Hi I'm newbie here.
Wondering if the Mavlink mission planner software is open source and what it was written in for Windows.
I have a daft idea about porting it to run on an embedded linux system. Running the linux system in the air - controllable from the ground so I can develop a hi res transparent OSD for the airborne linux system.
The other things I'd need would be good documentation for the Mavlink serial protocol or how the serial data stream is organised from the OSD/Modem port on the IMU and or the Adrupilot's USB port. I'd also need to know if their is any way to access raw RC PWM values via these interfaces. My very fledgling idea is to use three spare RC channels to simulate a mouse to control the linux system from the ground. Two axis (left right, up down) and mouse down signal and transmit the linux systems display to the ground using a bog standard video link. The hardware I have in mind has a composite output and good graphics capabilities. Its also small (slightly larger than a credit card) with low power consumption.
Any thoughts or suggestion about the idea?
Where can I get hold of a detailed description of the Adrupilot serial protocols? Without them I cant make much of a start - I cant even write the code for the linux system from scratch without this documentation.
Any comments? Good bad or indifferent?
Replies
Mavlink start here: http://qgroundcontrol.org/mavlink/start
Planner is open source it's here: http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/
It's in C#3/.Net 2 (for linux/mono compatibility). No port necessary if you use Mono, however the code may have to be re-organised to decouple the GUI and get what you want out into a library.
Probably a better approach is to use the Mavlink code generation tool - it creates a mavlink parser library in C or Python (I have a C# version also although it's not in the main mavlink repo)
Yes you can get RC values over mavlink. This is how the planner does configuration of the TX etc.
No need to use spare RX channels for control, if you have good telem link, then UAV control can be achieved over that (search for threads describing PC joystick control)
If your end goal is to make a super duper OSD, then one piece of advice I have is to develop it 'on the ground' - i.e write a simulator for your composite out hardware. Then you can get the OSD/Mavlink code right MUCH faster than trying to develop on the target. Also makes writing test harnesses easier.