Connectors and Wiring

JST-GH vs JST-SH connectors, wire color conventions, Pixhawk standard pinouts, and cable kits.

What Are JST Connectors?

JST connectors are the small locking connectors used on virtually all Pixhawk-ecosystem flight controllers and peripherals. The Pixhawk Connector Standard specifies two JST connector families for different purposes:

Connector	Pitch	Use	Found On
JST-GH	1.25 mm	Peripheral connections (CAN, I2C, UART, SPI, GPS, power)	All main board connectors
JST-SH	1.0 mm	Debug connections (SWD + UART console)	Debug ports only

Both are polarized locking connectors — they only plug in one way and click into place.

How It Works

Pixhawk Standard Pinouts

The Pixhawk Connector Standard defines pin assignments for each connector type. This means an ARK GPS plugs into any Pixhawk-compatible flight controller without custom wiring.

CAN — 4-Pin JST-GH

Pin	Signal	Color
1	5V	Red
2	CAN_H	Yellow
3	CAN_L	Green
4	GND	Black

Used by all ARK DroneCAN peripherals. See CAN Bus for protocol details.

I2C — 4-Pin JST-GH

Pin	Signal	Color
1	5V	Red
2	SCL	Yellow
3	SDA	Green
4	GND	Black

Used by I2C devices like external magnetometers and barometers.

UART/I2C (Basic GPS) — 6-Pin JST-GH

Pin	Signal	Color
1	5V	Red
2	TX	Yellow
3	RX	Green
4	SCL	Blue
5	SDA	Orange
6	GND	Black

Combined UART and I2C port, typically used for GPS modules with a compass.

TELEM — 6-Pin JST-GH

Pin	Signal	Color
1	5V	Red
2	TX	Yellow
3	RX	Green
4	CTS	Blue
5	RTS	Orange
6	GND	Black

Used for MAVLink telemetry connections with hardware flow control.

Debug — 6-Pin JST-SH

Pin	Signal
1	3.3V
2	UART TX
3	UART RX
4	SWDIO
5	SWCLK
6	GND

Used for SWD programming and debug console access.

Wire Color Conventions

Pixhawk standard cables follow a consistent color scheme:

Color	Typical Signal
Red	Power (5V or 3.3V) — always pin 1
Black	Ground (GND) — always last pin
Yellow	First data signal (CAN_H, TX, SCL)
Green	Second data signal (CAN_L, RX, SDA)
Blue	Third data signal (CTS, SCL on combo ports)
Orange	Fourth data signal (RTS, SDA on combo ports)

Power is always pin 1 (red), ground is always the last pin (black). This is consistent across all Pixhawk Standard connectors and makes visual inspection easy.

Cable Kits

If you need additional or custom-length cables, these pre-crimped kits include connectors and wires ready to assemble (no crimping tool required):

• JST-GH 1.25 mm (peripheral connectors): GH1.25 Connectors Kit on Amazon

• JST-SH 1.0 mm (debug connectors): JST SH 1.0mm Connector Kit on Amazon

Common Pitfalls

• JST-GH and JST-SH are not interchangeable — they look similar but have different pitches (1.25 mm vs 1.0 mm). Forcing the wrong connector will damage the socket.

• Inserting cables backwards — JST connectors are keyed, but enough force can overcome the key. Always check orientation by the latch, not by pushing harder.

• Pulling on wires instead of the connector — grip the plastic housing when disconnecting, not the wires. The wires will pull out of the crimps.

• Missing the latch click — if the connector doesn't click, it is not seated. A partially inserted connector makes intermittent contact, causing random disconnects.

• Assuming wire colors match between vendors — not all cable manufacturers follow the Pixhawk color standard. When in doubt, check the pinout for your specific product.

Further Reading

• Pixhawk Connector Standard

• PX4 Wiring Quick Start

• CAN Bus — CAN bus protocol and wiring details

• SWD Programming — debug connector usage