PX4 Autopilot Support from UAV Toolbox
Design, simulate, deploy, and validate flight control algorithms for UAVs on PX4 Autopilots
System requirements and installation options
Check the System Requirements
To install a hardware support package, you must have a supported product release, along with the required operating system and base product.
View the hardware support package system requirements table and confirm you have:
- A supported release
- A supported operating system
- The required base products
If you do not have a supported release or the required base products, you can get started with a free trial, or you can purchase products.
Continue with the Installation
After confirming you have the system requirements, proceed with either installation option listed below.
Option 1: Using the Toolstrip
Launch the Support Package Installer from your version of MATLAB and navigate to the correct support package.
Option 2: "Get Support Package" Button (.mlpkginstall file*)
Clicking the Get Support Package button provides the support package install file:
([filename].mlpkginstall)
There are several ways to initiate the Support Package Installer from these files:
- Open the
.mlpkginstallfile directly from your Internet browser. - Download and save the file (the default option for some Internet browsers), and open it directly from your Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system.
- Open the
.mlpkginstallfile directly from within MATLAB by navigating the Current Folder to the location of the downloaded file and double clicking it. That will initiate the installation for the MATLAB release that you have open.
The primary difference between using the .mlpkginstall file (option 2) rather than the toolstrip (option 1) to initiate support package installation is that the file allows the user to avoid the support package selection screen on the installer.
*These file types were introduced in MATLAB R2013a.
Users without an Internet connection can install hardware support packages by following the download instructions.
Capabilities and Features
Using the UAV Toolbox Support Package for PX4® Autopilots, you can access autopilot peripherals from MATLAB® and Simulink®.
The support package lets you perform various tasks:
- Integrate generated code from Simulink with PX4 architecture and deploy flight control designs from Simulink onto PX4 Autopilots
- Access a library of sensor and peripheral blocks for inertial measurements, GPS, vehicle estimation, PWM output, ADC, I2C, CAN, and serial Rx/Tx that can be extended to support additional sensors and peripherals
- Read and write uORB topics and enable real-time scheduling with uORB
- Log signals to a micro-SD card connected to PX4 Autopilots
- View signal values and tune parameters in real time to interactively test the behavior of generated code using Monitor and Tune
- Deploy PX4 Firmware on host computer using PX4 Host Target simulation (PX4 software-in-the-loop)
- Integrate Simulink plant for UAV dynamics with hardware-in-the-loop simulation
- Use depth image from Unreal Engine® to test the flight controllers for UAV obstacle avoidance
Watch PX4 Autopilots in Action
Simulate and deploy UAV applications with SIL and HIL workflows
Platform and Release Support
See the hardware support package system requirements table for current and prior version, release, and platform availability.
Photorealistic scene of a UAV generated using a hardware-in-the-loop PX4 Autopilot and Unreal Engine scenario simulation.
Supported Hardware
The PX4 Autopilot Support Package interfaces with various hardware:
- Pixhawk 6x
- Cube Orange
- UVify IFO-S
- Pixhawk 4
- Pixhawk Cube
- Pixracer
- Pixhawk 1 (mRo)
