Is there a way to work on the configuration for a UAV without connecting the actual autopilot to Mission Planner? Kind of like working on the configuration parameters offline, saving them to the parameters file, then later applying it to the autopilot.
Thanks,
Paul
You can edit the param file in a text editor then upload it later
Ok thanks James, Paul
Remember that all the parameters are values stored in the flight controller. When you start up Mission Planner it downloads a copy of the parameter values and provides the different interfaces for you to view and edit the values. Then you must send the values back up to the flight controller by “writing” them if you change anything. As James suggested you can save the current parameters into a file, using the save command on the advanced parameters page, and then you just have a text file with a list of all the parameters. You could then edit that text file but nothing is going to change the behavior of the flight controller until you connect to it and upload the changes.
Thanks Mike - a better explanation than I provided!
Your is just the short version.
I have found tho that a lot of folks don’t understand that Mission Planner does not “contain” the parameters.It is easy to assume that, given that you only see the parameters with the helpful descriptions, in editable form, in Mission Planner. But the concept that Mission Planner is just a utility to conveniently connect to the flight controller and install firmware there or configure it’s firmware is missed. In a much less convenient way you could just use a command line interface to set all the parameters manually via a terminal program or putty.
sounds a little like the core of MAVProxy 
Good point though.
I was hoping there was a way to install the parameters from the saved file into Mission Planner without having to connect a live flight controller.
The reasoning is that I often just want to check a parameter and it sometimes can be inconvenient to power up the UAV and connect it to MP. I keep offline copies of my parameters for all my UAVs and thought I could simply refer to them.
I now know that you can check them by looking at the text file, but it would be nice to be able to see them in the Mission Planner Config/Tuning tools GUI.
I remember back in the day you could work on the configuration offline with the Eagletree Vector system without connecting to the FC.
You can make a feature request here if you want to: https://github.com/ArduPilot/MissionPlanner/issues
Thanks for the tip James, Paul
Did you know that parameter files are just text files, you can look at them in notepad.
ive added beta support for this. the only options are to load and save from file
Dear Mike
in reference to your phrase: … “In a much less convenient way you could just use a command line interface to set all the parameters manually via a terminal program or putty.”
… could you please indicate me how I could set the value of a parameter that normally is not used (e.g. rpm1 or rpm2) through a MAVLink message in Cpp? What exactly I’m trying to do is the following: I have on board of a hexa, an arduino collecting the measurements of two ultrasonic sensors(producing two float numbers). Arduino is connected serially through Telem2 port to the Pixhawk and I use mavlink.h library on it. Those two float numbers must be send to the Pixhawk through a MAVLink message. I thought that they could be stored as the parameters rpm1 and rpm2. I can then access those measurements through python scripting (I can control the vehicle in this way) using commands of the type: cs.rpm1 or cs.rpm2 e.t.c. to get the values of them. Could you please help me?
Ioannis
I don’t know if you can or how to create new parameters. Someone else may be able to tell whether it is possible.
O.K. Mike. Thank you for your answer!