PX4 User Guide (v1.14)

# Modules Reference: Controller

# airship_att_control

Source: modules/airship_att_control (opens new window)

# Description

This implements the airship attitude and rate controller. Ideally it would take attitude setpoints (vehicle_attitude_setpoint) or rate setpoints (in acro mode via manual_control_setpoint topic) as inputs and outputs actuator control messages.

Currently it is feeding the manual_control_setpoint topic directly to the actuators.

# Implementation

To reduce control latency, the module directly polls on the gyro topic published by the IMU driver.

# Usage

airship_att_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# control_allocator

Source: modules/control_allocator (opens new window)

# Description

This implements control allocation. It takes torque and thrust setpoints as inputs and outputs actuator setpoint messages.

# Usage

control_allocator <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# flight_mode_manager

Source: modules/flight_mode_manager (opens new window)

# Description

This implements the setpoint generation for all modes. It takes the current mode state of the vehicle as input and outputs setpoints for controllers.

# Usage

flight_mode_manager <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# fw_att_control

Source: modules/fw_att_control (opens new window)

# Description

fw_att_control is the fixed wing attitude controller.

# Usage

fw_att_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

# fw_pos_control

Source: modules/fw_pos_control (opens new window)

# Description

fw_pos_control is the fixed-wing position controller.

# Usage

fw_pos_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

# fw_rate_control

Source: modules/fw_rate_control (opens new window)

# Description

fw_rate_control is the fixed-wing rate controller.

# Usage

fw_rate_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

# mc_att_control

Source: modules/mc_att_control (opens new window)

# Description

This implements the multicopter attitude controller. It takes attitude setpoints (vehicle_attitude_setpoint) as inputs and outputs a rate setpoint.

The controller has a P loop for angular error

Publication documenting the implemented Quaternion Attitude Control: Nonlinear Quadrocopter Attitude Control (2013) by Dario Brescianini, Markus Hehn and Raffaello D'Andrea Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC), ETH Zurich

https://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/bitstream/handle/20.500.11850/154099/eth-7387-01.pdf

# Usage

mc_att_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

# mc_pos_control

Source: modules/mc_pos_control (opens new window)

# Description

The controller has two loops: a P loop for position error and a PID loop for velocity error. Output of the velocity controller is thrust vector that is split to thrust direction (i.e. rotation matrix for multicopter orientation) and thrust scalar (i.e. multicopter thrust itself).

The controller doesn't use Euler angles for its work, they are generated only for more human-friendly control and logging.

# Usage

mc_pos_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

# mc_rate_control

Source: modules/mc_rate_control (opens new window)

# Description

This implements the multicopter rate controller. It takes rate setpoints (in acro mode via manual_control_setpoint topic) as inputs and outputs actuator control messages.

The controller has a PID loop for angular rate error.

# Usage

mc_rate_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start
     [vtol]      VTOL mode

   stop

   status        print status info

Source: modules/navigator (opens new window)

# Description

Module that is responsible for autonomous flight modes. This includes missions (read from dataman), takeoff and RTL. It is also responsible for geofence violation checking.

# Implementation

The different internal modes are implemented as separate classes that inherit from a common base class NavigatorMode. The member _navigation_mode contains the current active mode.

Navigator publishes position setpoint triplets (position_setpoint_triplet_s), which are then used by the position controller.

# Usage

navigator <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   fencefile     load a geofence file from SD card, stored at etc/geofence.txt

   fake_traffic  publishes 4 fake transponder_report_s uORB messages

   stop

   status        print status info

# rover_pos_control

Source: modules/rover_pos_control (opens new window)

# Description

Controls the position of a ground rover using an L1 controller.

Publishes vehicle_thrust_setpoint (only in x) and vehicle_torque_setpoint (only yaw) messages at IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX.

# Implementation

Currently, this implementation supports only a few modes:

  • Full manual: Throttle and yaw controls are passed directly through to the actuators
  • Auto mission: The rover runs missions
  • Loiter: The rover will navigate to within the loiter radius, then stop the motors

# Examples

CLI usage example:

rover_pos_control start
rover_pos_control status
rover_pos_control stop

# Usage

rover_pos_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# uuv_att_control

Source: modules/uuv_att_control (opens new window)

# Description

Controls the attitude of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

Publishes vehicle_thrust_setpont and vehicle_torque_setpoint messages at a constant 250Hz.

# Implementation

Currently, this implementation supports only a few modes:

  • Full manual: Roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle controls are passed directly through to the actuators
  • Auto mission: The uuv runs missions

# Examples

CLI usage example:

uuv_att_control start
uuv_att_control status
uuv_att_control stop

# Usage

uuv_att_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# uuv_pos_control

Source: modules/uuv_pos_control (opens new window)

# Description

Controls the attitude of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Publishes attitude_setpoint messages.

# Implementation

Currently, this implementation supports only a few modes:

  • Full manual: Roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle controls are passed directly through to the actuators
  • Auto mission: The uuv runs missions

# Examples

CLI usage example:

uuv_pos_control start
uuv_pos_control status
uuv_pos_control stop

# Usage

uuv_pos_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:
   start

   stop

   status        print status info

# vtol_att_control

Source: modules/vtol_att_control (opens new window)

# Description

fw_att_control is the fixed wing attitude controller.

# Usage

vtol_att_control <command> [arguments...]
 Commands:

   stop

   status        print status info

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