service Bulletins and Critical Notices
    • Safety/Service Bulletins
      • SB_0000001 Critical service bulletin for Beta Cube 2.1 (2016)
      • SB_0000002 Critical service bulletin for Cubes Purchased between JAN 2019 to JUL 2019. DO NOT FLY
      • SB_0000003 Flight with arming checks set anything other than 1 prohibited
      • SB_0000004 Limited power capacity of the RCIN power rail on Pixhawk Autopilots
      • SB_0000005 I2C Storm can cause inflight reboots, Chibios ONLY, not Nuttx (all cube and Pixhawk hardw
      • SB_0000006 time to Go Orange
    • Critical Notices
      • Powering Telemetry radios externally
  • Herelink
    • Herelink Overview
    • Herelink User Guides
      • Assembly and Connection
      • How To Update Firmware
      • Pairing, RC Calibration & Setup
      • Configure Modes & Mavlink Buttons
      • Configure Sbus Buttons & Wheel
      • Wireless Communication
      • Video and Data Sharing
      • Connecting to Mission Planner
      • Herelink 1.0 AirUnit to AirUnit instruction
      • System setting
      • Installing a custom app
      • OEM Image Setup
      • Generate a bug report
    • Herelink Accessories
    • Herelink QuickStart Guide
    • Herelink FAQ
  • HERE 2
    • Updating Here 2 Firmware
    • Here 2 CAN Mode Instruction
    • Here 2 Firmware Update Troubleshooting
  • Here 3
    • Here 3 Manual
  • Here+
    • Here+V2 User Manual
  • HERE 4
    • Here 4 Manual
    • Here 4 Base
  • HEREPRO
    • HerePro Manual
  • Autopilot
    • Cube Red
      • Specifications
      • Operating Conditions and Performance
      • Ports Standard and Definition
      • System Architecture
      • Carrier Board Information
    • The Cube Module Overview
    • The Cube User Manual V1.0
    • The Cube - Firmware Installation & Connection Troubleshooting
      • Installing Mission Planner
      • Installing Ardupilot
      • Installing Secure Firmware
    • Conducting the First Flight
      • Tips for New Pilots
    • The Cube FAQ
  • Carrier Boards
    • Cube Red Standard Carrier Board Pinout
    • Kore Carrier Board
    • ADS-B IN Carrier Board
    • Mini Carrier Board
    • Airbot Systems Mini Carrier Board
      • Airbot Systems Mini Carrier Board Set User Guide
    • EDU450 Carrier Board
    • Standard Carrier Board Footprint & Dimensions
    • Carrier Boards FAQ
  • Cube ID
    • Cube ID
  • CubeNode
    • Specifications
    • Functional Overview
    • Pin Descriptions
    • Footprint
    • CubeNode ETH
      • Specifications
      • Setting Up the Physical Connection between the Cube, CubeNode, and laptop/PC
    • Soldering a CubeNode onto a PCB
  • Switch
    • CubeLAN 8 Port Switch
  • FLOW SENSOR
    • Here Flow
  • ProfiLED
    • ProfiLED
  • Product Certificate
    • NCC Certificate
    • CE Certificate
    • UKCA Certificate
    • RoHS Certificate
    • FCC Certificate
    • IC Certificate
    • RCM Certificate
    • Material Safety Data Sheet - MSDS
    • EN 62368 CE LVD VOC Certificate
    • IEC 62368 CB Scheme Safety test Certificate
  • SOLO
    • Open Solo Installation
    • Open Solo
  • CubePilot Ecosystem
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Autopilot Wiring Diagram (Multilingual)
    • OEM Carrier Board
    • CubePilot USA
    • CubePilot Ecosystem MissionGO
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Doosan Hydrogen Zero Emission Vehicle
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Ardubee multipurpose platform
    • Silent Arrow
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Herelink
    • Acecore NOA, Cubepilot Ecosystem, and George Herelink, the right combination
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Inspired Flight IF1200A
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Here4
    • 2023 CubePilot Ecosystem Autopilot Wiring Diagram
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Cube ID
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Mission Planner
    • CubePilot Ecosystem BZB UAS ekoSKY
    • CubePilot Ecosystem 10th Anniversary of The Cube
    • CubePilot Ecosystem HerePro V2
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Mistral-Qualcomm MRD5165
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Precision Landing Air Test Operation (PLATO)
    • CubePilot Ecosystem Hionos
    • CubePilot Partners
      • SpektreWorks
      • RFDesign Pty Ltd
      • Vamatis
      • Airbot Systems
      • Bask Aerospace
      • HiTEC
      • uAvionix
      • LightWare
      • Gremsy
      • IR-Lock
      • Tattu
      • Mauch
      • T-MOTOR
      • APD
      • JAR Aerospace
      • BZB UAS
      • Kraus Hamdani Aerospace
      • Union Robotics
        • Meadowhawk 2
          • Meadowhawk 2 User Guide
            • TABLE OF CONTENTS
              • 1. GENERAL
              • 2. OPERATING LIMITATIONS
              • 3. EMERGENCY PROCEDURE
              • 4. NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES
              • 5. PERFORMANCE
              • 6. WEIGHT AND BALANCE EQUIPMENT LIST
              • 7. DESCRIPTION OF THE sUAS AND SYSTEMS
              • 8. HANDLING, CARE, AND MAINTENANCE
              • 9. SUPPLEMENTS
              • DISCLAIMER AND WARNING
              • LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
        • HereLink Blue
          • HereLink Blue User Guide
            • Air Unit
              • Air Unit Specifications
              • Air Unit LEDs
              • Air Unit Interface & Installation
            • Ground Station
              • Ground Station Specifications
              • Ground Station Buttons & LED
              • Ground Station Charging
          • UR/Solex TX App
          • Pairing & Calibration
          • Configure Buttons
          • Share Video Stream
          • Connecting to Mission Planner
          • Installing a Custom App
            • Installing QGC
          • Important Notes & Warnings
          • Update Firmware
          • Bug Report
          • HereLink Blue FAQs
      • Yates Electrospace Corporation
      • Hexsoon
        • Multirotor Frame
          • EDU-450
          • EDU-650
          • TD-900
          • TD-1100
  • Remote ID
    • France
  • 3D Printing
    • CubePilot product 3D model
    • Printable Camera Quad (Foldable)
    • Here 3 Istand
    • HerePro Istand
    • Kore Multi-Rotor Carrier Board Case
    • Hexsoon Multirotor Frame
  • Product Media
    • CubePilot Logos
    • Product Media Cloud Drive
  • OEM Carrier Board
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • Steps to put Secure Bootloader
  • Functional Overview

Was this helpful?

  1. Autopilot
  2. The Cube - Firmware Installation & Connection Troubleshooting

Installing Secure Firmware

Last updated 2 years ago

Was this helpful?

CAUTION: This can potentially render your hardware unusable, so do this process at your own risk.

This feature is currently only supported on Cubepilot autopilots including and released after CubeOrange. Currently this process is still in pilot mode, i.e. we don't disable the SWD on the hardware, this way if a module gets into unrecoverable state, it can be put back to original state using STLink or similar debug probes.

Steps to put Secure Bootloader

  • Ensure that you have an account at . If not please create one, as the account will be used to secure your cube, which means, only the users with credentials will be able to load the firmware once secured.

  • To load the secure bootloader, you will need Beta Mission Planner installed on your system.

  • Setup > Secure > Login

  • Once logged in select Enter Bootloader Mode

  • You should see Cube Serial Number show up on the window after repowering your Cube, once done, click Enter DFU Mode. This will put the cube in DFU bootloader, from where we can load secure bootloader.

  • Next click Get Bootloader, this will flash the secure bootloader, and from henceforth only way to upload firmware is to sign them with your CubePilot login.

  • Now every time you want to update firmware, you will need to do it through this page, updating through standard firmware update will not work.

Functional Overview

The process of securing the firmware involves signing both the bootloader and firmware using ECC Prime256v1 keypair. The private key part of the Keypair is securely generated and stored on CubePilot's cloud server.

Keypairs are generated the first time manufacturers use CubePilot credentials to log into Mission Planner and tied to the credentials. When requested Mission Planner fetches the bootloader which is signed with manufacturer's private key including Cube's serial number. The bootloader is then flashed on to the Cube via DFU. After this step only way to flash firmware is via MissionPlanner with CubePilot credentials. Every firmware update MP uploads the firmware image provided by user signed on the server and downloaded and then flashed on to the Cube.

Every boot bootloader verifies itself and the firmware before running the autopilot.

To recover back to stock bootloader, you will need to sign and upload apj downloaded from here using the above process, repower and then connect using Mission Planner and update bootloader.

Locking parameters via Mission Planner is will be implemented in the near future. Until then users can setup firmwares using . Parameters that need to be locked can be done so using @READONLY flag. The .apj file generated by this tool will be the one to be provided to MP. These parameters will only be modifiable by doing a secure firmware update and hence going through manufacturer's verification.

https://firmware.ardupilot.org
https://ardupilot.org/dev/docs/apjtools-intro.html
https://discuss.cubepilot.org