CubeNode ETH

The CubeNode ETH provides networking capabilities to Cube Flight Controllers without Ethernet support. By enabling the PPP protocol on one of the serial ports (preferably with flow control) of The Cube, you can achieve up to 12Mbit/s networking link and transport multiple protocols (CAN, MAVLink) over the network without chewing multiple serial ports. CubeOrange+ and CubeRed running ArduPilot 4.5 or above release firmwares support the PPP protocol out of the box. CubeOrange and older Cubes built with networking enabled in the custom ardupilot build can support PPP protocol as well.

Setting Up the Physical Connection between the Cube, CubeNode, and laptop/PC

To set up the physical connection between The Cube, CubeNode, and laptop/PC, complete the following steps:

1. Connect The Cube to a laptop/desktop via USB.

2. Use a CAN and GH TELEM cable to connect the CubeNode to The Cube via the CAN1 and Telem2 ports.

1. Use a 5-pin to RJ45 cable to connect the CubeNode to the laptop or desktop.

Setting up the Cube Orange+ (Cube)

To set up the Cube Orange+ (Cube), complete the following steps:

1. Connect the Cube to the Mission Planner:

   • Windows: On the ArduPilot user interface, select COM7 Cube Orange+Mavlink (COMX) and click Connect.

   

   • MacOS: On the ArduPilot user interface, select /dev/tty.usbmodemXXX01 and click Connect.

   
2. Open Mission Planner.

3. Click Config -> Full Parameter List.

1. Enable CAN:

   • Set CAN_P1_DRIVER 1 (First Driver).

   • Click Write Params and restart The Cube by unplugging the cable and plugging it back into The Cube.

1. Enable NET:

   • Set NET_ENABLE 1 (Enable).

   • Set NET_P1_TYPE 4 (TCP Server) (Port 1).

   • Click Write Params. If it doesn’t refresh, click Refresh Params.

1. Modify the Serial port through the Telem port:

   • Choose SERIAL2 for the Telem2 port (or SERIAL1 for Telem1).

   • Set SERIAL2_BAUD 12500000 (12.5M).

   • Set SERIAL2_PROTOCOL 48 (PPP).

   • Click Write Params and restart The Cube by unplugging the cable and plugging it back into The Cube.

Setting Up the CubeNode

To set up the CubeNode, complete the following steps:

1. Open Mission Planner.

2. Obtain the required parameters:

   • Click Setup -> Optional Hardware -> DroneCAN/UAVCAN -> MAVlink-CAN1.

   

   • Select CubeNode (CubePilot-PPPGW) and click Menu -> Parameters.

1. Configure the network:

   • Set NET_DHCP to 0 (Manual IP). The default IP should be 192.168.13.14/24 on port 1 (NET_PPP_PORT 1).

   • Click Write Params.

• For Manual IP, modify the gateway address and the IP address. For example, set the parameters as shown below for 172.31.13.14/16.

NET_GWADDR0	172
NET_GWADDR1	31
NET_GWADDR2	0
NET_GWADDR3	1
NET_IPADDR0	172
NET_IPADDR1	31
NET_IPADDR2	13
NET_IPADDR3	14
NET_NETMASK	16

• Click Menu -> Restart. The IP address 192.168.13.15 will be assigned to The Cube.

• If using DHCP, set NET_DHCP to 1. The IP address will be shown in The Cube’s message. The netmask will always be 255.255.255.255 because the connection between The Cube and the CubeNode is through TCP (1 to 1). The IP address for the Cube will be automatically set to the CubeNode’s IP address+1, which is 192.168.13.14+1 = 192.168.13.15.

Setting Up the Laptop/Desktop

To set up the laptop/desktop, complete the following steps:

1. Configure the Manual IP address:

   • Go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> Ethernet.

   • Set IP assignment to Manual.

   • Turn on IPv4.

   • Set IP address to 192.168.13.13 (must be different from The Cube and CubeNode).

   • Set Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0.

1. Check the connection:

   • Check if the IP address is 192.168.13.14/24 on port 1 (NET_PPP_PORT 1).

   • Open a command prompt (cmd) or any terminal.

   • Run the command “ping 192.168.13.14” for the CubeNode and “ping 192.168.13.15” for The Cube.