Microsoft have provide a build-in Linux subsystem(WSL-Windows Subsystem for Linux). You can follow the official docs to get you to a Linux enviroment. Also, you may use virtual machine or a Linux Pc. Just make sure you have a Linux developing environment. Ubuntu is preferable.
From Nov 2015, the version of Linux ships in the bebop is too old to run Ardupilot and must be upgraded.
The first step is downloading a custom version as the ardupilot development docs told.
1. Power up your Bebop.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi network (BebopDrone-XXXX).
3. Install adb (android debug tool).
sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb
4. Connect to the Bebop’s adb server on port 9050:
cd /Your Path that have bebopdrone_update.plf. adb connect 192.168.42.1:9050
5. Remount the system partition as writeable:
adb shell mount -o remount,rw /
6. Push the new version of Linux to the Bebop2:
adb cd /data/ftp/internal_000/ adb push bebopdrone_update.plf /data/ftp/internal_000/
7. Connect to the Bebop by telnet
telnet 192.168.42.1
8. Sync and reboot
sync reboot
The official docs are provided here.
1. Get git.
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install git sudo apt-get install gitk git-gui
2. Install some required packages.
Tools/environment_install/install-prereqs-ubuntu.sh -y . ~/.profile
3. Install armhf toolchain.
download parrot-tools-linuxgnutools-2016.02-linaro_1.0.0-2_amd64.deb from Internet
and install it by using:
sudo dpkg -i parrot-tools-linuxgnutools-2016.02-linaro_1.0.0-2_amd64.deb export PATH=/opt/arm-2016.02-linaro/bin:$PATH
4. Clone ArduPilot repository.
git clone https://github.com/your-github-userid/ardupilot cd ardupilot git submodule update --init --recursive // *Update is important!*
1. Set build parameters for bebop2 and build
cd /You path/ardupilot ./waf configure --board=bebop --static ./waf build
2. Uploading firmware.
The compiled firmware in binary form will be stored in ardupilot/arducopter/build/bebop/bin/arducopter.
The easiest way to upload it is using Mission Planner. Get Mission Planner on your machine and direct to upload firmware. Choose costume firmware and pick the builded one (in ardupilot/arducopter/build/bebop/bin/arducopter)
Then follow the instruction in Mission Planner to finish this.
The communication of ardupilot is using MAVLINK protocol. It is a powerful protocol with fruitable support. You should install ROS and its package for MAVLINK, name mavros.
1. Get start with ROS.
Install ROS on your PC, follow the official tutorial.
2. Build a Catkin workspace
A catkin workspace is a folder where you modify, build, and install catkin packages. Again, follow the official tutorial, which is much helpful.
3. Install mavros
Clone the mavros repository and build it.
cd /Your Path/catkin_ws/src git clone https://github.com/mavlink/mavros.git cd /Your Path/catkin_ws or directly cd .. catkin_make (this command with automatically build all packages in /Your Path/catkin_ws/src)
Take the optitrack system as an example.A good tutorial from Denise Ratasich can be found here.
1. Connect your PC with motion capture system and make sure they are in a same local networks.
2. Creat a rigid body in motion capture system.And broadcast it using vrpn.
3. Install vrpn_client_ros package
cd /Your Path/catkin_ws/src git clone https://github.com/ros-drivers/vrpn_client_ros.git cd /Your Path/catkin_ws or directly cd .. catkin_make
4. Find the launch file for vprn_client_ros
roscd vprn_client_ros cd launch chmod a+w sample.launch (give all user right to write)
5. Modified launch file.
The ardupilot will ignore high frequency external position feedback. To make sure the data works, we need to change update frequency to 30hz.
vi sample.launch change the frequency to 30.0 (Make sure you are in INSERT mode) zz (command of save and quit)
6. Run vrpn_client_ros
roslaunch vrpn_client_ros sample.launch server:= <your server(machien that runs Motive) IP>
7. Check the rostopic to verify the effectiveness.
rostopic list rostopic echo /vrpn_client_ros/RigidBody1/pose
8. Remap the data from vrpntopic to mavros topic.
roscd mavros // change directory to mavros cd launch chmod a+w apm_config.yaml // add write to all user vi apm_config.yaml // open and modify apm_config.yaml
Paste following line into apm_config.yaml
<remap from="/mavros/mocap/pose" to="/vrpn_client_node/RigidBody1/pose" />
save and quit apm_config.yaml.
Then the ardupilot will find external data from /vrpn_client_node/RigidBody1/pose
The EKF in ardupilot will automatically take the x,y,z and yaw information from external, and roll, pitch from IMU.
1. Connect to Optitrack
roslaunch vrpn_client_ros sample.launch server:=10.10.10.1 // the IP address of machine running Motive is 10.10.10.1
2. Connect Bebop2
Connect to Bebop2 wifi (BebeopDrone-XXXX)
and open a new ternimal in ubuntu. type in following command:
roslaunch mavros apm.launch fcu_url:=udp://:14551@192.168.42.1 // launch mavros and connect to bebop2 by udp, bebop2 IP address is 192.168.42.1:14551, with ground station bridge active.
If successs, you will see
EKF2 IMU0 is using external nav data EKF2 IMU0 initial pos NED = xx,xx,xx (m) EKF2 IMU0 ext nav yaw alignment complete
3. Set home position New a python script to automatically do this.
touch set_origin.py
and paste following codes:
#!/usr/bin/env python
##
#
# Send SET_GPS_GLOBAL_ORIGIN and SET_HOME_POSITION messages
#
##
import rospy
from pymavlink.dialects.v10 import ardupilotmega as MAV_APM
from mavros.mavlink import convert_to_rosmsg
from mavros_msgs.msg import Mavlink
# Global position of the origin
lat = 0 * 1e7 # Terni
lon = 0 * 1e7 # Terni
alt = 0.11 * 1e3
class fifo(object):
""" A simple buffer """
def __init__(self):
self.buf = []
def write(self, data):
self.buf += data
return len(data)
def read(self):
return self.buf.pop(0)
def send_message(msg, mav, pub):
"""
Send a mavlink message
"""
msg.pack(mav)
rosmsg = convert_to_rosmsg(msg)
pub.publish(rosmsg)
print("sent message %s" % msg)
def set_global_origin(mav, pub):
"""
Send a mavlink SET_GPS_GLOBAL_ORIGIN message, which allows us
to use local position information without a GPS.
"""
target_system = mav.srcSystem
#target_system = 0 # 0 --> broadcast to everyone
lattitude = lat
longitude = lon
altitude = alt
msg = MAV_APM.MAVLink_set_gps_global_origin_message(
target_system,
lattitude,
longitude,
altitude)
send_message(msg, mav, pub)
def set_home_position(mav, pub):
"""
Send a mavlink SET_HOME_POSITION message, which should allow
us to use local position information without a GPS
"""
target_system = mav.srcSystem
#target_system = 0 # broadcast to everyone
lattitude = lat
longitude = lon
altitude = alt
x = 0
y = 0
z = 0.11
q = [1, 0, 0, 0] # w x y z
approach_x = 0
approach_y = 0
approach_z = 1
msg = MAV_APM.MAVLink_set_home_position_message(
target_system,
lattitude,
longitude,
altitude,
x,
y,
z,
q,
approach_x,
approach_y,
approach_z)
send_message(msg, mav, pub)
if __name__=="__main__":
try:
rospy.init_node("origin_publisher")
mavlink_pub = rospy.Publisher("/mavlink/to", Mavlink, queue_size=20)
# Set up mavlink instance
f = fifo()
mav = MAV_APM.MAVLink(f, srcSystem=1, srcComponent=1)
# wait to initialize
while mavlink_pub.get_num_connections() <= 0:
pass
for _ in range(2):
rospy.sleep(1)
set_global_origin(mav, mavlink_pub)
set_home_position(mav, mavlink_pub)
except rospy.ROSInterruptException:
pass
then modify the home position as your own situation.
4. Set the stream rate
In order to monitor vehicle's state, we need to set thr stream rate to same as ground station. Otherwise, you will noting from the state topic.
rosservice call /mavros/set_stream_rate 0 10 1
5. Use rqt_plot to monitor system state.
rqt_plot
and add following topics:
/vrpn_client_ros/RigidBody1/pose/pose/positon //the x,y,z data from motion capture system /vrpn_client_ros/RigidBody1/pose/pose/orientation //the roll,pitch,yaw from motion capture system /mavros/local_position/pose/pose/position //the local x,y,z data of vehicle *NOTICE:* If you don't set the home position nor set the stream rate, you will see nothing in mavros topics concerned with vehicle state.
6. First flight with MAVProxy
Now it is time to test your vehicle. Open MAVProxy and make sure it is connect to your vehicle.
Use following command to active it.
loiter // change mode to loiter arm throttle // the motor is hot takeoff 0.5 // takeoff to 0.5m relative height stabilize // change mode to stabilize, the vehicle will stop the motor. disarm //lock the motor
You can monitor the vehicle's state and modify the PID parameters