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ArduPilot: Instructions to set up and run an autopilot using SITL and Gazebo simulator
The SITL (software in the loop) simulator allows you to run Plane, Copter or Rover without any hardware. It is a build of the autopilot code using an ordinary C++ compiler, giving us a native executable that allows us to test the behaviour of the code without hardware.
To learn more about the ArduPilot project click this link: Working with the ArduPilot Project Code
The following guidlines have been tried and tested in Ubuntu 14.04. (Ubuntu 16.04 still has some compilation issues that we and others are tracking down.) Detailed instructions for setting up this autopilot in Linux can be found in this link: Setting up SITL on Linux
Under the home directory in the terminal, run the following commands once to download the Ardupilot from github repository:
git clone git://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot.git
cd ardupilot
git submodule update --init --recursive
To fly the fixed wing (Plane) simulator, download the JSBSim flight simulator from github:
git clone git://github.com/tridge/jsbsim.git
sudo apt-get install libtool libtool-bin automake autoconf libexpat1-dev
If you get an error message asking for a newer version of JSBSim when you try to run `sim_vehicle.py -w` below, update it by running the following commands:
cd jsbsim
git pull
./autogen.sh --enable-libraries
make
Run these commands once:
sudo apt-get install python-matplotlib python-serial python-wxgtk3.0 python-wxtools python-lxml
sudo apt-get install python-scipy python-opencv ccache gawk git python-pip python-pexpect
sudo pip2 install future pymavlink MAVProxy
If you get an error saying 'pip' is not installed, install it using: sudo apt-get install pip
Alternately, upgrade it via: `sudo pip2 install --upgrade pip`
Open to edit the .bashrc file. Under home directory on the terminal run the following command:
gedit .bashrc
Add the following lines to the end of your ”.bashrc” in the home directory:
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/jsbsim/src
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/ardupilot/Tools/autotest
export PATH=/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH
Reload your PATH by using the “dot” command in a terminal:
. ~/.bashrc
Start the simulator for the first time to load the right default parameters for the vehicle :
cd ~/ardupilot/ArduPlane
sim_vehicle.py -w
If you get an error to do with mavgen or mavlink when trying this, run the following then try again:
sudo pip install --upgrade pymavlink
sudo pip install --upgrade MAVProxy
If you get an error to do with 'from future import' not finding future, try: (ref: link, link)
sudo pip install importlib
sudo pip install unittest2
sudo pip install argparse
sudo pip2 install importlib
sudo pip2 install unittest2
sudo pip2 install argparse
sudo apt-get install python-future
If you get an error with mavproxy 'missing parentheses in call to print', then you're having python 3 (vs python 2) issues. Edit the file to include the parentheses at line 944, 945, 980, and change line 12 from "Queue" to "queue", then try again:
sudo gedit /usr/local/bin/mavproxy.py
If you get an error with loading MAVProxy, try installing the library locally, rather than system-wide: (link):
pip install MAVProxy
and add the following to your ".bashrc" file:
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin
export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$HOME/.local/bin
After loading the default parameters, kill the simulator using Ctrl-C. After that, start the simulator normally:
sim_vehicle.py --console --map --aircraft test
To load a test mission for the vehicle, in the same terminal that is running the simulator, run the following command once (you may need to hit enter to get a 'clean' `MANUAL>` prompt):
wp load ../Tools/autotest/ArduPlane-Missions/CMAC-toff-loop.txt
For takeoff, run the following commands once under the same terminal:
arm throttle
mode auto
(Note that once you type `mode auto` that the prompt should now read `MANUAL> AUTO>`, not just `MANUAL>` anymore.)
The virtual plane should now take-off!! Close the simulator using Ctrl+C in the terminal when done.
MAVProxy is commonly used by developers to communicate with SITL. Run SITL with the following commands in a new terminal:
cd ~/ardupilot/ArduCopter
sim_vehicle.py -j4 --map --console
Send commands to SITL from the command prompt and observe the results on the map. Watch the altitude increase in console with the following commands. Note that takeoff must start within 15 seconds of arming (`arm throttle` command), or the motors will disarm (ignore the `takeoff 40` command).
mode guided
arm throttle
takeoff 40
To keep constant altitude for circle mode, after we've hit altitude of 40m, try: (link -- this sets the throttle to 1500, you can undo this via `rc 3 1100`)
rc 3 1500
Change to CIRCLE mode and set the radius to 2000cm and watch the copter circle on the map!!
mode circle
param set circle_radius 2000
To land the copter when done, set the mode to RTL:
mode rtl
A number of common ArduPilot tasks to test the autopilot can be found here, here, and here.
If you haven't installed gazebo yet, download it now using this command:
sudo apt-get install libgazebo7-dev
Get the Gazebo plugin from github and build the workspace.
git clone https://github.com/SwiftGust/ardupilot_gazebo
cd ardupilot_gazebo
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
Set the path of Gazebo Models:
echo 'export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo/gazebo_models' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
Copy Demo Worlds to Gazebo:
sudo cp -a ~/ardupilot_gazebo/gazebo_worlds/. /usr/share/gazebo-7/worlds
Launch the ArduPilot SITL simulation in the terminal:
sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter -f gazebo-iris -m --mav10 --map --console -I0
On another terminal, launch Gazebo with demo 3DR Iris model:
gazebo --verbose worlds/iris_irlock_demo.world
Done!! You can now send commands to the SITL like before and watch them simulate in Gazebo.
Install MAVROS with the following command:
sudo apt install ros-kinetic-mavros
Install RQT for simpler usage on a desktop computer:
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-rqt ros-kinetic-rqt-common-plugins ros-kinetic-rqt-robot-plugins
Install catkin-tools:
sudo apt-get install python-catkin-tools
Launch an SITL instance:
sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter --console --map
The next step is to create a new directory for a launch file. In a new terminal, we run these:
cd ardupilot
mkdir launch
cd launch
We then copy mavros default launch file for ardupilot and then open to edit it:
roscp mavros apm.launch apm.launch
gedit apm.launch
To connect to SITL we modify the first line to
<arg name="fcu_url" default="udp://127.0.0.1:14551@14555" />
We save the file and launch it with:
roslaunch apm.launch
The connection is now complete.
Troubleshooting: Since GeographicLib requires certain datasets (mainly the geoid dataset) so to fulfill certain calculations, these may be needed to be installed manually by the user. If you run into GeographicLib error, run these:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mavlink/mavros/master/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
chmod +x install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
sudo ./install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
Additionally, we can use RQT to see all the topics that mavros has to create from ardupilot information. In a new terminal, type:
rqt
We can now see all the topics that mavros has to create from ardupilot information.
For the summer, a common goal for the AS4SR group was to set up a toolchain that would allow AFRL's Unmanned Systems Autonomy Services (UxAS) software to be used in conjunction with ROS. Subsequently, we developed a ROS node that can automatically receive waypoints from UxAS and perform waypoint navigation in simulated environment. All the code along with documented instructions can be found in this github repository: soi_waypoint_work