PX4 with X-Plane and QGroundControl Setup Guide (v1.0.0-beta, Nov 2023)

Download and Install Softwares

1. X-Plane:

   Download X-Plane 11 or 12 from the X-Plane Official Website.

2. Quadricopter eVTOL Air Taxi:

   Download the Quadricopter eVTOL Air Taxi from the X-Plane Forum. Install it in the Aircraft/ folder.

3. QGroundControl:

   Download QGroundControl from the Official Download Page.

4. PX4xplane Plugin:

   Download the precompiled binary from PX4xplane Releases.

   Copy the px4xplane folder to the specific drone's plugin folder in X-Plane: X-Plane Installation Folder/Aircraft/Quadricopter-Piloted/Plugins

   For global installation: X-Plane Installation Folder/Resources/Plugins

Setting Up the Environment

Note for Mac and Linux Users: No extra steps are required for setting up the environment on Mac and Linux systems.

Windows Users - Setting Up WSL2

WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows you to run a Linux environment directly in Windows. This setup is necessary for Windows users to run PX4 simulation.

First, ensure virtualization (Virtualization Technology, Intel VT-x, AMD-V) is enabled in BIOS.

For Windows 10 (build 19041 or higher) and Windows 11, Open Command Prompt as administrator and install WSL2 with Ubuntu 22.04:

If you need more help or information about WSL, consider the following resources:

• WSL with PX4 (Video)
• How to WSL Configuration (Video)

Hint: If you want a different version of Ubuntu or need to manage multiple WSL instances, you can specify the distribution during installation using commands like wsl --install -d Ubuntu-20.04.

Clone and Build PX4

Hint: Some steps might change over time. Make sure to check latest instruction from PX4 Official Documentation.

In WSL2, clone and set up the PX4 environment:

Navigate to the cloned directory:

Run the setup script:

Restart System:

If using WSL:

Run X-Plane and Load Drone

Start X-Plane and load the Quadricopter eVTOL Air Taxi.

Configure PX4 SITL

In Windows Terminal, check your IP address:(eg. 172.21.144.1)

In the WSL Terminal and inside the PX4-Autopilot, Set the PX4 simulation hostname with your IP:

Start the simulation:

Configuration

Set Up QGroundControl

For direct connection on Mac/Linux, QGroundControl should auto-connect.

For remote connection (e.g., WSL2):

• Open Application Settings in QGroundControl.
• Go to Comm Links.
• Add a new connection with the WSL2 IP to UDP port 18570.

Connect X-Plane to PX4 SITL

In X-Plane, go to the plugin menu and connect to SITL by following these steps:

• Navigate to the plugin menu.
• Select 'px4xplane'.
• Choose 'Connect to SITL'.

Load Parameters in QGroundControl

To load parameters:

• Go to Vehicle Settings in QGroundControl.
• Select 'Load from file' to import the parameter file.

Joystick Calibration

Calibrate your joystick as needed in X-Plane or QGroundControl.

Additional Tips

• Maintain a high FPS in X-Plane for stable flight.
• The EKF estimator may have limitations in high acceleration maneuvers.
• For errors: use make clean, make distclean, and rebuild PX4.
• For SITL concepts and a step-by-step guide, watch this YouTube Video.
• For more information, visit the Official GitHub Repository.