Firmware¶
The installation of the firmware on the flight controller hardware can be done in two ways, by using an Ground Control Station (GCS) program or directly by using developer tools without using an auxiliary program. An GCS is a software application that runs on a ground computer and communicates with the vehicle through the use of wireless telemetry [1].
The main GCS’s available are Mission Planner, APM Planner 2, MAVProxy, QGroundControl and UgCS. To implement this project, QGroundControl was chosen because it provides easy and direct use for beginners, good documentation, a more stable program in relation to the others and also offers advanced features for experienced users.
Tip
Before starting this section, it is recommended to download and install QGroundControl on your computer.
Note
The official QGroundControl documentation is available at QGroundControl.
Stable Installation¶
We recommend using the latest version of PX4 in order to benefit from bug fixes and get the best and latest features.
Note
Before installing the firmware, all USB connections of the vehicle must be disconnected and the vehicle must not be powered by a battery.
- Select the Gear icon (Vehicle Setup) on the top toolbar, then select Firmware on the sidebar.
- Connect the flight controller directly to your computer via USB (do not connect through a USB hub).
- Select the PX4 Flight Stack X.x.x Release option to install the latest stable version of PX4 for your hardware (autodetected).
- Click OK to start the installation.
The firmware will then proceed a several number of upgraee steps (download the new firmware, erasing old firmware version, etc.). The overall progress is displayed in a progress bar.
Once the firmware has completed loading, the device will reboot and reconnect.