Multicopter Design and Control Practice

——A Series Experiments Based on

MATLAB and Pixhawk
Lesson 02 Experimental Platform Configuration

Dr. Xunhua Dai, Associate Professor,

School of Computer Science and Engineering,
Central South University, China;
Email: dai.xh@csu.edu.cn ;
https://faculty.csu.edu.cn/daixunhua
 Outline

1. Overall Introduction The RflySim Advanced version has been released for
free, which covers all experiments in this course. You
can also visit https://rflysim.com/docs/#/4_Pro/Advanced
2. Software Package Installation to acquire RflySim advanced versions if there is demand.

3. Hardware Platform Configuration

4. Summary
 Overall Introduction

The experimental platform can be divided into two parts: the hardware platform
and the software platform. This lesson shall introduce the basic components of
each platform and present the deployment procedure in detail.

Noteworthy: this lesson is mainly for independent readers or experimental course

teachers who need to deploy a code generation environment and prepare a platform
for practical flight experiments. If the experimental platform has already been
configured, readers can skip this chapter and directly start the experimental courses.
 Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform
The hardware platform and the software platform are presented
on the right. The basic configuration requirements are:
• Operating System (OS)：Windows 7 ∼ 10 x64 system
Hardware system
• Processor: Intel i5 series or above
• Memory: 8G or above
• Graphics: discrete graphics, memory 2G or more
• Storage: 30G available space (solid-state drives are
recommended)
• Interface: at least one USB Type-A
• Monitor: screen resolution 1080P or above

Installation files
 Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform Airframe system Propulsion system

Arm Fuselage
Because all control algorithms are Motor
eventually deployed in a real aerial Battery
vehicle to perform flight tests, a ESC
hardware platform must be prepared Landing gear Propeller
for the basic flight test requirements.
Radio control (RC) system Autopilot hardware system
As shown in the right picture, the
experimental hardware platform USB cable
recommended in this book is Charger
composed of five main parts. RC transmitter Autopilot GPS receiver Ground control
RC receiver
computer
 Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform Airframe system Propulsion system
(1) Ground Computer
Arm Fuselage
It is a high-performance Personal Computer Motor
(PC) with an operating system that performs Battery
two main tasks.
ESC
• Providing the software operating
Landing gear Propeller
environment for the simulation software tools
to perform functions such as control algorithm Radio control (RC) system Autopilot hardware system
development, SIL simulation, automatic code
generation, and HIL simulation; USB cable
• Working as a ground control station in Charger
outdoor flight tests to achieve functions such Autopilot
RC transmitter GPS receiver Ground control
as sensor calibration, parameter tuning, real- RC receiver
computer
time control, and communication.
 Autopilot hardware system
Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform
Autopilot GPS receiver
(2) Autopilot System (also called flight control system)
• As the operating platform of control algorithms, it has many sensors and powerful computing
capability to estimate flight states and calculate the control signals for the propulsion system to
realize the flight control of multicopters.
• This lesson select a widely used open-source autopilot — Pixhawk as the development and
experimental autopilot system.
• Pixhawk is an independent open-hardware project that aims to provide standard readily-available,
high-quality, and low-cost autopilot hardware for education, amateurs, and developers.
• For different flight mission, performance, and cost requirements, the Pixhawk provides a series of
autopilot hardware products that highly promote the development of multicopters.
 Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform
(3) Radio Control (RC) system Airframe system Propulsion system

It includes an RC transmitter, an RC receiver, and a Arm Fuselage

battery charger. The RC system is used to send Motor
control commands from the pilot on the ground to Battery
the autopilot system to realize remote flight control. ESC
(4) Propulsion system Landing gear Propeller
It includes a battery pack and several propellers,
Radio control (RC) system Autopilot hardware system
Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs), and motors.
The propulsion system is used to receive the Pulse
USB cable
Width Modulation (PWM) control signals from the
Charger
autopilot system, and control the movement of a
Autopilot
multicopter with thrust and torque generated by the RC transmitter
RC receiver
GPS receiver Ground control
computer
rotation of the propellers and motors.
 Overall Introduction
 Hardware Platform
Airframe system Propulsion system

(5) Airframe system Arm Fuselage

Motor
It includes a fuselage, landing gear, and
Battery
several arms. The airframe is used to
ESC
support the propulsion system and the
Landing gear Propeller
autopilot system and carry a payload; thus,
it is required to have excellent aerodynamic Radio control (RC) system Autopilot hardware system

performance and structural strength to

USB cable
ensure that flight missions are successfully Charger
and reliably accomplished. RC transmitter Autopilot GPS receiver
RC receiver Ground control
computer
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform
It is recommended to install all toolboxes. If
• This platform supports all versions above MATLAB partial installation is selected, the toolboxes
2017b, the highest version is currently MATLAB 2021a necessary for this experiment include:
• The recommended installation version is MATLAB
2017b MATLAB/Simulink
• This lesson do not provide MATLAB installation Control System Toolbox
package or instructions. Please install it by yourself. Curve Fitting Toolbox
Aerospace Blockset
Aerospace Toolbox
MATLAB Coder
Simulink Coder
Stateflow
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

FlightGear
This experimental platform relies on many
software tools to realize controller design, code Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification
generation, autopilot code compilation, HIL
simulation, and other functions. The Simulation WSL/Msys2/
Software Package published along with this book Simulink PSP
toolbox
PX4 firmware
source code
Cygwin
compiling tool
has a one-click installation script. Readers can
HIL simulation
click the script to finish all the installation and
configuration process of the required software
environment. The MATLAB/Simulink and the CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC
Pixhawk
autopilot system
Ground
computer RC system

Simulation Software Package comprise the Indoor and outdoor flight tests

software platform, which contains the following.

Ground Airframe Propulsion Pixhawk

QGC computer autopilot system RC system
system system
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

FlightGear

(1) Pixhawk Support Package (PSP) Toolbox

Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification

It is a Simulink toolbox officially released by

Mathworks for controller design, code generation, Simulink PSP PX4 firmware
WSL/Msys2/
Cygwin
toolbox source code
and firmware upload of the Pixhawk autopilot. compiling tool

We have made some updates and optimizations HIL simulation

based on the official PSP toolbox to ensure

Pixhawk Ground
compatibility with the latest Pixhawk and CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC autopilot system computer RC system

Indoor and outdoor flight tests

MATLAB versions.

Ground Airframe Propulsion Pixhawk

QGC computer autopilot system RC system
system system
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

FlightGear
(2) FlightGear — Flight Simulator
It is a popular open-source flight simulator that can be Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification
used to easily observe the flight states of a simulated
aerial vehicle in Simulink by receiving flight data from
WSL/Msys2/
Simulink via a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Simulink PSP
toolbox
PX4 firmware
source code
Cygwin
compiling tool
interface.
HIL simulation
(3) PX4 Software — Source Code
PX4 is an open-source flight control software system Pixhawk Ground
that runs on the Pixhawk hardware platform. The CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC autopilot system computer RC system

Pixhawk hardware + PX4 software constitutes an Indoor and outdoor flight tests

integrated autopilot system, which is one of the most

widely-used autopilot systems for aerial vehicles. Ground Airframe Propulsion Pixhawk
QGC computer autopilot system RC system
system system
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

(4) PX4 Toolchain — Compiling Environment FlightGear

It is used to compile the PX4 source code along with the

controller algorithms generated by the PSP toolbox into a Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification

“.px4” format firmware file. Then, the firmware file is

uploaded and burnt into the Pixhawk autopilot hardware Simulink PSP PX4 firmware
WSL/Msys2/
Cygwin
toolbox source code
(similar to the process of reinstalling an operating system compiling tool

on a PC). The control algorithm generated by the PSP HIL simulation

toolbox will automatically run after Pixhawk restarts.

(5) Eclipse C/C++ — Integrated Development CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC
Pixhawk
autopilot system
Ground
computer RC system
Environment (IDE) Indoor and outdoor flight tests

It is used to read and modify the PX4 source code.

Eclipse C/C++ is a compact C/C++ IDE with functions
similar to those of Microsoft Visual Studio. QGC
Ground
computer
Airframe
system
Propulsion
system
Pixhawk
autopilot system RC system
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

(6) QGroundControl (QGC) — Ground Control Station FlightGear

It is used to perform the pre-flight tasks (e.g., sensor

calibration and parameter tuning) for the Pixhawk autopilot Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification

before the multicopter takes off. The QGC is also used to

receive the flight states and send the control commands of Simulink PSP PX4 firmware
WSL/Msys2/
Cygwin
toolbox source code
the multicopter through wireless radio telemetry during compiling tool

flight tests. HIL simulation

(7) CopterSim—Real-Time Motion Simulation Software

It is a real-time motion simulation software developed for CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC
Pixhawk
autopilot system
Ground
computer RC system
the Pixhawk/PX4 autopilot system. Readers can configure Indoor and outdoor flight tests

multicopter models in CopterSim, and connect it to the

Pixhawk autopilot via the USB serial port to achieve indoor
HIL simulations. QGC
Ground
computer
Airframe
system
Propulsion
system
Pixhawk
autopilot system RC system
 Overall Introduction
 Software Platform Controller design and simulation

FlightGear

(8) 3DDisplay — 3D Visual Display Software

It is a real-time 3D visual display software. It Automatic code generation and firmware compiling Code view and modification

receives the flight data of CopterSim through UDP

to display the attitude and position of a multicopter Simulink PSP
toolbox
PX4 firmware
source code
WSL/Msys2/
Cygwin

in real-time. CopterSim and 3DDisplay together compiling tool

constitute an integrated HIL simulation platform. HIL simulation

The distributed independent operation mechanism

of CopterSim and 3DDisplay provides future CopterSim 3DDisplay QGC
Pixhawk
autopilot system
Ground
computer RC system
compatibility for swarm simulations. Indoor and outdoor flight tests

Ground Airframe Propulsion Pixhawk

QGC computer autopilot system RC system
system system
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Steps
1. Obtain the installation ISO image file
“RFLYExpPspSoftwarePack.iso” from our
website https://rflysim.com/download and
unzip it or mount it to a virtual drive folder。
2. Open MATLAB and click the “Browse Browse for folder button
Folder” button as shown in the figure to
locate and enter the “current path” to the Method 1: run command “PX4InstallScript”
in the Command Window
“RFLYExpPspSoftwarePack” directory.
3. Select the “PX4InstallScript.p” file, right-
Method 2: click “Run” button in
click, and click the “Run” option in the pop- the mouse right menu
up context menu. Note: Another method is to
enter the command “PX4InstallScript” in the
“Command Window” and press the Enter key.

2021/10/8 17
 Toolbox one-key installation script

Software Package Installation C:\PX4PSP

 Installation Steps px4fmu-v3_default

4. In the pop-up configuration window shown in the picture,

1
select the required configuration according to the actual
hardware and software requirements (the default
2
configuration is recommended for beginners, where the
autopilot hardware is Pixhawk 1 [2MB Flash version, yes
board version 2.4.6 and above] with corresponding
compiling command px4fmu-v3_default, the PX4 yes
firmware version is 1.7.3, and the installation directory is
C disk, which may occupy around 6G storage), and click yes

the “OK” button.

5. Wait patiently for the package to be successfully installed yes

and deployed, which may take around 30 minutes.

yes
Note: The RflySim Basic Free version only provides PX4 1.7&1.8
firmware + Msys2 toolchain, which is enough for all experiments in this
yes
course. You can also visit https://rflysim.com/docs/#/4_Pro/Advanced to
acquire RflySim advanced versions if there is demand. OK Cancel
 Toolbox one-key installation script

Software Package Installation C:\PX4PSP

 Installation Steps px4fmu-v3_default

Noteworthy: 1

1. Antivirus software may prevent this script from generating

desktop shortcuts. If the script prompts that the shortcut 2

generation has failed, please close the antivirus software

yes
(Windows 10 should also turn off the "Real-time protection"
option in the Settings page) and manually click the
yes
“GenerateShortcutCMD.bat” script in the installation directory
(the default directory is C:\PX4PSP) to automatically generate all yes

the software shortcuts.

2. 2) If the readers want to change the firmware configurations or yes

restore the compiling environment, just run the “PX4InstallScript”

command again and select the required options. yes

yes

OK Cancel
 Toolbox one-key installation script

Software Package Installation C:\PX4PSP

 Advanced Settings px4fmu-v3_default

1. Software package installation directory. All dependent files on the software package are installed in
this directory, which requires around 6G storage. The default installation directory is “C: \PX4PSP”. If
the C disk space is not sufficient, the readers should choose a directory in other disks; the directory
name must be correct with only letter and number to prevent compilation failures.
2. The default compiling command for PX4 is “px4fmu-v3_default”. By selecting this compiling
command, the compiling toolchain is automatically called to compile the PX4 source code to a
firmware file “px4fmu-v3_default.px4” after the PSP generates the controller code. Then, the file
“.px4” is uploaded and burned to the supported hardware to realize the deployment of the control
algorithms. Different Pixhawk hardware products must select different PX4 firmware compiling
commands. Next picture shows some Pixhawk hardware products, where “px4fmu-v3_default” can be
used for three popular products: Pixhawk 1 (2MB Flash version), mRo Pixhawk, and Cube (Pixhawk
2). The command “px4mu-v2_default” corresponds to the most famous Pixhawk 1 (1MB Flash). PX4
also supports other hardware (for example, Intel Aero, Crazyfile, and so on). The corresponding
compiling commands are listed in the next page.
Note: after installing the toolbox, if you want to change compiling command (e.g., px4-fmu-v5_default) for different Pixhawk hardware boards,
another feasible method is to input command in MATLAB: PX4CMD('px4-fmu-v5_default'), or use command : PX4CMD px4-fmu-v5_default
 Software Package Installation px4fmu-v3_default

 Advanced Settings
• Pixhawk 1: px4fmu-v2_default
• Pixhawk 1 (2MB flash): px4fmu-v3_default
• Pixhawk 4: px4fmu-v5_default
• Pixracer: px4fmu-v4_default Pixhawk 1 (fmu-v2) mRo Pixhawk Cube/Pixhawk 2
• Pixhawk 3 Pro: px4fmu-v4pro_default 2MB flash Version (fmu-v3) (fmu-v3) (fmu-v3)
• Pixhawk Mini: px4fmu-v3_default
• Pixhawk 2: px4fmu-v3_default
• mRo Pixhawk: px4fmu-v3_default
• HKPilot32: px4fmu-v2_default
• Pixfalcon: px4fmu-v2_default
• Dropix: px4fmu-v2_default Pixhawk 3 Pro Pixhawk 4 Pixhawk 4 Mini
• MindPX/MindRacer: mindpx-v2_default
(fmu-v4) (fmu-v5) (fmu-v5)
• mRo X-2.1: auav-x21_default
• Crazyflie 2.0: crazyflie_default
• Intel® Aero Ready to Fly Drone: aerofc-v1_default
 Software Package Installation
px4fmu-v3_default

 Advanced Settings
Method to find out the desired compiling
command for your Pixhawk:
1) Open QGroundControl (QGC) and
enter the “Setting” (Gear icon) –
“Firmware” Page;
2) Connect Pixhawk with a USB cable,
and the QGC will turn to the state in the
right figure, then click “OK” to update;
3) QGC will auto download the
desired .px4 firmware, so the compiling
command can be found in the download
link. For example, px4fmu-v3_default is
obtained for Pixhawk 1 (2Mb Flash).
 Software Package Installation 1

 Advanced Settings 2

3. PX4 firmware version. The version of the PX4 source code is updated constantly, and the latest
firmware version was 1.11 when this book was written. As the firmware version is upgraded, new
features may be introduced, and more new products will be supported, but the compatibility with
some old autopilot hardware will be affected. Because the Pixhawk 1 hardware selected in this
book is an old Pixhawk product with LED for better experimental observation effect, the older
PX4 firmware version 1.7.3 was selected with the compiling command “px4fmu-v3_default” to
achieve better-using effect.
4. PX4 firmware compiling toolchain. Because the compilation of PX4 source code depends on the
Linux compiling environment, the software package provides three sets of compiling toolchains
to realize the simulation of the Linux compiling environment under the Windows environment.
 Win10WSL based on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL);
 (b) Msys2Toolchain based on toolchain;
 (c) CygwinToolchain based on the toolchain.
 Software Package Installation
 Advanced Settings
Example 1: if you are using the recommended Pixhawk 1
(2M flash, px4fmu-v3 firmware):
• Configure the RflySim installation script and connect the
Pixhawk with RC receiver according to the figure at right
• Use the recommended compiling command px4fmu-
v3_default
• Use the recommended PX4 firmware version 1.7.3
• Use the recommended compiling toolchain Msys2
• Pixhawk 1 has LED on the shell, so no external LED is
required. Pixhawk 1
 Software Package Installation
 Advanced Settings
Example 2: if you are using the Pixhawk 4 hardware
(fmu-v5), you should adopt the configuration as shown in
the figures at right:
• Please select PX4 firmware >= 1.8.2 (PX4 1.10.2 is
recommended), because it is known that PX4 1.7.3 GPS
with
cannot recognize the S.BUS RC, you may need a PPM LED
module to transfer RC signals.
• Use a GPS module with LED integrated, because
Pixhawk 4 has no LED on the body. Besides, the you
should use JST GH interface to connect RC receiver.
Pixhawk 4
• Use compiling command px4fmu-v5_default

Note: You can use RflySim advanced platform to use PX4 1.12 to get
the best experience of Pixhawk4, because some Pixhawk with latest
LED chip may not work on PX4 1.8
 Software Package Installation
 Advanced Settings yes

Note that the CygwinToolchain only supports PX4 firmware with version 1.8 or above; the
Msys2Toolchain only supports PX4 firmware with version 1.8 or below. Both the CygwinToolchain
and the Msys2Toolchain support Windows 7 and above, which are easy to deploy, but the compiling
speed is slow. For Windows10 with version 1809 and above, readers can follow the tutorial in
“0.UbuntuWSL\Win10UbuntuInstallationStep.docx” to install an Ubuntu subsystem in Windows
and then choose the Win10WSL. The Win10WSL toolchain can greatly accelerate the compiling
speed and is compatible with all versions of PX4 firmware.

5. Whether to reinstall the PSP Toolbox (yes or no). If this option is set to “yes”, the PSP
Toolbox is installed on MATLAB/Simulink. If the PSP toolbox has already been installed,
a new installation of the PSP Toolbox is performed. If this option is set to “no”, the script
does not do anything on the existing PSP toolbox (it will not uninstall the PSP toolbox or
carry out other actions).
 Software Package yes
Installation
 Advanced Settings yes

6. Whether to reinstall the dependent software packages. If this option is set to “yes”, software
tools (such as FlightGear, QGC, CopterSim, and 3DDisplay) are deployed to the selected
installation directory and shortcuts for them are generated on the desktop. The related drivers
for Pixhawk hardware are also installed. If the software tools have already been installed,
selecting “yes” will remove the old installation files and reinstall them. If this option is set to
“no”, then no change will be made.
7. Whether to reinstall the selected compiling toolchain. If this option is set to “yes”, the selected
compiling toolchain (Win10WSL, CygwinToolchain, or Msys2Toolchain) will be deployed to
the selected installation directory. If the toolchain already installed, the script will remove the
old toolchain files and reinstall it. In contrast, if this option is set to “no”, then no change will be
made.
 Software Package Installation
yes

yes

 Advanced Settings yes

8. Whether to reinstall the selected PX4 firmware source code. If this option is set to “yes”, the
selected PX4 firmware source code will be deployed to the selected installation directory. If the
firmware files already exist, the old firmware folder will be deleted, and a new copy of the source
code will be deployed. If this option is set to “no”, then no change will be made.
9. Whether to pre-compile the selected firmware. If this option is set to “yes”, the PX4 source code
will be pre-compiled. This can greatly save the compiling time of the subsequent code generation
process; whether the compiling environment is installed properly can also be checked. If this
option is set to “no”, then no change will be made.
10. Whether to block the actuator outputs of the PX4 original controller. If this option is set to “yes”,
the control signals of the PX4 original controller will be blocked to prevent them from conflicting
with the generated controller in Simulink. This option must be set to “yes” for the simulations and
experiments in this book. If this option is set to “no”, the PX4 outputs will not be blocked, and this
mode can be used to test the PX4 original controller.
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Completion
1) When the above one-key installation scripted is successfully executed, the shortcuts for the
core software tools will be generated in the RflyTools folder on the Desktop. according to the
specific compiler type selected by the user configuration, only one compiler shortcut,
Msys2Toolchain, CygwinToolchain and Win10WSL, will appear.

Note: if you encounter any problem

during the installation process, please
1) uninstall all antivirus programs or
completely close them in task
manager; 2) close Win10 system's
Real-time protection; 3) run
"4.HILApps\MSVCP_2019.07.20_X6
4.exe" program to fix; 4) restart
computer and rerun the script.
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Completion
2 ） As shown in right figure, the folders of all
software tools are stored in the selected installation
directory (the default is “C:\PX4PSP”).
Note that all the software tools are completely
portable and independent of the original software (e.g.,
official versions of QGC and FlightGear) on Windows.
The folder “Firmware” stores the PX4 source code.
The folder “examples” stores Simulink source code
examples of the PSP toolbox; the folder “drivers”
stores Pixhawk drivers. The folder “Python27” stores
a Python environment for automatic firmware upload.
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Completion

3) As shown in right figure, the installed PSP

toolbox can be found on the “Add-Ons” -
“Manage Add-Ons” page of MATLAB. On
this page, some management operations can
be performed for the PSP toolbox that
includes disabling, uninstalling, and viewing
the installation directory. Note that the PSP
toolbox can be installed once for all the
MATLAB applications on a computer whose
versions are higher than or equal to
MATLAB R2017b.

Note: From MATLAB 2021a, the PX4

PSP toolbox will no longer show in
Add-Ons page, but this is OK.
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Completion

4）As shown in right figure, the

readers can open any Simulink
file and click the “Simulink
Library Brower” button to open
the Simulink library browser, and
then find the “Pixhawk Target
Blocks” library generated by the
PSP toolbox.
 Software Package Installation
 Installation Completion
If the readers want to uninstall the simulation software
package, they can carry out the following steps.
1. Delete all the Desktop\RflyTools shortcuts;
2. Delete all files and folders in the installation directory
(the default is C:\PX4PSP);
3. In the “Management Additional Functions” page of
MATLAB, click the “Uninstall” button to uninstall the
PSP toolbox. (if you failed to uninstall it, you can also
close MATLAB and then delete the
[Documents]\MATLAB\Add-Ons\Toolboxes\PX4PSP
folder to uninstall it, e.g., in MATLAB 2021a)
4. Restart MATLAB and enter "edit pathdef.m" to check
and delete any possibly residual PX4 items
5. [Documents]\Ogre folder stores files such as serial
number, you can keep them on your computer.
 Software Package Installation
 Brief Introduction to Software
1) Double-click the desktop shortcuts, which
include “FlightGear-F450”, “CopterSim”,
“QGroundControl” and “3DDisplay”. Then,
check the software User Interface (UI) one
by one with right figure to confirm that each
software can operate correctly. (a) FlightGear-F450 (b) CopterSim

(c) QGroundControl (d) 3DDisplay

 Software Package Installation
 Brief Introduction to Software
2) Double-click the desktop shortcut
“Eclipse” to open the Eclipse software.
As shown in right figure, click “File” –
“Import...” – “C/C++” – “Existing
Code as Makefile Project” from the
menu bar of the Eclipse, and then click
“next”. In the “Existing Code Location”
section of the pop-up window, click the
“Browse” button to locate the
“Firmware” folder in the installation
directory (default is “C:\PX4PSP”),
then choose “Cross GCC” and click the
“Finish” button.
Note: Eclipse is only for reading and modifying source
code, not affecting normal operations of the whole
platform. If Eclipse can not operate properly in your
computer, you can use VS Code or other IDEs
 Software Package Installation
 Brief Introduction to Software
3) After completing the above steps, as shown
in right figure, the source code and directory
structure of the “Firmware” can be found in
the “Project Explorer” window, where readers
can read the PX4 source code and try to
modify it. Readers can also view the PX4
developer documentation to clearly understand
the architecture and implementation principles
of the PX4 algorithms and deepen the
understanding of an actual flight control
system. Note that: a “Welcome” tab will cover
the content when readers first open Eclipse, it
must be closed manually.
 Software Package Installation
 Brief Introduction to Software
4） Double-click one of the three shortcuts “Win10WSL”,
“Msys2Toolchain” or “CygwinToolchain” on the desktop to
pop up the command window interface shown in right figure
(the original UI has a pure black background, and the image
color has been reversed for reading). Because the compiling toolchains are essentially Linux emulation
software, the basic Linux commands (such as “ls”, “pwd”, and “gcc --version”) can be tapped on the
command line. For readers who are unfamiliar with Linux operations, this compiling toolchain can also be
used as a Linux learning and practice tool. The most important function of this toolchain is to compile the
source code of PX4 and generate the “.px4” firmware file. As shown in the figure, “make clean” can be
tapped on the command line to clear the old compiling files, and the “make px4fmu-v3_default” command is
used to compile the source code to the firmware file “C:\PX4PSP\Firmware\build\px4fmu-
v3_default\px4fmu-v3_default.px4” for Pixhawk 1 (2MB flash). Because the PSP toolbox will automatically
call this compiling command after the code is generated, the readers do not need to know how to use it.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration
• There are two RC system products presented in this book,
which are RadioLink AT9S and Futaba T14SG. RC transmitters
with “Left-hand throttle ( Mode 2)” configuration are selected
in this book, whose left stick is the throttle lever without the
auto-return function.The receivers of these RC systems have
the S.BUS output function that can transmit the PWM signals LadioLink AT9S
of all channels to the flight control through one data line.
• Radio Link AT9S is relatively inexpensive, and it is more
suitable for indoor experiments; Futaba T14SG is relatively
expensive, but it offers better performance and reliability,
which makes it suitable for actual outdoor flight tests.
• The following subsections detail the configuration steps of the
two RC systems. Other RC systems can be configured in a
similar way.

Futaba T14SG
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S Pixhawk USB
wire

The preferred RC transmitter for this experiment is

the RadioLink AT9S RC transmitter and the matching
R9DS receiver. The necessary accessories include: a
battery (LiPo battery, 3S, 11.1V) and a matching
Black-Red-
charger for powering RC transmitter; the JR cable
White
(also can be replaced by DuPont cable), used to
Link mode
connect the receiver with Pixhawk autopilot; switch
MicroUSB data cable, used to connect Pixhawk button
autopilot and computer.
White-Red-Black JR
wire
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S
1) Battery and charger instructions
1. The left side of figure shows the battery and the Charging indicator: green for full and red for charging
charger. The battery begins to charge when the four- RC transmitter battery plug

port charging head of the battery is inserted into the Battery box on the back

socket on the charger. Red and green indicator colors Battery interface
represent the “charging” and “fully charged” status,
respectively. The RC transmitter battery is installed
as follows. Open the battery slot on the back of the
RC transmitter and insert the two-line battery power
Battery
supply interface (red line for the battery positive Charger Charger Interface (four pins, red for positive pole)
pole) into the battery power slot. Note: Unplug the
battery from the RC transmitter while charging.
Avoid using the RC transmitter while charging.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S

1) Battery and charger instructions

2. The battery installation method is as follows:
open the lower battery slot on the back of
the RC transmitter (push it down), and insert
the battery-powered head (red connector,
red and black wires corresponding to the
positive and negative electrodes) to the left
of the battery slot of the RC transmitter plug
in the two port on the side, make sure the
positive electrode (red wire) is facing up.
Note: The charger is not a must. You can also use USB cable to
the micro-USB port of the RC transmitter to charge.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S
The arrow
points to
back CH6
2) RC receiver initial setting CH5

1. Connect the RC receiver and the Pixhawk

CH2 Pixhawk USB
CH3
according to the figure. The horizontal pin wire
P
on the downside of the tail face of the O
W CH1
E
receiver must be connected to the left-most CH4 R

RC pin on the tail face of the Pixhawk

Mode
with a three-line JR line (pay attention to Black-Red-
White
OK
the color direction), and the Pixhawk Return Link mode
switch
MicroUSB port must be connected to the Selection
button
Wheel
computer USB Type-A interface to supply JR
White-Red-Black
wire
power to the receiver and the Pixhawk. Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM
 The arrow
points to
CH5 back CH6

Hardware Platform Configuration CH3

P
CH2 Pixhawk USB
wire
O CH1
W

 RC System Configuration
E
CH4 R

Mode Black-Red-
White

(1) RadioLink AT9S

OK
Return Link mode
switch
button
Selection
Wheel
JR
2) RC receiver initial setting
White-Red-Black
Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM wire

2. How to rematch the RC transmitter with an RC receiver (the connection has been completed by
default, and this step needs to be performed only when problems occur in the connection of the
receiver and the transmitter). Turn on the power of the RC transmitter (all other RC transmitters
should be turned off), and correctly connect the receiver with the Pixhawk and the computer.
Then, press the matching switch on the right side of the receiver with a pen tip or needle (see the
right) for more than one second. At this time, the LED of the receiver starts to flash, which
indicates that it is searching for the nearest RC transmitter. When the receiver LED flashes seven
or eight times and then remains constant, it means that the matching process is finished and a
connection has been successfully established between the RC transmitter and receiver.
 The arrow
points to
CH5 back CH6

Hardware Platform Configuration CH3

CH2 Pixhawk USB
wire
P
O CH1
W

 RC System Configuration
E
CH4 R

Mode Black-Red-
White
OK

(1) RadioLink AT9S Return

Selection
Link mode
switch
button
Wheel
White-Red-Black JR
Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM wire

2) RC receiver initial setting

3. S.BUS signal mode selection (the receiver is in this mode by default; thus, this step is
typically not performed). The S.BUS mode allows the Pixhawk to transmit all channel PWM
signals through one JR line. If the Pixhawk is powered up and connected to the receiver, the
LED on the receiver is blue-white, which indicates that it is already in S.BUS mode and no
setup is required. If the receiver LED is red, the readers need to double-press the matching
switch on the right side of the receiver (press twice within one second). If the receiver LED
turns blue-white, then the S.BUS mode has been successfully set.
 The arrow
points to
CH5 back CH6

Hardware Platform Configuration CH3

CH2 Pixhawk USB
wire
P
O CH1
W

 RC System Configuration
E
CH4 R

(1) RadioLink AT9S Mode

OK
Black-Red-
White
Return
Method to check connection of RC system and Pixhawk
Link mode
switch
button
Selection
1. Connect the Pixhawk autopilot and the RC receiver Wheel
White-Red-Black JR

with a JR wire. Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM wire

2. Connect the Pixhawk autopilot with the computer

with a Micro USB cable.
3. Power on the RC transmitter, and open the QGC.
4. When the QGC has successfully connected the
Pixhawk, click the “Gear” button and then “Radio”
button to enter Radio setting page
5. If the channels and slide bars can be observed on the
“Channel Monitor” of the figure, it means the RC
receiver has been connected successfully. Otherwise,
please reconfigure it.
 The arrow
points to

Hardware Platform Configuration

CH5 back CH6

CH2
CH3

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S P

O
W
E
CH1
CH4 R
3) RC transmitter setting
1. Pull up the “POWER” switch to open the RC transmitter. Mode

2 . Setting the Language and Turning off the Sound Return

OK

• Press the “Mode” button on the RC transmitter for Selection

Wheel
several seconds to enter the model setting page.
• Roll the “Selection Wheel” on the RC transmitter
• move the cursor to “PARAMETER”, and press the
“OK” button on the RC transmitter to enter the RC
transmitter parameter setting page.
• Scroll the “Selection Wheel” to select the “English”
item
 The arrow
points to

Hardware Platform Configuration

CH5 back CH6

CH2
CH3

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S P

O
W
E
CH1
CH4 R

Mode

3) RC transmitter setting Return

OK

• click the “OK” button, and then Selection

Wheel
• scroll the “Selection Wheel” again to
select the desired display language
• Then click the “OK” button to confirm
the selection
• modify the “Sound” option from “ON”
to “OFF” by the same method
 The arrow
points to

Hardware Platform Configuration

CH5 back CH6

CH2
CH3

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S P

O
W
E
CH1
CH4 R

3) RC transmitter setting Mode

3. Multicopter mode setting Return

OK

• Press the “Mode” button for several seconds to enter Selection

Wheel

the “BASIC MENU” page, and click the “MODEL

TYPE” item to enter the model type selection page
shown in right figure.
• Change the “TYPE” item from “HELICOPTER” to
“MULTICOPTER”, and then press the “OK” button
for several seconds to set the control mode to
“Multicopter”.
 The arrow
points to

Hardware Platform Configuration

CH5 back CH6

CH2
CH3

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S P

O
W
E
CH1
CH4 R

4) Throttle channel reverse setting Mode

• The throttle channel of the RadioLink Return

OK

transmitter is opposite to normal RC Selection

transmitters, and the throttle channel reverse Wheel

needs to be set.
• Press the “Mode” button for several seconds to
enter the “REVERSE” setting page shown in
right figure.
• Change the throttle channel from “NOR” to
“REV”.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S
5) CH5-CH6 mode switching channel setting
• Because of experimental requirements, CH5 of the RC transmitter needs to be mapped to a three-
position switch in the upper left corner for mode switching of the Pixhawk.
• Press the “Mode” button for several seconds, and click the “AUX-CH” item next to the
“REVERSE” item.
• On the “AUX-CH” setting page, click the “CH5” item to enter the channel setting page, and map
CH5 to a three-position switch “SwE” on the RC transmitter (switch “E” is located in the top-left
corner of the RC transmitter.
• Similarly, the “CH6” item must be modified to a three-position CH5
switch “SwG” of the RC transmitter (switch “G” is located
in the upper-right corner of the RC transmitter in right figure.
CH3
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S
6) Channel confirmation Mode

OK
Restart the RC transmitter, and press the “Return” button (see right Return

figure) on the RC transmitter to enter the “SERVO” page. Selection

Wheel
• In this page, the PWM value of each channel can be verified by Channel Monitor in QGC

moving sticks and switches on the RC transmitter.

• Note that, as shown in right figure, the channel value reaches an
upper limit of 100 corresponding to the desired PWM value of 1100
(left position in Channel Monitor of QGC); the channel value
reaches the lower limit 100, corresponding to the desired output
PWM value of 1900 (right position in Channel Monitor of QGC).
Note that the actual PWM value range received by the RC receiver may not
equal to 1100 - 1900 due to various errors. For example, RadioLink AT9S
usually ranges from 1065 – 1933 (can be observed in QGC’s Setting –
Parameters – Radio Calibration page). So RC calibration is important for
autopilots to correctly recognize the control commands from the ground pilot.
 Hardware Platform Configuration The arrow
points to
CH5 back CH6

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S

CH2
CH3
6) Channel confirmation P
Move each channel stick in right figure to confirm that each channel O
W
E
CH1

corresponds correctly to the following rules. CH4 R

1. CH1：this corresponds to the horizontal movement of the right-

hand stick of the RC transmitter. The right-hand stick moves from Mode

left to right, corresponding to a PWM value that changes from 1100 Return
OK

to 1900 (QGC’s Channel Monitor moves from left to right). Selection

2. CH2：this corresponds to the vertical movement of the right-hand Wheel

stick of the RC transmitter. The right-hand stick moves from top to Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM
bottom, corresponding to a PWM value that changes from 1100 to
1900 (QGC’s Channel Monitor moves from left to right).
3. CH3：this corresponds to the vertical movement of the left-hand
stick of the RC transmitter. The left-hand stick moves from top to
bottom, corresponding to a PWM value that changes from 1900 to
1100 (opposite to CH2, right to left in QGC’s Channel Monitor).
 Hardware Platform Configuration
The arrow

 RC System Configuration (1) RadioLink AT9S CH5

points to
back CH6

6) Channel confirmation
4. CH4：this corresponds to the horizontal movement of the left-hand CH3
CH2

stick of the RC transmitter. The left-hand stick moves from left to P

O
right, corresponding to a PWM value that changes from 1100 to 1900 W CH1
E
(QGC’s Channel Monitor moves from left to right). CH4 R

5. CH5：this corresponds to the three-position switch on the upper-left Mode

side of the RC transmitter. The switch moves from the top position
(the farthest position to the user), middle position, and bottom Return
OK

position (the closest position to the user), corresponding to PWM Selection

values of 1100, 1500, and 1900, respectively. (left to right in QGC) Wheel

6. CH6：this corresponds to the three-position switch on the upper- Note: the arrows point to the increasing direction of PWM
right side of the RC transmitter. The switch moves to the top position
(the farthest position to the user), middle position, and bottom
position (the closest position to the user), corresponding PWM
values of 1100, 1500, and 1900, respectively. (left to right in QGC)
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (2) Futaba T14SG
SE SG

1. The connection between the Futaba receiver and the Pixhawk

autopilot is slightly different from that of the RadioLink receiver. J3
J2

2. The specific connection is shown in down figure. In the

following paragraphs, the setup process for the Futaba RC J4 Power
switch
J1

transmitter is introduced.
Plug in the right
side USB port Return

Plug in the left LINK

RCIN port
OK

Left-down
S.Bus port

Black-red- Note: the arrows point to the PWM increasing directions

white
Black-red-white
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (2) Futaba T14SG
(a) Model type for multicopter

The Futaba T14SG RC transmitter needs to use six

channels: the J1 stick (CH1, roll channel), J2 stick (CH2,
pitch channel), J3 stick (CH3, throttle channel), J4 stick
(CH4, yaw channel), SE three-position switch (upper-left
(b) Check channel definitions
switch, CH5 mode channel), and SG three-position switch
(upper-right switch, CH6 mode channel). The basic
process of setting the Futaba T14SG RC transmitter is
summarized as follows.
1. Double-click the “LINK” button on the RC transmitter
to enter the “LINKAGE MENU” link setting page. Then, (c) Reverse throttle channel
enter the “MODEL TYPE” page and change the “TYPE”
to “MULTICOPTER”;

(d) Mode switch channel selection

 Hardware Platform Configuration
 RC System Configuration (2) Futaba T14SG
(a) Model type for multicopter

2. Go back to the “LINKAGE MENU” page, and enter the

“FUNCTION” page to confirm the channel mapping is in
correct order J1 to J4 and T1 to T4;
3. Go back to the “LINKAGE MENU” page, and enter the
“REVERSE” page to confirm only the third channel (b) Check channel definitions
(throttle) is reversed;
4. Go back to the “LINKAGE MENU” page, and enter the
“FUNCTION”, and scroll to the second page for the
setting of CH5 to CH8. Then, set the “CTRL” option of
the “5 MODE” channel to “SE” stick (the upper-left stick (c) Reverse throttle channel
of the RC transmitter).
5. As in the previous step, set the “6 AUX1” channel to the
“SG” stick (the upper-right stick of the RC transmitter).

(d) Mode switch channel selection

 “gear” icon

Hardware Platform Configuration

 Pixhawk Configuration
“Firmware” button
Several basic firmware uploading and configuration (a) Setting page
operations are required for the brand-new Pixhawk to
Firmware
ensure that the Pixhawk autopilot meets the experimental configuration
window
requirements and ensure that the operation and
configuration of Pixhawk are correct. The configuration
method is summarized below.
1. Open the QGC software.
2. As shown in the figure on the right, click the “gear” (b) Select “PX4 Flight Stack” item
icon to enter the setting page; then, click the “Firmware”
Then, a firmware configuration window will pop up
tab to enter the firmware uploading page.
on the right side of the UI. Select the “PX4 Flight
3. Connect the Pixhawk autopilot and the computer Stack” item, and click “OK”; then, QGC begins to
using a USB cable. At this time, the software will automatically download and burn the latest PX4
automatically recognize the Pixhawk hardware. firmware into the Pixhawk autopilot hardware.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 Pixhawk Configuration
4. After the firmware is burned, the Pixhawk will
automatically restart and reconnect to the QGC software.
Then, as shown in figure on the right, enter the
“Airframe” tab, select “HIL Quadcopter X” airframe
type , and click the “Apply and Restart” button in the
upper-right corner. Then the autopilot will automatically
restart to finish the configuration for HIL simulation.

5. After rebooting, QGC will automatically reconnect to

Pixhawk. Check each configuration page to ensure that
the Pixhawk autopilot has been in the HIL simulation
mode.
 Hardware Platform Configuration
 Airframe Configuration
For the subsequent flight experiments, it is necessary to ensure that
the configuration of the multicopter is as close as possible to the
simulation model. The experiments presented in this book select the
most popular F450 multicopter with the following configuration:
1. Airframe: DJI Flame Wheel F450 airframe
2. Propulsion system: DJI E310 propulsion suite (four motors, four
ESCs, and four propellers)
3. Battery: GENS ACE LiPo 4000mAh-3S(11.1V)-25C
4. Autopilot: Pixhawk 1 (2M flash version), px4fmu-v3_default
5. GPS module: UBlox NEO-M8N GPS
6. Other accessories: power module, buzzer, safety switch, connector,
and anti-vibration damper
The assembling methods can refer to PX4 website https://docs.px4.io
 Resource
All course PPTs, videos, and source code will be released on our website
https://rflysim.com/en
For more detailed content, please refer to the textbook:
Quan Quan, Xunhua Dai, Shuai Wang. Multicopter Design and Control Practice. Springer, 2020
https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789811531378
If you encounter any problems, please post question at Github page
https://github.com/RflySim/RflyExpCode/issues

If you are interested in RflySim advanced platform and courses for rapid development
and testing of UAV Swarm/Vision/AI algorithms, please visit:
https://rflysim.com/en/4_Pro/Advanced.html
2021/10/8 60
Thanks