Swarm Documentation APM Planner 2.0

Ground Control Software APM Planner 2.0
1

Looking for any example or even list of steps, to use the multiple aircraft support. I keep reading about how Q and APM Planner 2.0 supporting this.

We have 6 quadrotor formation, each with sensor. Roughly maintaining, but precisely monitor the distance between the grid of ships is essential to the triangulation.

If anyone can offer some insight, it would be hugely helpful, and I’m sure for others as well.

thank you
j.

2

You can connect to multiple vehicles in APM planner 2.0. To do this you need to

  1. set a unique system id for each autopilot
  2. setup a mechanism to link the autopilot to the GCS.
    • this could be by individual radios or via a mesh or IP based network

In the Flight Plan view you will see the Unmanned Systems Widget with each system. To control a system you need to make it ‘active’. This will be the main system under control

This feature is not well tested, so it maybe better to run multiple SITL instances at first to verify everything is working.

i.e. sim_vehicle.h -i to start multiple instances +10 to the port specified.
i.e. sim_vehicle.h -i 10 --out=127.0.0.1:14550 would start streams on 14550, 14560, 14570 etc… you can then use mavproxy to route this to a single stream

I need to look up the details of that

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3

Thank you for the notes Bill.

Could you explain, (or if anyone would like to jump in) exactly how:

  1. How to set a unique system ID for each Autopilot to conform to Mavlink support of multiple craft?

  1. How to setup a mechanism to link the autopilot to the GCS?

    a. Would anyone have examples they could share with the group, of mesh or IP based networks?

b. SITL is another topic in itself.   Love so see someone present a step-by-step for getting this started.

Many of us know bits of these practices, many more than I. It would be great to start some real How To topics in the areas of Swarm, Formation, and testing it all before taking to the air.

Thank you for considering opening a new documentation thread.

4

Quick Q, does the ‘slave’ copter need the RC link/receiver also, or does CnC come through the telemetry link?

5

Currently APM requires the use of a RC Transceiver for each aircraft.

6

SITL information is here dev.ardupilot.com/wiki/simulation-2/

7

You assign unique MAV IDs to each copter by changing the SYSID_THISMAV param on each copter to whatever ID number you want for that particular copter. Remember to reboot the system after making that change. Now, when you connect via APM Planner, each copter will show up as a different MAV with their own ID>

8

Hello, did you happen to prepare documentation of the setup you have? I am trying to do something similar with two Iris+'s (possibly even Solo) and a ground vehicle. Is there a way to setup the ground station where I can connect all systems to one receiver, instead of a receiver for each? And would you suggest the use of Mission Planner or Apm planner for formation flying?

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9

hi，zlite，could you explain in detail how to change the SYSID_THISMAV param on each copter？thank you very much！