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Bug Page: Introduction · Dronecode SDK

mavlink/MAVSDK#142

• Update API reference
• Add guide docs as needed
• Add doc for the new example

As per mavlink/MAVSDK#85 (comment)

@hamishwillee
As per this commit, we need to accordingly update guide to run unit and integration tests here.

@JonasVautherin This problem has come up a few times - people do not know how to format the strings, and all our examples use SITL.

What we need to do is add connection string info for common cases. Probably in Connecting to Systems (Vehicles) · MAVSDK Guide, and either linked or reproduced in http://mavsdk-python-docs.s3-website.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/#run-the-examples

Also add the info about how you can get it on linux using dmesg.

Some of the options to cover:

• Linux computer connected to the vehicle via Serial port - presumably for a companion like RaPi? - "serial:///dev/ttyACM0" [as above - do we need these three forward slashes at start?]
• Linux computer via USB - "serial /dev/ttyUSB0"? [Can we see this via dmesg?]
• SITL connected to the vehicle via UDP -
• SITL connected to the vehicle via TCP -
• OSX computer connected to the vehicle via USB -
• Windows computer connected to the vehicle via USB (in this case on COM1) |- ?
• Windows computer connected to the vehicle telemetry radio?
• Any more.

Upshot, let's have a link that people can find this one.

Can you fill in the table, and show me an example output of using dmesg?

mavlink/MAVSDK#75 (comment)

Merged here: mavlink/MAVSDK#235

Bug Page: FAQ · DroneCore Guide

Re

> ### Why is libCURL a dependency?

-libCURL will be required to download the camera definition file which is referenced in [CAMERA_INFORMATION](http://mavlink.org/messages/common#CAMERA_INFORMATION). It might also come in handy whenever any other REST resources are required.       

This needs to be updated because it isn't clear why DroneCore needs CAMERA_INFORMATION

This requires camera plugin - still not open sourced - note, follow up with @julianoes .

class ParamsRaw

• IN theory you can send all types here MAV_PARAM_TYPE but you only provide interfaces for a few
• In the Python API how are types managed? Specifically, you can use an API like this to get a real or a bool or whatever, and you know what type it is. However once you have the parameter (an int say), Python doesn't know if it float, int32, uint64 or whatever. So if you store this value and decide to send the parameter again later, how do you "remember" what the type of the incoming parameter was so you can send it appropriately?

mavlink/MAVSDK#145 adds support for download of missions and update. There are some method name changes and a little new functionality.

I've been trying to run the takeoff_and_land.py example on a live drone. The drone connects, it arms briefly (1-3 sec), then the motors stop and the result is COMMAND_DENIED: origin: takeoff(): params().
I can takeoff and even run missions directly from QGC without issue. Seems there's something QGC is doing that the example code is not.

The API went in as mavlink/MAVSDK#124 and API Reference is now present in the develop tree docs here.

• The API is still missing telemetry to get gimbal position
  • delivered in mavlink/MAVSDK#141 (in telemetry)

I don't think there is justification for a gimbal guide doc. Propose a "Camera and Gimbal" doc that explains what options the API provides for camera control. I suspect just missions, with gimbal setting the gimbal behaviour during mission.

https://github.com/sourcey/moxygen

Currently we use a custom script https://github.com/dronecore/DroneCore/blob/master/generate_markdown_from_doxygen_xml.py

To (minimally) include fixes in mavlink/MAVSDK#223

I set up an environment on my Raspberry Pi 4, mavproxy + mavsdk + pixhawk

The mavproxy command (which I run from the Raspberry, works as intended):

mavproxy.py --master=/dev/ttyACM0 --out=udp:127.0.0.1:14540 --out=udp:127.0.0.1:14550 --out=udp:127.0.0.1:14560 --out=udp:192.168.1.107:14540 --out=udp:192.168.1.107:14550 --out=udp:192.168.1.107:14560 --out=udp:192.168.1.107:57600 --aircraft=ABZERO --daemon &

The connection to Mission Planner:
Mission Planner Screenshot

takeoff_and_land.py actual code:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import asyncio
from mavsdk import System


async def run():

    drone = System()
    await drone.connect(system_address="serial:///dev/ttyACM0:57600")

    print("Waiting for drone to connect...")
    async for state in drone.core.connection_state():
        if state.is_connected:
            print(f"Drone discovered with UUID: {state.uuid}")
            break

    print("Waiting for drone to have a global position estimate...")
    async for health in drone.telemetry.health():
        if health.is_global_position_ok:
            print("Global position estimate ok")
            break

    print("-- Arming")
    await drone.action.arm()

    print("-- Taking off")
    await drone.action.takeoff()

    await asyncio.sleep(5)

    print("-- Landing")
    await drone.action.land()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
    loop.run_until_complete(run())

The actual error when doing takeoff_and_land.py:

pi@raspberrypi:~/drone $ python3 takeoff_and_land.py
Waiting for mavsdk_server to be ready...
Connected to mavsdk_server!
Waiting for drone to connect...
Drone discovered with UUID: 0
Waiting for drone to have a global position estimate...
Global position estimate ok
-- Arming
-- Taking off
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "takeoff_and_land.py", line 38, in <module>
    loop.run_until_complete(run())
  File "/usr/lib/python3.7/asyncio/base_events.py", line 584, in run_until_complete
    return future.result()
  File "takeoff_and_land.py", line 28, in run
    await drone.action.takeoff()
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/mavsdk/action.py", line 360, in takeoff
    raise ActionError(result, "takeoff()")
mavsdk.action.ActionError: COMMAND_DENIED: 'Command Denied'; origin: takeoff(); params: ()
Exception ignored in: <function System.__del__ at 0xb5387660>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/mavsdk/system.py", line 54, in __del__
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/mavsdk/system.py", line 90, in _stop_mavsdk_server
ImportError: sys.meta_path is None, Python is likely shutting down

The mavproxy output when I do takeoff_and_land.py:

ARMED
Arming checks disabled
APM: finished motor test
DISARMED

These pages contain -Bbuild and -Bbuild/*

Building Source > Building in Docker was written when we just had one Dockerfile in root. Now there are multiple files here: https://github.com/dronecore/DroneCore/tree/develop/docker

Need to confirm instructions still OK.

The topic "Taking Off and Landing" covers all actions. I named it that because taking off and landing is the action that people first try to do. However this does a lot more than just those actions now.

So plan is to rename

• TOC: Actions
• Page: Actions - Taking Off , Landing, RTL (OR at least see how this looks)

There were some new structs added to API ref in #131. Determine whether guide needs to be updated or added to for these.

@julianoes Note that right now this is not my priority. This is a placeholder to mark "work that should be done".

The Gimbal and Camera plugins currently have API reference.

• Need to create a guide page explaining how to use camera and gimbal
• should cover options - ie both missions and outside of missions.
• Should show main API options.
• Should link to the integration tests.

Possibly also create example, but that could wait.

Related issues:

• #111
• mavlink/MAVSDK#338

Some C++ library build functionality is not supported "seamlessly" on Windows builds. For example, you can't automatically build docs, and the system install does not work.

Action is to add a note asking for help. Probably in the contribution section, but also in the "current status" or roadmap sections. Maybe also on README for the DroneCore repo.

I recently updated MAVSDK on my project and noticed that using mavsdk within my project does not match the documentation.

The documentation recommends initialization like:

`
Mavsdk mavsdk;

ConnectionResult connection_result = mavsdk.add_any_connection("udp://:14540");
`

but the above code does not work anymore because the default constructor has been deleted. Reading through the repo I was able to resolve my issue, but just wanted to make sure that the documentation is outdated and I am using MAVSDK correctly. If the documentation is outdated, I am open to spending sometime refining portions of the documentation.

When mavlink/MAVSDK#163 is complete do:

• Update API reference
• Add guide docs - probably just in the "Action" guide, but maybe worth having VTOL specific section.
• Add doc for the new example

We should document how to use the mavlink_server standalone without a frontend for someone that wants to interact directly using gRPC.

FYI @JonasVautherin

I thought I should open this as it's own issue and maybe there's a short answer. When running the takeoff_and_land.py example, the drone (live drone over RFD900 telemetry) remains in LAND mode after land command. This prevents arming until the mode is changed to an armable mode - thru QGC or an RC TX.
From what I've found, there's no way change mode or really even see mode (it's always mode = UNKNOWN). When TAKEOFF is executed it switches to GUIDED mode (according to the documentation). Shouldn't ARM do the same thing, or does it already?

Example delivered in mavlink/MAVSDK#217

a

in https://dronecore.gitbooks.io/dronecore-guide/content/en/examples/takeoff_and_land.html

I am trying to connect via serial (ttyUSB0) from pixhawk to a jetson xavier. I have installed mavsdk-python via pip3 and I am trying to execute examples/takeoff_and_land.py. With the only difference that

await drone.connect(system_address="udp://:14545")

has been changed to

await drone.connect(system_address="serial:///dev/ttyUSB0")
However I am getting the following error

This installation does not provide an embedded 'mavsdk_server' binary.
If you installed using pip, this means that 'mavsdk_server' is not distributed
for your platform yet (e.g. arm).

You will need to get and run the 'mavsdk_server' binary manually:

  1. Download 'mavsdk_server' from: https://github.com/mavlink/mavsdk/releases
     or build it from source.

  2. Run it, e.g. on port 50051:
     './mavsdk_server -p 50051'

  3. Set the 'mavsdk_server_address' and port when creating the System:
     'drone = System(mavsdk_server_address='localhost', port=50051)'

Any ideas why this is happening ?
P.S I have checked that the FTDI is connected to ttyUSB0. I have enabled the mavlink connection (MAV_1_CONFIG = TELEM 2). I am using a HITL approach via AirSim (Although I believe that this is not relevant)

1. This should state explicitly that it is for Gimbal control outside of missions
2. We probably need a gimbal/camera guide page that explains this.

Bug Page: class Gimbal · DroneCore Guide

As discussed here: mavlink/MAVSDK#314. Depends on this PR: mavlink/MAVSDK#316

From a docs perspective this pretty much involves doing a global search->replace of "&device" to device where the device is used:

auto telemetry = std::make_shared<Telemetry>(&device);

TO

auto telemetry = std::make_shared<Telemetry>(device);

BUT cannot do a pure replace, because we still create the reference in the same way:

Device &device = dc.device();

Will also need to rebuild API reference.

See mavlink/MAVSDK#290

This will affect the examples, API ref, and guide on connections.

See this:
mavlink/MAVSDK#363

When merged, will need docs update.

Can be looked into when mavlink/MAVSDK#406 is merged.

Low priority, but all the examples precede the update where device_impl.cpp was renamed device.cpp. As a result the console log has Debug messages from the device_impl file that no longer exists.

Action is to run the examples again and update the console log.

Low priority

The main version of the docs at https://mavsdk.mavlink.io/main/en is not up to date. It currently says:

Updated: 2021-09-29 08:27:56

v0.44 of the docs is newer than this:

Updated: 2021-10-01 07:32:53

https://docs.dronecore.io/en/guide/taking_off_landing.html#health-check

Currently running tests on external plugins is broken. The docs have been updated to some extent, but can't be tested (and could be wrong because of that).

Action to update docs on how to do this, once the functionality is fixed:

• Information on how to run integration tests for external plugins
• Information on how to run unit tests for external plugins

Note, this follows on from #95

Hi @hamishwillee we need to update API Overview by adding Gimbal & Follow Me plugins to the list.

Thanks.

mavlink/MAVSDK#188

This will be potentially a lot of work. Start next week.

Seed with information here: mavlink/MAVSDK#150 (comment)

Add info on developer logging - ie both messages you can add to plugins, and the message logging for all MAVLink comms: https://docs.dronecore.io/v/develop/en/contributing/dev_logging.html#message_logging

Perhaps start a FAQ on how to deal with particular types of issues - e.g. "What do to if you get a timeout" - with "ways to check that message is actually sent".

For this, from Julian - to solve this problem (timeout)

• You need to know that a mavlink command gets published as a uORB vehicle_command
• And that a vehicle_command_ack as a mavlink command ack again

mavlink/MAVSDK#130

• Change Builds to reflect system wide install default
  • Examples require sudo: mavlink/MAVSDK#156
• Update examples to include new CMakeLists
  • Examples not running: mavlink/MAVSDK#157
• Update guide to explain how to create CMakeLists
• Test can build apiref and update
• Test can build debug/release and update
• Test everything on windows and update appropriately .
• Remove requirement to link against pthread (now done inside dronecore)
• Confirm all the other ios build etc stuff works.
• Confirm and doc external library build. Do in both build doc and the extension doc.
  • See mavlink/MAVSDK#160