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6.3 Troubleshooting of composite connections
foreword
This article explains how to connect Mission Planner to the autopilot in order to receive telemetry data and control the aircraft.
！Note
For installations with existing ArduPilot firmware, or boards without existing ArduPilot firmware ( without existing ArduPilot firmware ), there are separate connection instructions for loading the firmware ( Load Firmware ).
6.1 Setting up the connection
To establish a connection, you must first choose the communication method/channel you want to use, then set up the physical hardware and Windows device drivers. You can connect the PC to the autopilot with a USB cable, Telemetry Radios , Bluetooth , IP connection , etc.
！Note
Drivers for your connected hardware must exist in Windows , as this makes the COM port and default data rate you are connected available to Mission Planner .
Pixhawk USB connection
Connect using SiK radio
On Mission Planner , use the drop-down boxes at the top right of the screen to set the connection and data rate.
Once you've connected the USB or telemetry radio, Windows will automatically assign your autopilot a COM port number which will show up in the drop down menu (the actual number doesn't matter). The appropriate data rate for the connection is also set (typically 115200 for USB connections and 57600 for radio connections ).
Select the desired port and data rate, then press the CONNECT button to connect to the autopilot . Once connected, the Mission Planner will download the parameters from the autopilot and the button will change to DISCONNECT as shown:
！Tip
The " Select Port " dropdown menu also contains options for TCP or UDP ports, which can be used to connect to the autopilot over the network .
The " Statistics... " hot link below the port selection box , if clicked, will provide information about the connection, such as whether Signing security is activated , link statistics, etc. Sometimes this window pops up below the current screen and has to be brought to the front to see it.
Connect multiple aircraft
Additional connections can be made by right-clicking the CONNECT button and selecting the connection option from the drop-down list.
A pre-written link list file can be loaded using the link list drop-down option. Here is an example format of the file:
tcp://127.0.0.1:5670
udp://127.0.0.1:14550
udpcl://192.168.1.255:14550
serial:com4:115200
6.2 Troubleshooting
If Mission Planner fails to connect:
- Check that the chosen method is using the correct baud rate ( 115200 for USB or 57600 for radio/telemetry );
- If connecting via USB , make sure a few seconds have elapsed after powering on before attempting to connect. If you try to connect during bootloader initialization time, Windows may get wrong USB information. Connection attempts after this may require unplugging the USB connection and plugging it back in, then waiting for the bootloader to enter the main code (a few seconds), and then attempting to connect. Occasionally, the MP had to be restarted if a connection was attempted during bootstrap initialization ;
- If using a COM port on Windows , check if the connected COM port exists in the list of serial ports in Windows Device Manager;
- If your autopilot has an F7 or H7 processor and has a CAN port, then please see the following section, Troubleshooting Composite Connections ;
- If using a USB port, try a different physical USB port;
- If using UDP or TCP connections, check to see if your firewall is blocking IP traffic.
You should also make sure the autopilot controller board has the proper ArduPilot firmware installed and is booted up properly ( there are helpful LEDs and Sounds on the Pixhawk that will tell you the status of the autopilot ).
If using a remote link (not USB ), Mission Planner connects, but does not download parameters, or you cannot get commands, such as mode change actions, then the autopilot may have turned on the signature feature. See MAVLink2 Signing ( MAVLink2 Signing ).
6.3 Troubleshooting of composite connections
6.4 Related topics
Too much space, another introduction: