PX4 X-Plane Plugin

This project establishes a robust connection between X-Plane and PX4 SITL (Software In The Loop) to simulate drone flight in the X-Plane environment. Our goal is to deliver a realistic simulation experience where PX4 can control various drones within X-Plane, and with our continuous improvements, it's getting better all the time.

Latest Release

Check out the new features in the v1.1.0 release of the plugin, including support for additional airframes like the Alia-250 eVTOL. Don't miss the upcoming step-by-step tutorials on our GitHub!

Video Tutorials

For setup guidance and demonstrations, visit our YouTube playlist, which includes detailed tutorials and showcases the plugin in action!

Introduction

We bridge X-Plane and PX4 using the Simulator MAVLink API, which facilitates the exchange of sensor and actuator data, providing a rich and accurate simulation environment.

The following table illustrates the message flow:

Message	Direction	Description
MAV_MODE:MAV_MODE_FLAG_HIL_ENABLED	NA	Mode flag when using simulation. All motors/actuators are blocked, but internal software is fully operational.
HIL_ACTUATOR_CONTROLS	PX4 to Sim	PX4 control outputs (to motors, actuators).
HIL_SENSOR	Sim to PX4	Simulated IMU readings in SI units in NED body frame.
HIL_GPS	Sim to PX4	The simulated GPS RAW sensor value.
HIL_OPTICAL_FLOW	Sim to PX4	Simulated optical flow from a flow sensor (e.g. PX4FLOW or optical mouse sensor).
HIL_STATE_QUATERNION	Sim to PX4	Contains the actual "simulated" vehicle position, attitude, speed, etc. This can be logged and compared to PX4's estimates for analysis and debugging.
HIL_RC_INPUTS_RAW	Sim to PX4	The RAW values of the RC channels received.

Known Issues

• As of January 2024, I've fixed previous issues with attitude estimation. Performance remains key; ensure X-Plane runs at high FPS for optimal EKF performance. Stay tuned for more updates as we progress.
• If you find any bug, please report it...

New Configurations

The config.ini file has been significantly improved to facilitate the easy definition of custom airframes. The plugin now comes with support for the Cessna 172, Alia-250, and Ehang 184, complete with preset parameters for immediate use. To utilize these new configurations, you can wait for the pull request to be merged into the official PX4 codebase, or use my forked repository and branch temporarily.

For those who need to use the default make px4_sitl none_iris command, be aware that manual updating of parameter files is required, and this approach may not support fixed-wing and VTOL models effectively. Once the pull request is merged, you'll be able to use dedicated commands for each of the supported models — ehang184, alia250, and cessna172 — streamlining your simulation setup process.

Usage Guide

follow the step-by-step instruction version 1.0.0.

For Developers: Building from Source

1. Repository Cloning:

   • Clone this repository to your local machine:

     git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/alireza787b/px4xplane.git

   • If you've already cloned the repository without the --recurse-submodules option, you can fetch the contents of the submodules with:

     git submodule init
     git submodule update

2. Building the Plugin:

   • Follow the instructions in the BUILDING.md file to build the plugin from the source. (will be added)

Configuration and Motor Arrangement

The plugin now supports flexible motor arrangements and configuration changes through a config.ini file located alongside the .xpl file. This enhancement allows users to easily switch between different airframe types (note: fixed-wing configurations are currently not supported) and customize motor mappings without modifying the source code.

X-Plane Aircraft Setup

For the best experience, we recommend using the following aircraft models with our plugin:

• Quadcopter (Ehang 184): Utilize the quadricopter air taxi model, which graphically displays a coaxial X8 configuration. Download the model that aligns with our plugin from X-Plane.org. A parameter file (quadricopter_px4.params) is included in the config folder to pre-configure all necessary settings for this airframe.

• Quad Plane VTOL (Alia-250) and Fixed-Wing (Cessna 172): These are default aircraft in X-Plane 12, and our plugin supports them out of the box. Simply select them within X-Plane for immediate use with PX4 SITL.

Remember, for an optimized simulation experience, ensure that you are using the correct aircraft model with the corresponding parameters provided.

Status

As of January 2024, This project is currently under development.

Contribution and Support

Feel free to reach out to me in the issue section if you need help. Having experienced contributors is greatly appreciated!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.