MAVROS

MAVLink extendable communication node for ROS with UDP proxy for Ground Control Station (e.g. QGroundControl).

Feutures

• Communication with autopilot via serial port (e.g. ArduPilot)
• UDP proxy for Ground Control Station
• mavlink_ros compatible ROS topics (Mavlink.msg)
• Plugin system for ROS-MAVLink translation
• Parameter manipulation tool
• Waypoint manipulation tool

Limitations

Only for linux. Depends on Boost library >= 1.49. Catkin build system required (tested with ROS Hydro Medusa and Indigo Igloo).

Parameters

General node parametars:

• ~/serial_port -- FCU serial device (default: /dev/ttyACM0)
• ~/serial_baud -- serial baud rate (default: 57600)
• ~/bind_host -- UDP proxy listen host (default: 0.0.0.0)
• ~/bind_port -- UDP proxy port (default: 14555)
• ~/gcs_host -- GCS host
• ~/gcs_port -- GCS UDP port (default: 14550)
• ~/system_id -- Node MAVLink System ID (default: 1)
• ~/component_id -- Node MAVLink Component ID (default: 240 == UDP_BRIDGE)
• ~/target_system_id -- FCU System ID (default: 1)
• ~/target_component_id -- FCU Component ID (default: 1)
• ~/startup_px4_usb_quirk -- autostart mavlink via USB on PX4

Plugins parameters:

• ~conn_timeout -- FCU connection timeout [sec] (default: 30.0)
• ~gps/frame_id -- GPS Header.frame_id (default: 'gps')
• ~gps/time_ref_source -- TimeRefrence Header frame_id (default: 'gps')
• ~imu/frame_id -- IMU Header.frame_id (default: 'fcu')
• ~imu/linear_acceleration_stdev -- accel's standard deviation (default: 0.0003)
• ~imu/angular_velocity_stdev -- gyro's standard deviation [rad] (default: 0.02°)
• ~imu/orientation_stdev -- deviation for IMU.orientation (default: 1.0)
• ~param/* -- FCU parameters mapped by ParamPlugin
• ~mission/pull_after_gcs -- automatically pull waypoints if GCS pulls (default: off)

Servicies

ParamPlugin:

• ~param/pull -- Pulls FCU params to rosparam
• ~param/push -- Push rosparam to FCU
• ~param/get -- Get one FCU parameter
• ~param/set -- Set one FCU parameter and update rosparam with actual value

WaypointPlugin:

• ~mission/pull -- Pulls FCU waypoints and publish
• ~mission/push -- Push new waypoint list to FCU
• ~mission/clear -- Clear waypoint list
• ~mission/set_current -- Set current active waypoint (in list)
• ~mission/goto -- send one waypoint (only APM)

CommandPlugin:

• ~cmd/command -- Send any COMMAND_LONG (all FCU)
• ~cmd/arming -- Arm/Disarm command
• ~cmd/set_mode -- Set FCU operation mode
• ~cmd/set_home -- Set home position (if supported)

Programs

mavros_node -- main communication node

Main node.

Run example:

rosrun mavros mavros_node _serial_port:=/dev/ttyACM0 _serial_baud:=115200 _gcs_host:=localhost

ros_udp -- additional UDP proxy

Allows you to add a UDP channel for GCS. For example if you need to connect one GCS for HIL and the second on the tablet.

Example (HIL & DroidPlanner):

rosrun mavros mavros_node _gcs_host:='hil-host' _gcs_port:=14556 _bind_port:=14551 &
rosrun mavros ros_udp _gcs_host:='nexus7'

mavparam -- parameter manipulation

Just see --help.

Examples:

rosrun mavros mavparam dump /tmp/apm.param
rosrun mavros mavparam load /tmp/apm2.param

mavwp -- mission manipulation

See --help.

Examples:

rosrun mavros mavwp show -p
rosrun mavros dump /tmp/mission.txt

Installation

Use wstool utility for installation. In your workspace do:

wstool set -t src --git https://github.com/vooon/mavros.git
wstool update -t src

Then use regular catkin_make for biuld and install.

Testing

Simple communication library test (serial-udp bridge):

catkin_make mavudpproxy && ./devel/lib/mavros/mavudpproxy /dev/ttyACM0 115200

Links

• MAVLink -- communication protocol
• mavlink_ros -- original ROS node (few messages, no proxy)
• ArduPilot -- tested autopilot APM:Plane (default command set)
• QGroundControl -- tested ground control station for linux
• DroidPlanner -- tested GCS for Android