mavsdk_drone_show

Mission State Terminology Fix - Summary

Problem Solved

The application had confusing state terminology that conflicted with PX4’s actual arming status:

❌ CONFUSING OLD SYSTEM:

• State.ARMED = 1 → MISLEADING! This meant “Mission loaded, waiting for trigger time”
• State.TRIGGERED = 2 → UNCLEAR! This meant “Mission is executing”

vs PX4 Real Arming:

• is_armed → Whether PX4 is actually armed
• is_ready_to_arm → Whether pre-arm checks pass

✅ SOLUTION IMPLEMENTED

1. Renamed States (Backend/Drone-side)

File: src/enums.py

class State(Enum):
    IDLE = 0
    MISSION_READY = 1      # Was: ARMED (Mission loaded, waiting for trigger)  
    MISSION_EXECUTING = 2  # Was: TRIGGERED (Mission is executing)
    UNKNOWN = 999

2. Updated All Code References

Files Updated:

• src/drone_setup.py - All mission execution logic
• coordinator.py - State transition handling

Changes:

• State.ARMED → State.MISSION_READY
• State.TRIGGERED → State.MISSION_EXECUTING

3. Enhanced Frontend Display

New File: app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/constants/droneStates.js

export const DRONE_SHOW_STATES = {
  0: 'Idle',                    // No mission loaded
  1: 'Mission Ready',           // Mission loaded, waiting for trigger time
  2: 'Mission Executing',       // Mission is currently executing
  999: 'Unknown'                // Unknown/error state
};

Updated Components:

• DroneDetail.js - Shows “Mission State” instead of “State”
• DroneWidget.js - Enhanced mission state badges with visual indicators

4. Visual Improvements

New CSS Classes in DroneWidget.css:

Mission State	Badge Color	Border	Animation
Idle	Gray	None	None
Mission Ready	Orange	Orange left border	Pulsing
Mission Executing	Teal	Teal left border	Fast pulse

🎯 What Users See Now:

Before Fix:

• ❌ “Armed: YES” (confusing - not PX4 arming!)
• ❌ “State: 1” (meaningless number)

After Fix:

• ✅ PX4 Armed: NO (actual PX4 arming status)
• ✅ Ready to Arm: YES (PX4 pre-arm checks)
• ✅ Mission State: Mission Ready (clear application state)

🔄 Mission Workflow Now Clear:

1. Idle (Gray) → No mission loaded
2. Mission Ready (Orange, pulsing) → Mission loaded, waiting for trigger time
3. Mission Executing (Teal, fast pulse) → Mission running
4. Back to Idle → Mission completed

🛡️ Functionality Preserved:

• ✅ All mission execution logic unchanged (just renamed variables)
• ✅ Trigger time logic unchanged
• ✅ LED color changes unchanged (Orange when “Mission Ready”)
• ✅ Coordinator state transitions unchanged
• ✅ No breaking changes to API or behavior

📋 Files Modified:

Backend/Drone-side:

• src/enums.py - State enum definitions
• src/drone_setup.py - Mission execution handlers
• coordinator.py - State transition logic

Frontend:

• app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/constants/droneStates.js - NEW state mapping
• app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/components/DroneDetail.js - Enhanced display
• app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/components/DroneWidget.js - Mission state badges
• app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/styles/DroneWidget.css - Visual indicators

🚀 Benefits:

1. No More Confusion - PX4 arming vs Mission states are clearly separate
2. Better User Experience - Clear visual indicators for mission workflow
3. Professional Look - Matches industry standards (QGroundControl style)
4. Maintainable - Self-documenting code with clear naming
5. Zero Functional Changes - Same behavior, better presentation

🧪 Testing Notes:

The changes are semantic only - all logic flows are identical:

• Mission trigger conditions unchanged
• LED behavior unchanged
• State transition timing unchanged
• API responses unchanged (just clearer names)

Test these workflows:

1. Load mission → Should show “Mission Ready” with orange badge
2. Trigger mission → Should show “Mission Executing” with teal badge
3. Complete mission → Should return to “Idle” with gray badge
4. Check PX4 arming status shows independently from mission state

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Author: Claude Code Assistant
Date: 2025-09-06
Impact: UI/UX Enhancement, No Functional Changes

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