mavsdk_drone_show

Configuration CSV Migration Guide

Configuration System Cleanup (v3.3+)

Date: November 2025 Version: 3.3 Impact: Medium - Requires CSV file updates and system restart

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Summary of Changes

The config.csv and config_sitl.csv files have been simplified and modernized to remove deprecated fields and centralize global configuration, while maintaining per-drone hardware flexibility.

What Changed

Old Format (10 columns - v3.2):

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,debug_port,gcs_ip,serial_port,baudrate

New Format (8 columns - v3.3):

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate

Removed Columns

Column	Reason for Removal	New Location
debug_port	Deprecated UDP telemetry feature no longer used	Removed entirely
gcs_ip	Same for all drones; causes configuration redundancy	Centralized in src/params.py with UI configuration

Key Improvements

✅ Cleaner Configuration - Reduced from 10 to 8 columns ✅ GCS Configuration UI - New “Configure GCS” button for centralized GCS IP management ✅ Custom Hardware Options - UI dropdowns now support custom serial ports and baudrates ✅ Git Integration - GCS configuration changes auto-commit to repository ✅ No Backward Compatibility - Only supports new 8-column format (clean break)

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Why This Change?

Problems Addressed

1. Redundant GCS IP Configuration

• ❌ Old: GCS IP repeated in every drone row (same value 50+ times)
• ✅ New: Single GCS IP in src/params.py, editable via UI

2. Deprecated Debug Port

• ❌ Old: debug_port column unused (UDP telemetry deprecated in v2.0)
• ✅ New: Removed entirely, MAVLink port handles all telemetry

3. Limited Hardware Flexibility

• ❌ Old: Fixed dropdown options only
• ✅ New: “Custom” option allows any serial port or baudrate

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GCS IP Configuration (New Feature)

Centralized Management

GCS IP is now configured in src/params.py:

# ===================================================================================
# GCS (Ground Control Station) CONFIGURATION
# ===================================================================================
GCS_IP = "100.96.32.75"                # GCS IP address (★ CHANGE THIS FOR YOUR SETUP ★)
GCS_FLASK_PORT = 5000                  # GCS Flask backend port
connectivity_check_ip = GCS_IP         # Use GCS_IP for connectivity checks
connectivity_check_port = GCS_FLASK_PORT

UI Configuration

Mission Config Dashboard now includes a “Configure GCS” button:

1. Click “Configure GCS” button (next to “Set Origin”)
2. Enter new GCS IP address
3. System validates IP format (XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX, octets 0-255)
4. On save:
   • Updates src/params.py file
   • Commits changes to git repository
   • Shows warning about required restarts

⚠️ Important: After changing GCS IP:

• All drones must be restarted
• GCS server must be restarted
• Changes are committed to git automatically

What GCS IP Controls

The GCS IP address is used by all drones for:

• Heartbeat reporting - Regular status updates to GCS
• MAVLink routing - Telemetry and command routing
• Telemetry transmission - Real-time position/battery data
• Command reception - Mission commands and controls

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Migration Instructions

⚠️ Breaking Change Notice

Version 3.3 does NOT support backward compatibility. The old 10-column format will be rejected.

You MUST migrate your CSV files before upgrading.

Migration Steps

Step 1: Backup Existing Configuration

cd ~/mavsdk_drone_show
cp config.csv config.csv.v3.2.backup
cp config_sitl.csv config_sitl.csv.v3.2.backup

Step 2: Update config.csv Header

Old header:

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,debug_port,gcs_ip,serial_port,baudrate

New header:

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate

Step 3: Remove debug_port and gcs_ip Columns

Before (10 columns):

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,debug_port,gcs_ip,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,-2.5,10.0,100.96.240.11,14551,13541,100.96.32.75,/dev/ttyS0,57600
2,2,-2.5,5.0,100.96.28.52,14552,13542,100.96.32.75,/dev/ttyAMA0,57600

After (8 columns):

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,-2.5,10.0,100.96.240.11,14551,/dev/ttyS0,57600
2,2,-2.5,5.0,100.96.28.52,14552,/dev/ttyAMA0,57600

Step 4: Update GCS IP in params.py

Edit src/params.py and set your GCS IP:

GCS_IP = "100.96.32.75"  # ← Update this to your GCS server IP

Or use the UI after deployment (Configure GCS button).

Step 5: Update config_sitl.csv

Same process for SITL configuration:

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,-13.5,13.5,172.18.0.2,14563,N/A,N/A
2,2,-13.5,10.5,172.18.0.3,14564,N/A,N/A

Step 6: Test Configuration

python3 test_config_simple.py

Step 7: Restart Services

sudo systemctl restart coordinator
sudo systemctl restart gcs-server

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Example Configurations

Example 1: Homogeneous Fleet (All RP4)

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,0,0,100.96.1.10,14551,/dev/ttyS0,57600
2,2,5,0,100.96.1.11,14552,/dev/ttyS0,57600
3,3,10,0,100.96.1.12,14553,/dev/ttyS0,57600

Example 2: Mixed Fleet (RP4 + RP5)

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,0,0,100.96.1.10,14551,/dev/ttyS0,57600
2,2,5,0,100.96.1.11,14552,/dev/ttyAMA0,57600
3,3,10,0,100.96.1.12,14553,/dev/ttyS0,57600
4,4,15,0,100.96.1.13,14554,/dev/ttyAMA0,57600

Example 3: High-Performance Setup (Jetson)

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,0,0,100.96.1.10,14551,/dev/ttyTHS1,921600
2,2,5,0,100.96.1.11,14552,/dev/ttyTHS1,921600

Example 4: Custom Serial Configuration

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,0,0,100.96.1.10,14551,/dev/ttyUSB0,38400
2,2,5,0,100.96.1.11,14552,/dev/ttyACM0,115200

Example 5: SITL Configuration

hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
1,1,-13.5,13.5,172.18.0.2,14563,N/A,N/A
2,2,-13.5,10.5,172.18.0.3,14564,N/A,N/A

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Mission Config UI Updates

GCS Configuration Dialog

New “Configure GCS” Button:

• Located at top of Mission Config page (next to “Set Origin”)
• Opens modal dialog for GCS IP configuration
• Validates IP format in real-time
• Shows current IP and warnings about restart requirements
• Auto-commits changes to git repository

Drone Configuration Cards

Read-Only View:

• Shows serial port and baudrate for each drone
• GCS IP no longer displayed (redundant - same for all)
• Debug port removed (deprecated feature)

Edit Mode: Dropdown selectors with custom options:

Serial Port Options:

• /dev/ttyS0 (Raspberry Pi 4)
• /dev/ttyAMA0 (Raspberry Pi 5)
• /dev/ttyTHS1 (Jetson)
• N/A (SITL/Simulation)
• Custom… ← NEW! Enter any serial port path

Baudrate Options:

• 9600
• 57600 (Standard) ← Default
• 115200 (High Speed)
• 921600 (Very High Speed)
• N/A (SITL/Simulation)
• Custom… ← NEW! Enter any baudrate value

Adding New Drones

When clicking “Add New Drone”, the system automatically sets:

• serial_port: /dev/ttyS0 (default for RP4)
• baudrate: 57600 (standard)
• No gcs_ip or debug_port (removed)

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Hardware Reference

Common Serial Port Mappings

Hardware Platform	Serial Port	Default Baudrate	Notes
Raspberry Pi 4	/dev/ttyS0	57600	Standard UART
Raspberry Pi 5	/dev/ttyAMA0	57600	New UART mapping
Raspberry Pi Zero	/dev/ttyS0	57600	Same as RP4
NVIDIA Jetson	/dev/ttyTHS1	921600	High-speed UART
USB Serial Adapter	/dev/ttyUSB0	Variable	Check adapter specs
Arduino/Custom	/dev/ttyACM0	Variable	Device-specific
SITL/Simulation	N/A	N/A	Not used in simulation

Common Baudrates

Baudrate	Use Case	Compatibility
9600	Very slow (debugging)	Universal
38400	Custom hardware	Some devices
57600	Standard (default)	Most common
115200	High speed	Most modern hardware
921600	Very high speed	Jetson, high-performance systems

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Files Modified

Backend (Python)

1. gcs-server/config.py (Line 17)
   • Updated CONFIG_COLUMNS to 8 columns (removed debug_port, gcs_ip)
2. gcs-server/gcs_config_updater.py (NEW FILE)
   • Module for safe programmatic editing of src/params.py
   • IP validation and Python syntax checking
3. gcs-server/routes.py (Lines 1373-1489)
   • Added /get-gcs-config endpoint
   • Added /save-gcs-config endpoint with git commit support
4. src/params.py (Lines 64-80)
   • Added comprehensive GCS IP configuration section
   • Centralized GCS_IP variable
5. src/heartbeat_sender.py (Lines 22-23)
   • Use centralized Params.GCS_IP instead of per-drone config
6. src/mavlink_manager.py (Lines 38, 40)
   • Use Params.GCS_IP for MAVLink routing endpoints
7. src/flask_handler.py (Lines 325-331)
   • Use Params.GCS_IP for origin fetching
8. src/drone_communicator.py (Lines 299-300, 334)
   • Use Params.GCS_IP for telemetry and broadcast
   • Updated to use mavlink_port instead of debug_port
9. src/drone.py (Lines 13-14)
   • Removed debug_port and gcs_ip attributes
10. actions.py (Lines 199-200)
    • Removed gcs_ip from drone_config dict

Frontend (JavaScript/React)

1. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/components/GcsConfigModal.js (NEW FILE)
   • React modal component for GCS IP configuration
   • Real-time validation and warnings
2. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/styles/GcsConfigModal.css (NEW FILE)
   • Styling for GCS configuration modal
3. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/components/ControlButtons.js
   • Added “Configure GCS” button with server icon
   • Added openGcsConfigModal prop
4. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/pages/MissionConfig.js
   • Integrated GcsConfigModal component
   • Added GCS config state management
   • Added handleGcsConfigSubmit handler
   • Fixed heartbeat detection bug (lines 161-162)
5. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/components/DroneConfigCard.js
   • Removed GCS IP display and edit fields
   • Removed debug_port display and edit fields
   • Removed validation for removed fields
   • Added “Custom” option to serial_port dropdown with text input
   • Added “Custom” option to baudrate dropdown with text input
6. app/dashboard/drone-dashboard/src/utilities/missionConfigUtilities.js
   • Updated to 8-column format
   • Removed backward compatibility (clean break)
   • Updated expectedFields array
   • Simplified parseCSV (only supports new format)
   • Updated exportConfig for 8 columns

Configuration Files

1. config.csv
   • Reduced from 10 to 8 columns
   • Removed debug_port and gcs_ip columns
2. config_sitl.csv
   • Reduced from 10 to 8 columns
   • Removed debug_port and gcs_ip columns

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Troubleshooting

Issue: CSV upload fails with “Invalid CSV format”

Cause: Using old 10-column format or incorrect header

Solution:

1. Ensure header is exactly: hw_id,pos_id,x,y,ip,mavlink_port,serial_port,baudrate
2. No spaces around commas
3. All rows must have exactly 8 columns
4. Remove debug_port and gcs_ip columns from old CSV

Issue: Drones can’t connect to GCS after upgrade

Cause: GCS IP not configured in params.py

Solution:

1. Check src/params.py has correct GCS_IP
2. Or use “Configure GCS” button in UI to set it
3. Restart all drones and GCS server after change

Issue: Drone not connecting to Pixhawk

Cause: Wrong serial port configured

Solution:

1. Check hardware type:

   cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep "Model"
   

2. Update serial_port in config.csv:
   • Raspberry Pi 4/Zero: /dev/ttyS0
   • Raspberry Pi 5: /dev/ttyAMA0
   • Jetson: /dev/ttyTHS1
3. Or use “Custom” option for non-standard ports

Issue: MAVLink connection timeout

Cause: Wrong baudrate

Solution:

1. Check Pixhawk telem port baudrate (usually 57600)
2. Match baudrate in config.csv to Pixhawk setting
3. Or use “Custom” option for non-standard baudrates

Issue: GCS configuration not saving

Cause: Git repository not initialized or permissions issue

Solution:

1. Check git status: git status
2. Ensure write permissions: ls -la src/params.py
3. Check Flask logs for error messages

Issue: Custom serial port or baudrate not working in UI

Cause: Old cached frontend build

Solution:

1. Rebuild frontend:

   cd app/dashboard/drone-dashboard
   npm run build
   

2. Clear browser cache
3. Restart GCS server

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Testing Checklist

Before Deployment

• Backup existing CSV files
• Remove debug_port and gcs_ip columns from CSV
• Update GCS_IP in src/params.py
• Verify hardware type for each drone
• Update serial ports accordingly
• Run python3 test_config_simple.py
• Test CSV upload in Mission Config UI
• Test “Configure GCS” button
• Verify custom serial port/baudrate options work
• Export CSV and verify 8 columns

After Deployment

• Verify drones connect to Pixhawk
• Check MAVLink telemetry streaming
• Verify drones can reach GCS IP
• Test GCS configuration change via UI
• Verify git commit works for GCS changes
• Test mission execution
• Test mixed hardware fleet (if applicable)

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FAQ

Q: Can I still use the old 10-column format? A: No. Version 3.3 removes backward compatibility. You must migrate to 8 columns.

Q: Where do I set the GCS IP now? A: Either edit src/params.py directly or use the “Configure GCS” button in the Mission Config UI.

Q: What happened to debug_port? A: Removed. It was for deprecated UDP telemetry. All telemetry now uses MAVLink port.

Q: Can I use custom serial ports not in the dropdown? A: Yes! Select “Custom…” option and enter any serial port path.

Q: Will changing GCS IP via UI work immediately? A: No. All drones and GCS server must be restarted after GCS IP change.

Q: Can I mix RP4 and RP5 in the same fleet? A: Yes! Set different serial_port values per drone in config.csv.

Q: What if I have a custom baudrate like 38400? A: Use the “Custom…” option in the baudrate dropdown and enter your value.

Q: Will this affect my existing trajectories? A: No. This only affects hardware/network configuration, not trajectory data.

Q: Are GCS configuration changes tracked in git? A: Yes. The UI automatically commits changes to params.py with a descriptive message.

Q: Can I revert a GCS IP change? A: Yes. Use git to revert the commit or manually edit src/params.py.

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Support

If you encounter issues during migration:

1. Check backup files: config.csv.v3.2.backup
2. Run test script: python3 test_config_simple.py
3. Review Flask logs: journalctl -u gcs-server -f
4. Check browser console for frontend errors
5. Consult example configurations in this guide
6. Report issues: https://github.com/alireza787b/mavsdk_drone_show/issues

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Version History

Version	Date	Changes
3.3	Nov 2025	Removed debug_port and gcs_ip; added GCS configuration UI; custom hardware options
3.2	Nov 2025	Added serial_port and baudrate columns (10 columns total)
3.1	Earlier	Added environment variable support for Git config
3.0	Earlier	Initial multi-drone support

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End of Migration Guide

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