Why do newer Pixhawk Cube Orange+ boards fail to work with PX4 v1.14.x when using the UAV Toolbox Support Package for PX4 Autopilots?

Some users have reported that recently purchased Pixhawk Cube Orange+ boards exhibit compatibility issues with PX4 v1.14.x (as bundled in MATLAB R2024a–R2025b). While older Cube Orange+ units work correctly, newer boards show the following problems under PX4 v1.14.0 / v1.14.3:

• PX4 boots with the error tune.
• RC input is missing:
• QGroundControl’s Radio setup shows no channels.
• MAVLink Inspector shows no RC_CHANNELS / RC_CHANNELS_RAW messages.
• SBUS RCIN is not recognized; enabling ELRS/CRSF only gives glitchy signals.
• LiDAR (e.g., TFMini) stops publishing; no DISTANCE_SENSOR messages.
• PWM_MAIN channels 1–8 appear disabled, and PWM_MAIN_TIM* parameters are missing.

Flashing PX4 v1.15+ resolves these issues, suggesting that newer Cube Orange+ hardware requires changes not present in PX4 v1.14.x.

Questions:

1. Is this a known issue with newer Cube Orange+ boards and PX4 v1.14.x?
2. Is there a roadmap to support PX4 v1.15+ in MATLAB PX4 Toolbox?
3. Is there any workaround to make these boards work with PX4 v1.14.x in MATLAB?

Answer 1

[Ankur Bose]

This issue occurs because newer Cube Orange+ boards require an updated bootloader for PX4 v1.14.x to function correctly. The following workaround has been tested and restores full functionality while remaining within the UAV Toolbox Support Package for PX4 AutoPilots workflow:

Workaround Steps

1. Run MATLAB Hardware Setup: Launch the hardware setup screens from MATLAB and, in the Test Connection step, upload the firmware to the Cube Orange+ board. This will upload PX4 v1.14.3 (which is acceptable for this process).
2. Close Hardware Setup: Exit the hardware setup screen in MATLAB.
3. Open QGroundControl (QGC): Launch QGC and wait for it to connect to the Cube Orange+.
4. Update Bootloader via MAVLink Console: In QGC, go to MAVLink Console and run the following command:

bl_update /etc/extras/cubepilot_cubeorangeplus_bootloader.bin

Expected output:

nsh> bl_update /etc/extras/cubepilot_cubeorangeplus_bootloader.bin
INFO  [bl_update] image validated, erasing bootloader...
    INFO  [bl_update] flashing...
    INFO  [bl_update] verifying...
    INFO  [bl_update] bootloader update complete

Reboot the Cube Orange+: After reboot, the correct PX4 bootloader will be in place. The board should now work as expected with PX4 v1.14.x and UAV Toolbox Support Package for PX4 AutoPilots.

Why This Works

The newer Cube Orange+ hardware requires an updated bootloader for PX4 v1.14.x. Without this update, RC input, PWM outputs, and certain sensors fail to initialize. Updating the bootloader resolves these issues without requiring an immediate upgrade to PX4 v1.15+.

Additional Notes

• Tested with MATLAB R2024a, R2024b, R2025a & R2025b and PX4 v1.14.3.
• After applying this fix, RC, LiDAR, telemetry, and PWM pins all function normally.