Not able to connect to multiple GCSs/PCs via MAVProxy

Hi All. I’m trying the following set up: Multirotor with Pixhawk FC connected via 433 MHz radio link to Windows PC running Mission Planner (this is the ‘master’, used for arming checks, mission planning etc), which in turn is connected via Ethernet cable to Mac notebook running QGC (this a ‘slave’ used for visualization purposes during missions).
I followed mainly these instructions: http://ardupilot.org/dev/docs/mavproxy-on-windows-7.html , and I think I got close to having the setup working, however neither MP on the Windows PC nor QGC on the Mac are able to actually connect to the Pixhawk and get parameters/data - MP is stuck at ‘Getting Params’, and QGC does not connect; however neither of them gives an evident error message
Following is what Windows command prompt shows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MAVProxy>mavproxy.exe -master=“com3” -baudrate 57600 -out
192.168.0.10:14550
Auto-detected serial ports are:
COM3 : USB Serial Port (COM3) : USB VID:PID=0403:6015 SER=DN00BE75A
Connecting to COM3 : USB Serial Port (COM3) : USB VID:PID=0403:6015 SER=DN00BE75
A
Connect COM3 source_system=255
Running script (C:\Users\Joe\AppData\Local\MAVProxy\mavinit.scr)
Running script C:\Users\Joe\AppData\Local\MAVProxy\mavinit.scr
-> set moddebug 2
-> module load help
Loaded module help
Unknown command 'graph timespan 30’
Log Directory:
Telemetry log: mav.tlog
MAV>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER>
LOITER> APM: PreArm: GPS numsats 5 (needs 6)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.2 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.0 (needs 1.0)

C:\Program Files (x86)\MAVProxy>mavproxy.exe -master=“com3” -baudrate 57600 -out
192.168.0.10:14550 -out 192.168.0.11:14550
Auto-detected serial ports are:
COM3 : USB Serial Port (COM3) : USB VID:PID=0403:6015 SER=DN00BE75A
Connecting to COM3 : USB Serial Port (COM3) : USB VID:PID=0403:6015 SER=DN00BE75
A
Connect COM3 source_system=255
Running script (C:\Users\Joe\AppData\Local\MAVProxy\mavinit.scr)
Running script C:\Users\Joe\AppData\Local\MAVProxy\mavinit.scr
-> set moddebug 2
-> module load help
Loaded module help
Unknown command 'graph timespan 30’
Log Directory:
Telemetry log: mav.tlog
MAV> fence breach
GPS lock at 1 meters
online system 1
LOITER> Mode LOITER
APM: APM:Copter V3.5.0 (633501f9)
APM: PX4: 33825946 NuttX: 1a99ba58
APM: Frame: OCTA
APM: PX4v3 002D0022 30345106 36353832
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.4 (needs 1.0)
Received 774 parameters
Saved 774 parameters to mav.parm
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.3 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.1 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.3 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.0 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 1.3 (needs 1.0)
APM: PreArm: GPS speed error 2.0 (needs 1.0)

I’m no expert, and this the first time I use MAVProxy: hope some of you guys can shed some light on this.
Thanks in advance for the support (and patience :wink:
Regards
Giovanni

Note sure if it’s the formatting on this site, but the arguments should be double dashes, not single.

Also worth specifying udp for the outputs (see http://ardupilot.github.io/MAVProxy/html/getting_started/starting.html#out)

For example: mavproxy.exe --master="com3" --baudrate=57600 --out=udpout: 192.168.0.10:14550 --out=udpout:192.168.0.11:14550

Hi Stephen; thanks a lot for replying.
I used single dashes; I will try with double dashes and with the udp declaration.
I will report back the results.
Thanks again
giovanni

Hi. Just to report back: I was able to connect the Windows PC running MP; I created an ‘ad hoc’ wi-fi network, and was able to connect a Macbook running QGC and an Android phone running Tower.
It worked flawlessly with double dash commands, and also, prior to connecting any ground station, waiting for MAVProxy to download all params. One thing I’m still not clear is wether the GCSs act only as ‘listener’ or can also send commands to the UAV.
Last, thinking of a ‘beyond line of sight’ scenario, what would be the best network type/configuration to use? Perhaps a 3G/4G module on the UAV communicating with the master in the field, and the other GCS connected via VPN? Or else…
Thanks a lot for your support and time.
Best Regards
Giovanni

By default, yes you can send commands. You can make all outputs readonly via set mavfwd false

If you’ve got 3G/4G coverage, sure. Either the GCS and UAV will need a static public IP address though, so MAVProxy can know where to connect to. Using a VPN will solve that issue though.

Thanks a lot, Stephen.
Just to make sure I got it correctly: if I want to male “read-only”, say, only the GS running on machine with IP 192.168.0.11, the command line would be:

mavproxy.exe --master=“com3” --baudrate=57600 --out=udpout:192.168.0.10:14550 --out=udpout:192.168.0.11:14550 --set mavfwd false

Is that correct?

Thanks
giovanni

You need to use the --cmd option:

mavproxy.exe --master="com3" --baudrate=57600 --out=udpout:192.168.0.10:14550 --out=udpout:192.168.0.11:14550 --cmd="set mavfwd false"

OK, thanks much. One curiosity on the subject: how does the “SYSID_ENFORCE” arducopter relate to sending/receiving commands to/from multiple GCS?

You can use set source_system X in MAVProxy, where X is the the GCS ID (can be 0 to 255)