BRAIN FC1

Mission-Grade Flight Computer

BRAIN FC1 is a mission-grade flight control computer for GNC-intensive autonomous systems, integrating high-performance real-time compute, flight control sensors, and flexible I/O into a compact avionics platform purpose-built for precision guidance, navigation and control. Its Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-accelerated architecture delivers precise, reliable flight control where microcontroller-based systems fall short. Pre-integrated with the FLEX flight software framework, enabling programs to build on a validated GNC foundation rather than developing one from the ground up.

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GuideTech BRAIN FC1 mission-grade flight control computer circuit board

The BRAIN FC1 Difference

Built around an AMD/Xilinx Zynq System-on-Chip (SoC), combining dual-core ARM processing with FPGA fabric to deliver deterministic real-time performance for flight control, sensor processing, and vehicle interfaces.

Hardware-Level Flight Control 

FPGA fabric handles timing-critical flight control in hardware, eliminating jitter under sensor processing load. 

Mission-Grade Software Included 

FLEX flight software framework ships pre-installed, so programs can build on validated GNC foundation.

Built for Contested Environments

Onboard sensors and multi-sensor EKF fusion deliver GPS-denied navigation without additional hardware.

From Prototype to Production 

One hardware and software foundation, from prototype through scaled autonomous systems manufacturing.

Key Features

01

FPGA-Accelerated Real-Time Compute
AMD/Xilinx Zynq System-on-Chip (SoC) pairs dual-core ARM processing with FPGA fabric for deterministic flight control and sensor processing.

02

Flexible I/O Architecture
Gigabit Ethernet, 4x RS-422/RS-485, 2x CAN 2.0, and 24 general purpose I/O pins, plus I/O and host expansion headers for daughter cards and vision/AI processors.

03

Integrated Sensing

Triple-redundant MEMS IMUs, magnetometer, and barometric pressure sensor on dedicated Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) busses.

04

Production-Ready
Designed from the ground up to support high-volume manufacturing of autonomous systems.

05

Customizable Architecture
More I/O flexibility and software customization than commercially available flight controllers at a comparable price.
06
FLEX Flight Software Framework Pre-Integration
Same codebase from simulation to first flight.

Target Applications

Loitering munitions

Missiles & interceptors

Group 1–3 UAVs

Hypersonic vehicles

BRAIN FC1 is Designed For:

Low‑cost UAVs

Loitering munitions

Missiles and interceptors

Group 1–3 autonomous aircraft

High‑volume autonomous systems

BRAIN FC1 Comparison

BRAIN FC1

BRAIN X2

Fully Customizable Flight Software Architecture

Supports High-Rate Production

Supports High-Rate Production

Flexible I/O for Payloads and Avionics Integration

High Performance Real-Time Compute Capability

Pre-Integrated with FLEX 6DOF Simulation Environment

Key Specifications

Real-Time Module & Onboard Sensors

  • AMD / Xilinx Zynq™ 7010/7020 System‑on‑Chip
  • Dual‑Core ARM Cortex‑A9 (~600 MHz)
  • Integrated FPGA fabric for deterministic I/O
  • 1 GB DDR3L RAM
  • 32 MB QSPI boot storage
  • 4–8 GB eMMC storage
  • Triple redundant MEMS IMUs (ICM‑42688‑P)
  • LIS2MDL Magnetometer
  • MS561101 Barometric Pressure Sensor

Mechanical & Interfaces

  • Power Input: 8–30 VDC
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • 4× RS‑422 / RS‑485
  • 2× CAN 2.0
  • 24× GPIO
  • MicroSD storage slot
  • Debug interface (console + JTAG)
  • I/O expansion header