PX4-PreFlight

Integration testing suite for PX4 Autopilot with ROS 2, featuring containerized simulation and automated workflows.

Overview

PX4-PreFlight provides a complete testing framework for PX4 Autopilot development with ROS 2 integration. It includes Docker-based PX4 simulation infrastructure and GitHub Actions workflows for continuous integration testing.

Architecture

PX4-PreFlight/
├── ros-px4-bridge-docker/        (Submodule) - ROS 2 + PX4 Docker environment
│   ├── scripts/                  - Setup and runtime scripts
│   ├── Dockerfile                - Container definition
│   └── .github/workflows/        - Docker build workflow
├── px4-flight-test-docker/       (Submodule) - Automated flight testing
│   ├── scripts/                  - Flight test scripts
│   ├── Dockerfile                - Container definition
│   └── .github/workflows/        - Flight test workflow
├── .github/workflows/
│   ├── full_integration.yml      - Main CI/CD orchestrator
│   └── px4_ros_integration.yml   - Reusable PX4+ROS2 test workflow
└── run_all_workflows_local.sh    - Local testing script (using act)

Components

ros-px4-bridge-docker (Submodule)

• Containerized PX4 SITL simulation environment
• ROS 2 Humble + Gazebo Garden + Micro XRCE-DDS Agent
• Build and runtime scripts for PX4 and ROS 2
• Reusable in any project requiring PX4 simulation

px4-flight-test-docker (Submodule)

• Automated flight testing with video recording
• Python-based flight test script (takeoff, hover, land)
• Built on top of px4-sim-docker
• Reusable workflow for automated testing

Quick Start

Clone with Submodules

# Clone the repository with submodules
git clone --recursive https://github.com/derickcoder44/PX4-PreFlight.git

# Or if already cloned, initialize submodules
git submodule update --init --recursive

Using ros-px4-bridge-docker Independently

The Docker environment can be used as a standalone submodule in other projects:

# Add to your project
git submodule add https://github.com/derickcoder44/ros-px4-bridge-docker.git

# Use the scripts
cd ros-px4-bridge-docker
./scripts/install_dependencies.sh
./scripts/build_px4.sh
./scripts/run_simulation.sh

Features

• Docker-Based Simulation: Containerized PX4 SITL with Gazebo Garden
• ROS 2 Integration: Full ROS 2 Humble support with px4_msgs and px4_ros_com
• Automated Testing: CI/CD workflows for PX4+ROS 2 integration testing
• Flight Testing: Python script for automated takeoff, hover, and landing tests
• Local Testing: Test GitHub Actions workflows locally with act
• Reusable Workflows: Modular workflow design for use in other projects

Development Workflow

Running Tests Locally

# Test all workflows locally using act
./run_all_workflows_local.sh

# This will:
# - Run full integration tests
# - Execute flight tests with video recording
# - Save artifacts to /tmp/act-artifacts/

Setting Up PX4 Environment

# Install dependencies (in container or local)
cd ros-px4-bridge-docker
./scripts/install_dependencies.sh
./scripts/install_gazebo.sh
./scripts/install_dds_agent.sh

# Prepare workspace
./scripts/prepare_workspace.sh

# Build PX4 and ROS
./scripts/build_px4.sh
./scripts/build_ros2.sh

# Run simulation
./scripts/run_dds_agent.sh      # Terminal 1
./scripts/run_simulation.sh     # Terminal 2

CI/CD Integration

The repository includes GitHub Actions workflows that run automatically on push and pull requests.

Workflow Structure

full_integration.yml - Main orchestrator workflow that:

• Builds Docker images (ros-bridge and px4-sim)
• Runs PX4+ROS 2 integration tests
• Executes flight tests with takeoff, hover, and landing
• Uploads artifacts (logs, videos) on failure

px4_ros_integration.yml - Reusable workflow that:

• Pulls pre-built container images from GHCR
• Starts DDS agent and PX4 SITL simulation
• Verifies ROS 2 topic communication
• Tests sensor data streaming from PX4 to ROS 2

Updating Submodules

# Update ros-px4-bridge-docker to latest
git submodule update --remote ros-px4-bridge-docker

# Update px4-flight-test-docker to latest
git submodule update --remote px4-flight-test-docker

# Commit submodule updates
git add ros-px4-bridge-docker px4-flight-test-docker
git commit -m "Update submodules to latest versions"

Use Cases

For PX4 Developers

• Test PX4 Autopilot changes with ROS 2 integration
• Verify SITL simulation with Gazebo
• Validate DDS communication between PX4 and ROS 2

For ROS 2 Developers

• Test ROS 2 nodes with PX4 simulation
• Develop autonomous flight algorithms
• Prototype drone control systems

For CI/CD Integration

• Use reusable workflows in other repositories
• Automate PX4+ROS 2 testing in your projects
• Leverage Docker-based testing infrastructure

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! The submodules have their own repositories:

• Contribute to ros-px4-bridge-docker
• Contribute to px4-flight-test-docker

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Resources

• PX4 Autopilot
• ROS 2 Documentation
• Gazebo