Mavsdk python package with AirSim simulator

[AIKUUM]

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Below screenshot represents the details of my system:

AirSim version (1.3.1)
Unreal version(4.25)
python version (3.8.3)

Im using AirSim simulator for my test cases. As of now I want communication to happen between 2 drones in an automated simulation environment of AirSim. I also want to know if mavsdk python package can be used along with airsim.

Details of what I already tried to check if Mavsdk python package can be used along with AirSim simulator:

1. I searched for "mavsdk+airsim" in google. I could then access the link "https://dev.px4.io/v1.9.0/en/simulation/airsim.html". But I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk. I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk even in the link "https://github.com/microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/px4_sitl.md".
2. I searched for "mavsdk" in the main search of "https://microsoft.github.io/AirSim/", but i couldnt find anything in it.

[AIKUUM]

Question

What's your question?

Include context on what you are trying to achieve

Context details

Include details of what you already did to find answers

Below screenshot represents the details of my system:

AirSim version (1.3.1)
Unreal version(4.25)
python version (3.8.3)

Im using AirSim simulator for my test cases. As of now I want communication to happen between 2 drones in an automated simulation environment of AirSim. I also want to know if mavsdk python package can be used along with airsim.

Details of what I already tried to check if Mavsdk python package can be used along with AirSim simulator:

1. I searched for "mavsdk+airsim" in google. I could then access the link "https://dev.px4.io/v1.9.0/en/simulation/airsim.html". But I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk. I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk even in the link "https://github.com/microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/px4_sitl.md".
2. I searched for "mavsdk" in the main search of "https://microsoft.github.io/AirSim/", but i couldnt find anything in it.

Hi @sytelus, Which python package is better for communication between 2 drones in AirSim? Mavros or Mavsdk?

[AIKUUM]

Question

What's your question?

Include context on what you are trying to achieve

Context details

Include details of what you already did to find answers

Below screenshot represents the details of my system:

AirSim version (1.3.1)
Unreal version(4.25)
python version (3.8.3)

Im using AirSim simulator for my test cases. As of now I want communication to happen between 2 drones in an automated simulation environment of AirSim. I also want to know if mavsdk python package can be used along with airsim.

Details of what I already tried to check if Mavsdk python package can be used along with AirSim simulator:

1. I searched for "mavsdk+airsim" in google. I could then access the link "https://dev.px4.io/v1.9.0/en/simulation/airsim.html". But I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk. I couldnt find anything related to combination of airsim and mavsdk even in the link "https://github.com/microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/px4_sitl.md".
2. I searched for "mavsdk" in the main search of "https://microsoft.github.io/AirSim/", but i couldnt find anything in it.

Hi @rajat2004, Do you have any idea about this?

[ahmed-elsaharti]

Hello @AIKUUM , I've done some testing and can confirm that mavsdk's example scripts (I tested takeoff_and_land.py) will work with Airsim in PX4 SITL mode (haven't tested HITL yet).
All I had to do to make this work was set the ControlPort in settings.json to PX4's Onboard port:

then run PX4 SITL normally.

Here's my settings.json for reference:

{
  "SettingsVersion": 1.2,
  "SeeDocsAt": "https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/settings.md",
  "SimMode": "Multirotor",
  "DefaultVehicleConfig": "PX4",
  "Vehicles": {
    "PX4": {
            "VehicleType": "PX4Multirotor",
            "UseSerial": false,
            "UseTcp": true,
            "TcpPort": 4560,
            "ControlPort": 14580
        }
  }
}

and here's a screenshot of the example script connecting and running:

Hope this helps

[jonyMarino]

Hi @AIKUUM! You are continuing the topic of #3145 here, so I suggest you close there.
The messages that happen by mavlink between AirSim and PX4 are for simulation. Specifically for PX4 to simulate drone control. It is not what you are looking for for your use case. If you want to use mavsdk, instantiate a mavlink node for each drone and communicate between them. You would do all this from your script. For example, you can have a thread for each drone, and each thread has a mavlink node. Within each thread, you will make calls to the AirSim API for the drone that corresponds to it (you will specify the drone's name each time you call the API).

[AIKUUM]

Hi @AIKUUM! You are continuing the topic of #3145 here, so I suggest you close there.
The messages that happen by mavlink between AirSim and PX4 are for simulation. Specifically for PX4 to simulate drone control. It is not what you are looking for for your use case. If you want to use mavsdk, instantiate a mavlink node for each drone and communicate between them. You would do all this from your script. For example, you can have a thread for each drone, and each thread has a mavlink node. Within each thread, you will make calls to the AirSim API for the drone that corresponds to it (you will specify the drone's name each time you call the API).

Hi @jonyMarino, I have closed the issue #3145

[AIKUUM]

Hi @AIKUUM! You are continuing the topic of #3145 here, so I suggest you close there.
The messages that happen by mavlink between AirSim and PX4 are for simulation. Specifically for PX4 to simulate drone control. It is not what you are looking for for your use case. If you want to use mavsdk, instantiate a mavlink node for each drone and communicate between them. You would do all this from your script. For example, you can have a thread for each drone, and each thread has a mavlink node. Within each thread, you will make calls to the AirSim API for the drone that corresponds to it (you will specify the drone's name each time you call the API).

Hi @jonyMarino, I'm sorry for disturbing you again. But is PX4 in SITL compulsorily required along with AirSim for UAV communication? or just AirSim is sufficient?

[jonyMarino]

Just AirSim is sufficient.

AirSim uses mavlink to integrate the PX4 flight controller. But what you want is to use mavlink for other purposes. You would not have requirements from the AirSim side because you will simulate the communication on the client-side (your script). You are doing this for research, or do you plan to deploy this in a real drone?

[AIKUUM]

Just AirSim is sufficient.

AirSim uses mavlink to integrate the PX4 flight controller. But what you want is to use mavlink for other purposes. You would not have requirements from the AirSim side because you will simulate the communication on the client-side (your script). You are doing this for research, or do you plan to deploy this in a real drone?

What I want to do is for a project.

[AIKUUM]

Hello @AIKUUM , I've done some testing and can confirm that mavsdk's example scripts (I tested takeoff_and_land.py) will work with Airsim in PX4 SITL mode (haven't tested HITL yet).
All I had to do to make this work was set the ControlPort in settings.json to PX4's Onboard port:

then run PX4 SITL normally.

Here's my settings.json for reference:

{
  "SettingsVersion": 1.2,
  "SeeDocsAt": "https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/settings.md",
  "SimMode": "Multirotor",
  "DefaultVehicleConfig": "PX4",
  "Vehicles": {
    "PX4": {
            "VehicleType": "PX4Multirotor",
            "UseSerial": false,
            "UseTcp": true,
            "TcpPort": 4560,
            "ControlPort": 14580
        }
  }
}

and here's a screenshot of the example script connecting and running:

Hope this helps

Hi @ahmed-elsaharti, How are you using mavsdk? I mean did you install the module through pip? Or did u download mavsdk-python package from https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK-Python? I have done both. Can you suggest me which would be better to use?

[ahmed-elsaharti]

Hi @ahmed-elsaharti, How are you using mavsdk? I mean did you install the module through pip? Or did u download mavsdk-python package from https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK-Python? I have done both. Can you suggest me which would be better to use?

I remember installing it through pip and cloning the https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK-Python repo just for the example scripts. The general difference between the pip version and the github version of any library would be that the version on github is the one being updated with every commit while the pip one awaits publishing by the creator

[AIKUUM]

Hello @AIKUUM , I've done some testing and can confirm that mavsdk's example scripts (I tested takeoff_and_land.py) will work with Airsim in PX4 SITL mode (haven't tested HITL yet).
All I had to do to make this work was set the ControlPort in settings.json to PX4's Onboard port:

then run PX4 SITL normally.

Here's my settings.json for reference:

{
  "SettingsVersion": 1.2,
  "SeeDocsAt": "https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/settings.md",
  "SimMode": "Multirotor",
  "DefaultVehicleConfig": "PX4",
  "Vehicles": {
    "PX4": {
            "VehicleType": "PX4Multirotor",
            "UseSerial": false,
            "UseTcp": true,
            "TcpPort": 4560,
            "ControlPort": 14580
        }
  }
}

and here's a screenshot of the example script connecting and running:

Hope this helps

Hi @ahmed-elsaharti, I tried executing the same python file (takeoff_and_land.py) as you did with PX4 in SITL. But there are some issues with the execution as in the screenshot below:

As you can see in Anaconda prompt "Waiting for drone to connect..." is there and then nothing is displayed. Morover there are some errors in PX4 too.

These are settings that I have used in settings.json file:
{ "SeeDocsAt": "https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim/blob/master/docs/settings.md", "SettingsVersion": 1.2, "SimMode": "Multirotor", "ClockSpeed": 1, "LocalHostIp": "127.0.0.1", "CameraDefaults": { "CaptureSettings": [ { "ImageType": 0, "Width": 3000, "Height": 2000, "FOV_Degrees": 90, "AutoExposureSpeed": 100, "AutoExposureBias": 0, "AutoExposureMaxBrightness": 0.64, "AutoExposureMinBrightness": 0.03, "MotionBlurAmount": 0, "TargetGamma": 1.0, "ProjectionMode": "", "OrthoWidth": 5.12 } ] }, "Vehicles": { "Drone1": { "VehicleType": "PX4Multirotor", "UseSerial": false, "UseTcp": true, "TcpPort": 4560, "ControlPort": 14580, "Parameters": { "NAV_RCL_ACT": 0, "NAV_DLL_ACT": 0, "LPE_LAT": 47.641468, "LPE_LON": -122.140165, "COM_OBL_ACT": 1 }, "X": 0, "Y": 0, "Z": 0 } } }

Can you help me to resolve the issues?

[ahmed-elsaharti]

@AIKUUM try getting rid of the

"Parameters": { "NAV_RCL_ACT": 0, "NAV_DLL_ACT": 0, "LPE_LAT": 47.641468, "LPE_LON": -122.140165, "COM_OBL_ACT": 1 },

section in your settings.json and make sure the anaconda prompt is not blocked by a firewall or an antivirus

[AIKUUM]

@AIKUUM try getting rid of the

"Parameters": { "NAV_RCL_ACT": 0, "NAV_DLL_ACT": 0, "LPE_LAT": 47.641468, "LPE_LON": -122.140165, "COM_OBL_ACT": 1 },

section in your settings.json and make sure the anaconda prompt is not blocked by a firewall or an antivirus

Hi @ahmed-elsaharti, I tried what you suggested. But nothing appears after "Waiting for drone to connect..." in Anaconda Prompt.
And this is what thats displayed in PX4:
`
px4 starting.

INFO [px4] Calling startup script: /bin/sh etc/init.d-posix/rcS 0
INFO [dataman] Unknown restart, data manager file './dataman' size is 11798680 bytes
INFO [simulator] Waiting for simulator to connect on TCP port 4560
INFO [init] Mixer: etc/mixers/quad_w.main.mix on /dev/pwm_output0
INFO [mavlink] mode: Normal, data rate: 4000000 B/s on udp port 14570 remote port 14550
INFO [mavlink] mode: Onboard, data rate: 4000000 B/s on udp port 14580 remote port 14540
INFO [logger] logger started (mode=all)
INFO [logger] Start file log (type: full)
INFO [logger] Opened full log file: ./log/2020-12-23/06_34_26.ulg
INFO [mavlink] MAVLink only on localhost (set param MAV_BROADCAST = 1 to enable network)
INFO [px4] Startup script returned successfully
pxh> INFO [simulator] Simulator connected on TCP port 4560.
INFO [mavlink] partner IP: 127.0.0.1
INFO [ecl/EKF] EKF aligned, (pressure height, IMU buf: 22, OBS buf: 14)
INFO [ecl/EKF] 3423094: EKF GPS checks passed (WGS-84 origin set)
INFO [ecl/EKF] 7970499: EKF commencing GPS fusion
`
Nothing appears in PX4 after this.

By the way there was no problem with Anaconda prompt when I tried to execute scripts outside mavsdk package.