Installation

Docker

You can find these installation instructions here.

NOTE : PX4 containers are currently only supported on Linux

Installing Docker

Install docker using convenience script

curl -fsSL get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

Steps to use docker without having to use sudo

sudo groupadd docker
# Add your user to the docker group.
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Close the terminal or restart computer to see effects

Setting up workspace on hosts computer

We are setting up the workspace on users computer which will be linked to the container. You could do the same inside the container itself, but you will loose all your data once you remove the container.

mkdir -p pheonix_project/home
cd pheonix_project/home
git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git
mv PX4-Autopilot px4
cd px4

Building docker container

Run the container in interactive mode terminal with bash. If the image is not present, it is automatically downloaded form docker hub. Here we are mounting hosts directory (where the catkin workspace and firmware is present) to the container directory using -v command. Changes are bidirectional.

• privilaged : it will enable access to hosts ports such as usb
• v : linking host and docker folders
• it : enable interactive terminal
• p : port mapping from host to container, format of < host >:< container >
• name : name of container

image location (docker hub) : sohananisetty/pheonix-ros-melodic-px4-gazebo

# enable access to xhost from the container
xhost +

# Run docker and open bash shell

docker run -it --privileged --env=LOCAL_USER_ID="$(id -u)" -v ~/pheonix_project/home:/home/:rw -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix:ro -e DISPLAY=:0 -p 14556:14556/udp --name=px4container sohananisetty/pheonix-ros-melodic-px4-gazebo bash

Note: Run the below commands inside the container.

Build SITL (run in px4 directory). This is for building quadcopter with gazebo simulator. For other vehicle types or other simulators see the documentation.

cd home/px4    #This is in container
make px4_sitl_default gazebo

Access the container in a new terminal/ start container

# start the container
docker start container_name
# open a new bash shell in this container
docker exec -it container_name bash

If you don't remember container name

docker ps -a ##list all containers

Removing a container

Note : Your local container data will be lost if not linked to hosts computer

docker rm container_name

Running the simulation

start your docker container if previously stopped. Closing the terminal does not stop the container.

See the active containers

docker ps

Navigate into catkin workspace (inside container).

mkdir -p home/catkin_ws/src
cd home/catkin_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/vanquish630/pheonix.git
cd ..
catkin_make
source devel/setup.bash

Your home directory should have this structure :

home
--catkin_ws
   --src
     --pheonix
--px4

Add following add the end of bashrc

px4_dir=/home/px4
source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash
source /home/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash
source $px4_dir/Tools/setup_gazebo.bash $px4_dir $px4_dir/build/px4_sitl_default
export ROS_PACKAGE_PATH=$ROS_PACKAGE_PATH:$px4_dir
export ROS_PACKAGE_PATH=$ROS_PACKAGE_PATH:$px4_dir/Tools/sitl_gazebo
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH/home/catkin_ws/src/gazebo_models:/home/catkin_ws/src/pheonix/models
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gazebo-9/plugins
export GAZEBO_RESOURCE_PATH=$GAZEBO_RESOURCE_PATH/home/catkin_ws/src/pheonix/worlds

Run 4 terminals side by side

In terminal 1 launch SITL

roslaunch pheonix gazebo_sitl.launch 

In terminal 2 launch mavros

roslaunch pheonix mavros.launch 

In terminal 3 launch service server taking care of movement

roslaunch pheonix simple_control.launch 

In terminal 4 launch custom program

rosrun pheonix triangle.py

Problems

In case gui error comes or cannot open display error

#run this in the host machine
xhost +

In case gazebo gets stuck in physics properties

# download models from git
git clone https://github.com/osrf/gazebo_models.git
# copy contents of downloaded directory to gazebo model directory
cp -r <download_location>/* ~/.gazebo/models 

In case px4 or mavlink_sitl package not found

source ~/.bashrc

In case gazebo error 255 comes or if gazebo reloading past session instead of bringing up a fresh session

killall gzserver