Release 0.8.0

[vooon]

I think we near release.

Issues todo:

• FTP FTP plugin #128
• @mhkabir Add support for timesync from onboard companion computer PX4/PX4-Autopilot#1278 status? Time syncronization plugin #156
• Check param bug Param send timeout restart don't work #69
• Check waypoint bug Waypoint timeout pull restart doesn't work #66

[mhkabir]

I haven't been getting any time at all to do any work. I will fix up the PX4 side a bit more, make it fully OK.

Can you do the mavros side? Basically it the same as on PX4 side (After I add a couple of more things)
You would have to :

1. Remove handling of SYSTEM_TIME from GPS plugin and put it in system_status plugin.
2. Publish UTC epoch time from message in TimeReference message for NTPD.
3. Publish time_offset (calculated in SYSTEM_TIME callback with same logic as PX4 including reboot checks) in TimeReference message for all other mavros plugins to use.
4. Add sending of SYSTEM_TIME message (already implemented) but also send UTC epoch time from system clock if valid ( time > 1/1/2011)
5. Reboot checks ( I will fix this on PX4 side soon. Same logic)
6. Use offset in a plugin (for example IMU, etc.)
7. Send proper timestamp with message (time_boot_ms <- ROS::TimeNow in ms) in eg. VISION_ESTIMATE plugin.

We use 1/1/2011 for all validity checks.

Tell me if you are having problem in understanding anything :)

[mhkabir]

@vooon What is the status of GPS?

I see

/mavros/fix
/mavros/global_position/compass_hdg
/mavros/global_position/global
/mavros/global_position/gps_vel
/mavros/global_position/local
/mavros/global_position/rel_alt
/mavros/gps_vel

Can we make all this more compact, instead of so many topics? Can we atleast get it into a single namespace i.e global_position?

I also suggest similar structure for local position. All global data from GPS under /global_position/ and all local data under /local_position/

[vooon]

Difference is in that ~fix and ~gps_vel is RAW data from GPS module, while global_position is fused by FCU.

APM don't support global_position messages at all. Also GPS plugin is one of the oldest in system.
I think to move it to gps ns in next releases.

[mhkabir]

@vooon Does the /mavros/fix message have a valid covariance? (PX4)

[vooon]

I use nmea_navsat_driver as example, they calculate covariance from EPH value.

[vooon]

#156 moved to next release. Also i hope to update other plugins to use timesync.

[mhkabir]

I made a mistake in time sync on PX4. I thought ROS sends time since boot, but it actually sends time since epoch. I will have to rework the whole thing again...

[vooon]

Release time!

[vooon]

Released:

• Hydro: mavros: 0.8.0-0 in 'hydro/distribution.yaml' [bloom] ros/rosdistro#5797
• Indigo: mavros: 0.8.0-0 in 'indigo/distribution.yaml' [bloom] ros/rosdistro#5798