DEA DSLS Controller ROS2 Implementation

Install/Getting Started

1. Install Ubuntu 22.04 and PX4-Autopilot v1.15.4

Install Ubuntu 22.04:

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

Open Ubuntu 22.04 shell and check for system update:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install git # for downloading repo
git --version

Install PX4-Autopilot v1.15.4:

git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --branch v1.15.4 --recursive
cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
git submodule update
cd ~
bash ./PX4-Autopilot/Tools/setup/ubuntu.sh
cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl gz_x500

Since the SITL is done in gazebo-classic, so do:

cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
make distclean
sudo apt remove gz-garden
sudo apt install aptitude
sudo aptitude install gazebo libgazebo11 libgazebo-dev
make px4_sitl_default gazebo-classic

The above cmd may need to run outside PX4 folder in order to work properly.

2. Install QGroundControl

Setup mirror network in your computer as follows:

This mode allows WSL2 to use the same IP address as the Windows host computer. \ After this configuration, the QGC on the Windows host machine can directly talk to the WSL simulation without additional settings\

2.1 Check Windows 11 is newer than 22H2 and update your WSL:

wsl --update

Then open WSL Settings and set networking mode to mirrored.

2.2 In the Windows user folder (C:\Users$YOUR_USER_NAME), create .wslconfig:

[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored
dnsTunneling=true
firewall=true
autoProxy=true

[experimental]
# requires dnsTunneling but is also OPTIONAL
bestEffortDnsParsing=true
useWindowsDnsCache=true

2.3 Restart WSL

wsl --shutdown
wsl

2.4 Check IP address in WSL

ifconfig

If ifconfig not found, run:

audo apt install net-tools

Then install QGroundControl on windows: https://docs.px4.io/main/en/dev_setup/dev_env_windows_wsl.html#qgroundcontrol

3. Install ROS2 Humble

Install ROS2 humble

cd
sudo apt update && sudo apt install locales
sudo locale-gen en_US en_US.UTF-8
sudo update-locale LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl -y
sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ros/rosdistro/master/ros.key -o /usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg] http://packages.ros.org/ros2/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo $UBUNTU_CODENAME) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros2.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install ros-humble-desktop
sudo apt install ros-dev-tools
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash && echo "source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash" >> .bashrc

The above command is from https://docs.px4.io/main/en/ros2/user_guide.html#humble

Some python dependcies might be needed:

pip install --user -U empy==3.3.4 pyros-genmsg setuptools

Then install gazebo-ros package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ros-humble-gazebo-ros-pkgs

4. Install Micro XRCE-DDS Agent & Client

Follow the guide at: https://docs.px4.io/main/en/ros2/user_guide.html#humble

If encounter erros, see: PX4/PX4-Autopilot#24477

5. Install the project

Here, assume you don't have a workspace:

mkdir -p ros2_ws/src
cd ros2_ws/src  
git clone https://github.com/ANCL/ACC25_ROS2.git
cd ..
colcon build
source install/setup.bash  

If build error about px4_ros_com and px4_msgs, do:

mkdir -p ros2_ws/src
cd ros2_ws/src  
rm -rf px4_ros_com px4_msgs
git clone -b release/1.15 https://github.com/PX4/px4_msgs.git
git clone https://github.com/PX4/px4_ros_com.git 
cd ..
colcon build

The version of px4_msgs package MUST match the version of px4 version. Otherwise the program will experience some unexpected behavior.

6. Modify /.bashrc

cd
code ~/.bashrc

add following contents in the end, replace by your user name:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH:/home/<user>/ros2_ws/src/dsls_dea/models
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=~/PX4-Autopilot/build/px4_sitl_default/build_gazebo-classic:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH:

7. Modify empty.world

code ~/PX4-Autopilot/Tools/simulation/gazebo-classic/sitl_gazebo-classic/worlds/empty.world

Add the following inside block:

<plugin name="gazebo_ros_state" filename="libgazebo_ros_state.so">
      <ros>
        <namespace>/gazebo</namespace>
      </ros>
      <update_rate>250</update_rate>
</plugin>
<plugin name="gazebo_ros2_link_attacher" filename="libgazebo_ros2_link_attacher_plugin.so"/>

Run SLS SITL

1. Launch SITL environment

In a new terminal:

ros2 launch dsls_dea init2.launch.py

And click the start icon in gazebo when the link attach process is finished. If process are always waiting, ctrl + C to quit the process and retype the command.

2. Run QGroundControl

• To generate the same results in project report, load param_SITL_664project.params in this repository in QGroundControl.

3. Launch SITL controller launch script

In a new terminal:

ros2 launch dsls_dea node.launch.py

If UAVs not armed, ctrl + C to quit the process and retype the command.

4. Open Dynamic Reconfigure GUI

In a new terminal:

ros2 run rqt_reconfigure rqt_reconfigure

• Check tick-box "mission_enabled" to start set-point and trajectory tracking mission
• Based on PX4Vision vehicle default settings, you may want to decrease MC_ROLLRATE_D and MC_PITCHRATE_D and increase their K and I gains for better response.