Mission Planner Overview

Mission Planner is a full-featured ground station application for the ArduPilot open source autopilot project. This page contains information on the background of Mission Planner and the organization of this site.

What is Mission Planner

Mission Planner is a ground control station for Plane, Copter and Rover. It is compatible with Windows only. Mission Planner can be used as a configuration utility or as a dynamic control supplement for your autonomous vehicle. Here are just a few things you can do with Mission Planner:

Plan Tab

Using Waypoints

Waypoint Table

• WP Radius: This will be the radius the plane has to fly through before moving on to the next objective

• Loiter Radius: The radius the plane will loiter in if set to loiter

• Default Altitude: This is the distance the plane will fly above the takeoff point. The altitude where the plane is armed is the new reference of zero altitude

• Verify Height: This is used to prevent the plane from flying into a hill inadvertently. So if a waypoint is on have this selected mission planner will increase the ALT setting by the height of the hill

• Add Below: This button will add a waypoint in the table below without placing it on the map

Tips

Prefetch

This feature can be used to cache map data so you don't need internet access in field use. Steps to prefetch a map: 1.In the plan tab zoom to a level includes the area of interest 2. Hold the "Alt" key and left click on the map, move the cursor to draw a blue rectangle on the map relative to the left click 3. Stretch the blue rectangle over the area of interest for it to be prefetched 4. With the area highlighted, right click anywhere on the map and follow the path "Map Tool-Prefetch"

To view where the map data gets store follow the path "C:\ProgramData\Mission Planner\gmapcache". There should be no action required after doing prefetch, the laptop/pc can be taken to the selected area and after connecting to the plane via Mavlink MP will loap the gmapcache.

Auto Grid

Mission Planner can create simple auto mission such as the Auto Grid which can be useful in the case of the aircraft following a "lawnmower" pattern over an area. Creating a Auto grid:

1. Right click on the map and follow the path "Polygon-Draw a Polygon"
2. Left click on the map to add red waypoints that make up the polygon. Create a simple rectangle over the area of interest
3. Right click on the map and follow the path "Auto WP-SimpleGrid"
4. A Grid window will open, adjust any necessary options for the grid then press "Accept" to generate the grid. Changing the line spacing will change the amount of rows in the grid

Mission Commands

Types of commands

Mission Planner has three types of different commands that can be used in a mission:

• Navigation Commands(NAV): These are used to control movement of the vehicle including takeoff, moving to and around waypoints, changing altitude, and landing
• DO Commands: Used for auxiliary functions and do not affect the vehicle's position such as setting a camera trigger distance, or setting a servo value
• Condition Commands: These are used to delay DO commands until a condition is met, for example wait until the UAV reaches a certain altitude or distance from a waypoint

During a mission at most one "Navigation" command and one "Do" or "Condition" can be running at one time.

Navigation Commands

NAV commands have the highest priority. Any DO_ and CONDITION_ commands that have not executed when a NAV command is loaded are skipped (for example, if a waypoint completes and the NAV command for another waypoint is loaded, and unexecuted DO/CONDITION commands associated with the first waypoint are dropped.

• WAYPOINT: Navigate to the specified position
• LOITER_ULIM: Loiter at the specifiesd location for unlimited amount of time
• LOITER_TURNS:
• LOITER_TIME: Loiter at the specifiesd location for a specific amount of time
• LOITER_TO_ALT:
• RETURN_TO_LAUNCH: Return to the home location or the nearest "Rally Point", if closer. In the case of using a Quadplane, an alternative to using a VTOL_LAND command is to use a RETURN_TO_LAUNCH command, and to set the Q_RTL_MODE parameter to 1. The advantage of using a RETURN_TO_LAUNCH with Q_RTL_MODE set is that the aircraft will automatically use fixed wing flight until it gets within RTL_RADIUS of the return point. That makes it easier to plan missions with a VTOL landing from anywhere in the flying area
• LAND:
• TAKEOFF:
• DELAY:
• VTOL_TAKEOFF: Quadplane will take off using VTOL mode. The only parameter for this is the altitude above the takeoff point where the take off is complete. Once that altitude is reached the aircraft will move to the next waypoint, transitioning to fixed wing flight as needed. If this command is executed when already flying, the vehicle will enter VTOL mode and climb the amount given in the altitude parameter, above its current altitude
• VTOL_LAND: By default a VTOL_LAND will remain in fixed mode at the current altitude, until close to the landing point, execute an “airbraking” maneuver to reduce speed, then transition to VTOL, navigate precisely to the landing point, and descend as in QLAND to a landing. This allows setting the VTOL_LAND point any distant away from the last waypoint without having to worry about excessive time in VTOL mode
• PAYLOAD_PLACE:

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
Param1	Maximum Descent	meters
Param2		Empty
Param3		Empty
Param4		Empty
Param5	Lat	Latitude
Param6	Long	Longitude
Param7	Alt	Altitude

• DO_JUMP: Jump to the specified command in the mission list. The jump command can be repeated either a specified number of times before continuing the mission, or it can be repeated indefinitely (This command is really a NAV command rather than a DO command)

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
Param1	WP#	The command index/sequence number of the command to jump to.
Param2	Repeat#	Number of times that the DO_JUMP command will execute before moving to the next sequential command. If the value is zero the next command will execute immediately. A value of -1 will cause the command to repeat indefinitely.
Param3		Empty
Param4		Empty
Param5		Empty
Param6		Empty
Param7		Empty

• DO_JUMP_TAG: Jump to the specified JUMP_TAG item in the mission list (Has the same parameters as DO_JUMP). The jump tag command can be repeated, either a specified number of times before continuing the mission, or it can be repeated indefinitely (This command is really a NAV command rather than a DO command)

Do Commands

The “DO” or “Now” commands are executed once to perform some action. All the DO commands associated with a waypoint are executed immediately.

• DO_CHANGE_SPEED:
• DO_SET_HOME:
• DO_SET_RELAY:
• DO_REPEAT_RELAY:
• DO_SET_SERVO:
• DO_REPEAT_SERVO:
• DO_SET_ROI:
• DO_SET_DIGICAM_CONFIGURE:
• DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL:
• DO_MOUNT_CONTROL:
• DO_GIMBAL_MANAGER_PITCHYAW:
• DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST:
• DO_FENCE_ENABLE:
• DO_AUX_FUNCTION:
• DO_SET_RESUME_REPEAT_DIST:

Creating a simple quadplane mission plan

1. Open the mission planner plan tab
2. (Optional) Go to the flying field on the map
3. On the map right click on the desired takeoff location and select set home
4. Selcet the way point radius size (default = 90m)
5. Left click on the map to place a waypoint close to the home waypoint then select the command VTOL_TAKEOFF. Make sure the home waypoint is inside the takeoff waypoint's area

7. Continue placing waypoints to design your quadplane's path

8. To complete your mission plan with a quadplane have your second last waypoint be the command DO_VTOL_TRANSITION and your final waypoint be the command VTOL_LAND for the quadplane to land (The quadplane can land wherever and is not restricted to landing at the home waypoint)
9. To save you mission plan press the Save File button on the right side of the screen select the location you wish to save it. To continue working on a mission plan or to load for simulation use press the Load File button on the right side of the screen (Make sure to manually save your mission plan everytime or it will be lost when closing the mission planner)

Simulation Tab

The Simulation tab provides a SITL (Software in the Loop) simulation capability. Many typical frame types for each Vehicle type have been created. This allows you to see the expected behavior for vehicles in missions, or with a joystick attached, actually be able to fly/drive the vehicle simulation as if with RC. This allows you to see potential effects of parameter changes on vehicle behavior or explore mission generation, without risking your vehicle first.

Setup

• Select the simulation page
• Advanced users only:
  • (Optional) Select the applicable model
  • (Optional) To wipe any previous changes made in the config page that are causing simulation errors select the check box labeled wipe
• Select the applicable the firmware to run in the simlation
• Select which version you want to use between Latest and Stable (you should be fine with either)

After completeing all the setup steps the firmware will start downloading and launch the simluation.

Setting Up a Quadplane Simulation

1. Follow the setup section and make sure the model is set to quadplane
2. Once the simulation is set up go to the mission planner plan tab
3. Create or load an existing mission plan for the Quadplane to take (follow the steps in creating a simple mission plan section.
4. Press the load file button on the right screen and select the save mission plan from wherever its stored on your computer. To load the mission onto the simulated quadplane by pressing the write then the read button the right side of the screen
5. Open Mission Planner's Data tab
6. If the plane icon isn't over the home waypoint repeat step 4
7. Go to the action tab and from the drop down list left of the Set Mode button select QSTABILIZE then press set mode
8. Press the Arm/Disarm button to arm the quadplane and in the HUD it should now say ARMED
9. Open the drop down list used in step 7 and select Auto then press the Set Mode button. The mission should start and the as seen in the HUD the altitude should start rising
10. If the waypoints disappear after step 9 go back to the plan tab and press the write button then repeat step 9 again and the quadplane should take off