Mission Commands

This article describes the mission commands that are supported by Copter, Plane and Rover when switched into Auto mode. A better list just for Copter can be found here

Overview

The MAVLink protocol defines a large number of MAV_CMD waypoint command types (sent in a MAVLink_mission_item_message). ArduPilot implements handling for the subset of these commands and command parameters that are most relevant and meaningful for each of the vehicles. Unsupported commands that are sent to a particular autopilot will simply be dropped.

This article lists and describes the commands and command-parameters that are supported on each of the vehicle types. Any parameter that is “grey” is not supported by the autopilot and will be ignored. They are still documented to make it clear which properties are supported by the MAV_CMD protocol are not implemented by the vehicle.

Some commands and command parameters are not implemented because they are not relevant for particular vehicle types (for example “MAV_CMD_NAV_TAKEOFF” command makes sense for Plane and Copter but not Rover and the pitch parameter only makes sense for Plane). There are also some potentially useful command parameters that are not handled because there is a limit to the message size, and a decision has been made to prioritize some parameters over others.

Note

There is additional information about the supported commands on Copter (from a Mission Planner perspective) in the Copter Mission Command List.

Types of commands

There are several different types of commands that can be used within missions:

• Navigation commands are used to control the movement of the vehicle, including takeoff, moving to and around waypoints, changing altitude, and landing.

• DO commands are for auxiliary functions and do not affect the vehicle’s position (for example, setting the camera trigger distance, or setting a servo value).

• Condition commands are used to delay DO commands until some condition is met, for example, the UAV reaches a certain altitude or distance from the waypoint.

During a mission at most one “Navigation” command and one “Do” or “Condition” command can be running at one time. A typical mission might set a waypoint (NAV command), add a CONDITION command that doesn’t complete until a certain distance from the destination (MAV_CMD_CONDITION_DISTANCE), and then add a number of DO commands that are executed sequentially (for example MAV_CMD_DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST to take pictures at regular intervals) when the condition completes.

Note

CONDITION and DO commands are associated with the preceding NAV command: if the UAV reaches the next waypoint before these commands are executed, the next NAV command is loaded and they will be skipped.

Frames of reference

Many of the commands (in particular the NAV_ commands) include position/location information. The information is provided relative to a particular “frame of reference”, which is specified in the message’s Frames of reference field. Copter and Rover Mission use MAV_CMD_DO_SET_HOME command to set the “home position” in the global coordinate frame (MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL), WGS84 coordinate system, where the altitude is relative to mean sea level. All other commands use the MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL_RELATIVE_ALT frame, which uses the same latitude and longitude, but sets altitude as relative to the home position (home altitude = 0).

Plane commands can additionally use MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL_TERRAIN_ALT frame of reference. This again has the same WGS84 frame of reference for latitude/longitude, but specifies altitude relative to ground height (as defined in a terrain database).

Note

The other frame types are defined in the MAVLink protocol (see MAV_FRAME) are not supported for mission commands.

How accurate is the information?

If a command or parameter is marked as supported then it is likely (but not guaranteed) that it will behave as indicated. If a command or parameter is not listed (or marked as not supported) then it is extremely likely that it is not supported on ArduPilot.

The reason for this is that the information was predominantly inferred by inspecting the command handlers for messages:

• The switch statement in AP_Mission::mavlink_to_mission_cmd was inspected to determine which commands are handled by all vehicle platforms, and which parameters from the message are stored.

• The command handler switch for each vehicle type (Plane, Copter, Rover) tells us which commands are likely to be supported in each vehicle and which parameters are passed to the handler.

The above checks give a very accurate picture of what commands and parameters are not supported. They give a fairly accurate picture of what commands/parameters are likely to be supported. However, this indication is not guaranteed to be accurate because a command handler could just throw away all the information (and we have not fully checked all of these).

In addition to the above checks, we have also merged information from the Copter Mission Command List.

How to interpret the command parameters

The parameters for each command are listed in a table. The parameters that are “greyed out” are not supported. The command field column (param name) uses “bold” text to indicate those parameters that are defined in the protocol (normal text is used for “empty” parameters).

This allows users/developers to see both what is supported, and what protocol fields are not supported in ArduPilot.

Using this information with a GCS

Mission Planner (MP) exposes the full subset of commands and parameters supported by ArduPilot, filtered to display just those relevant to the currently connected vehicle. Mapping the MP commands to this documentation is easy, because it simply names commands using a cut-down version of the full command name (e.g. DO_SET_SERVO rather than the full command name: MAV_CMD_DO_SET_SERVO). In addition, this document conveniently lists the column label used by Mission Planner alongside each of the parameters.

Other GCSs (APM Planner 2, Tower etc.) may support some other subset of commands/parameters and use alternative names/labels for them. In most cases, the mapping should be obvious.

Commands supported by Plane

This list of commands was inferred from the command handler in /ArduPlane/commands_logic.cpp.

• MAV_CMD_NAV_WAYPOINT

• MAV_CMD_NAV_RETURN_TO_LAUNCH

• MAV_CMD_NAV_TAKEOFF

• MAV_CMD_NAV_LAND

• MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_UNLIM

• MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TURNS

• MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TIME

• MAV_CMD_NAV_ALTITUDE_WAIT

• MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TO_ALT

• MAV_CMD_NAV_CONTINUE_AND_CHANGE_ALT

• MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_TAKEOFF

• MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_LAND

• MAV_CMD_NAV_DELAY

• MAV_CMD_NAV_PAYLOAD_PLACE

• MAV_CMD_CONDITION_DELAY

• MAV_CMD_CONDITION_DISTANCE

• MAV_CMD_DO_AUX_FUNCTION

• MAV_CMD_DO_CHANGE_SPEED

• MAV_CMD_DO_ENGINE_CONTROL

• MAV_CMD_DO_VTOL_TRANSITION

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_HOME

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_SERVO

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_RELAY

• MAV_CMD_DO_REPEAT_SERVO

• MAV_CMD_DO_REPEAT_RELAY

• MAV_CMD_DO_DIGICAM_CONFIGURE (Camera enabled only)

• MAV_CMD_DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL (Camera enabled only)

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST (Camera enabled only)

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_ROI (Gimbal/mount enabled only)

• MAV_CMD_DO_GIMBAL_MANAGER_PITCHYAW (Gimbal/mount enabled only)

• MAV_CMD_DO_JUMP

• MAV_CMD_JUMP_TAG

• MAV_CMD_DO_JUMP_TAG

• MAV_CMD_DO_MOUNT_CONTROL

• MAV_CMD_DO_INVERTED_FLIGHT

• MAV_CMD_DO_LAND_START

• MAV_CMD_DO_FENCE_ENABLE

• MAV_CMD_DO_AUTOTUNE_ENABLE

• MAV_CMD_DO_SET_RESUME_REPEAT_DIST

• MAV_CMD_STORAGE_FORMAT

Navigation commands

Navigation commands are used to control the movement of the vehicle, including takeoff, moving to and around waypoints, and landing.

NAV commands have the highest priority. Any DO_ and CONDITION_ commands that have not executed when a NAV command is loaded are skipped (for example, if a waypoint completes and the NAV command for another waypoint is loaded, and unexecuted DO/CONDITION commands associated with the first waypoint are dropped.

MAV_CMD_NAV_WAYPOINT

Supported by: All vehicles.

Navigate to the specified position.

The vehicle will fly to the specified latitude, longitude and altitude. The waypoint is considered “complete” when Plane is within the specified radius of the target location, at which point Plane processes the next command.

The protocol additionally provides for the plane to circle the waypoint with a specified radius and direction for a specified time (Delay). These parameters are not supported by Copter.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1
param2	Acc radius	Acceptance radius in meters (waypoint is complete when the plane is this close to the waypoint location
param3	Pass by	0 to pass through the WP, if > 0 radius in meters to pass by WP. Positive value for clockwise orbit, negative value for counter-clockwise orbit. Allows trajectory control.
param4
param5	Lat	Target latitude
param6	Lon	Target longitude
param7	Alt	Target altitude

MAV_CMD_NAV_TAKEOFF

Supported by: Copter, Plane (not Rover).

Takeoff (either from the ground or by hand-launch). It should be the first command of nearly all Plane and Copter missions.

The plane climbs to the specified altitude (at the specified pitch/climb angle) before proceeding to the next waypoint.

The plane is only attempting to climb at this point and can be pushed off its heading by wind. The pitch value is the minimum climb angle when using an airspeed sensor, and maximum angle when not using an airspeed sensor.

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Pitch Angle	Pitch/climb angle in degrees
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Yaw angle (ignored if compass not present).
param5	Lat	Latitude
param6	Lon	Longitude
param7	Alt	Altitude

MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_TAKEOFF

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover). Specifically QuadPlanes.

Takeoff while in VTOL mode.

The vehicle will climb straight up from it’s current location to the specified altitude as a delta above its current altitude.

However, if Q_OPTIONS bit 3 is set (use altitude reference frames for VTOL takeoff), then the altitude value (in the specified reference frame) will be used for the target altitude, instead of a delta above the current altitude. If the command is begun while the vehicle is already flying, the vehicle will climb straight up to the specified altitude, if the vehicle is already above the altitude the command will be ignored and the mission will move on to the next command immediately.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Empty
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4
param5	Lat	Latitude
param6	Lon	Longitude
param7	Alt	Altitude

MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_UNLIM

Supported by: All vehicles.

Loiter at the specified location for an unlimited amount of time.

Fly to the specified location and then loiter there indefinitely — where loiter means “circle the waypoint”. If zero is specified for a latitude/longitude/altitude parameter then the current location value for the parameter will be used. You can also specify the radius and direction for the loiter.

The mission will not proceed past this command while in AUTO mode. In order to break out of this command you need to change the mode (i.e. to MANUAL). If there are subsequent commands then you can continue the mission at the next command, if the Copter MIS_RESTART parameter is set to resume, by switching back to AUTO mode (otherwise the mission will restart).

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Empty
param2		Empty
param3	Dir 1=CW	Radius around waypoint, in meters. Specify as a positive value to loiter clockwise, as a negative to move counter-clockwise.
param4		Desired yaw angle.
param5	Lat	Target latitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current latitude.
param6	Lon	Target longitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current longitude.
param7	Alt	Target altitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current altitude.

MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TURNS

Supported by: Copter, Plane (not Rover).

Loiter (circle) the specified location for at least the specified number of complete turns, and then proceed to the next command upon intersection of the course to it with the circle’s perimeter. If zero is specified for a latitude/longitude/altitude parameter then the current location value for the parameter will be used. Fractional turns between 0 and 1 are supported, while turns greater than 1 must be integers.

The radius of the circle is controlled by the command parameter. A radius of 0 will result in WP_LOITER_RAD being used as the radius. Negative radius values result in counter-clockwise turns instead of clockwise turns. Radius values over 255 meters will be rounded down to the nearest 10 meter mark. Instead of exiting at the intersection if the next waypoint’s course with the circle’s perimeter, a tangential intersection exit point can be selected by setting EXIT =1.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Turns	Number of turns (N x 360°)
param2		Empty
param3	Radius	Loiter radius around the waypoint. Units are in meters. Values over 255 will be rounded to units of 10 meters. and values greater than 2550 will be clamped to 2550 m. Negative values indicate counter-clockwise turns. A value of zero will use WP_LOITER_RAD
param4	Exit	if 0, exit will occur where path to next waypoint intersects the loiter path after completion of the specified number of turns. if 1, exit will be where next waypoint path is tangential to loiter path
param5	Lat	Target latitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current latitude.
param6	Lon	Target longitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current longitude.
param7	Alt	Target altitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current altitude.

MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TIME

Supported by: Copter, Plane, Rover.

Fly to the specified location and then loiter there for the specified number of seconds — where loiter means “circle the waypoint”. The timer starts when the waypoint is reached; when it expires the waypoint is complete. If zero is specified for a latitude/longitude/altitude parameter then the current location value for the parameter will be used. You can also specify the radius and direction for the loiter.

The radius of the loiter is set in the WP_LOITER_RAD parameter.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Time (s)	Time to loiter at waypoint (seconds - decimal)
param2		Empty
param3	Dir 1=CW	Radius around waypoint, in meters. Specify as a positive value to loiter clockwise, as a negative to move counter-clockwise.
param4		Desired yaw angle.
param5	Lat	Target latitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current latitude.
param6	Lon	Target longitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current longitude.
param7	Alt	Target altitude. If zero, the vehicle will loiter at the current altitude.

MAV_CMD_NAV_RETURN_TO_LAUNCH

Supported by: All vehicles.

Return to the home location or the nearest Rally Point, if closer. The home location is where the vehicle was last armed (or when it first gets GPS lock after arming if the vehicle configuration allows this).

Return to the home location (or the nearest Rally Point if closer) and then “Loiter” (circle the point). The home location is where the vehicle was last armed (or when it first gets GPS lock after arming if the vehicle configuration allows this).

If the return is to a rally point, the plane will loiter at the position and altitude set in the rally point. If the return is to the home location, then the parameter RTL_ALTITUDE is used for the loiter height (default 100m). The radius of the loiter is defined in the parameter WP_LOITER_RAD.

This command takes no parameters and generally should be the last command in the mission.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Empty
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_NAV_LAND

Supported by: Copter, Plane (not Rover).

The plane will land at its current location or proceed to the (non-zero) lat/lon coordinates provided beginning with current altitude. Information on the parameters used to control the landing is provided in LAND flight mode.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Abort Alt
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Desired yaw angle.
param5	Lat	Latitude
param6	Long	Longitude
param7	Alt	Altitude to target for the landing. Unless you are landing at a location different than home, this should be zero

MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_LAND

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover). Specifically QuadPlanes.

Land the vehicle at the current or a specified location.

If the Q_OPTIONS bit 4 is not set (default),the vehicle will land at its current location or proceed at the current altitude to the lat/lon coordinates provided (if non-zero) and land. The ALT parameter is used to determine final landing phase initiation rather than Q_LAND_FINAL_ALT. This is the mission equivalent of the QLAND flight mode.

If the Q_OPTIONS bit 4 is set (Use a fixed wind spiral approach), the it will fly in plane mode to the lat/lon coordinates provided (if non-zero), climbing or descending to the altitude set in the NAV_VTOL_LAND waypoint. When it reaches within Q_FW_LND_APR_RAD of the landing location, it will perform a LOITER_TO_ALT to finish the climb or descent to that ALT set in the waypoint, then, turning into the wind, transition to VTOL mode and proceed to the landing location and land.

The motors will disarm on their own once landed

Note

param1 of the command acts just like Q_OPTIONS bit 4 above, if that option bit is not set. This allows the use of different approaches for different VTOL_LAND commands within the same mission.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Option:if set to 1,forces FW spiral approach
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Desired yaw angle.
param5	Lat	Target latitude. If zero, the QuadPlane will land at the current latitude.
param6	Lon	Longitude
param7	Alt	additional altitude above Q_LAND_FINAL_ALT to switch to final landing phase

MAV_CMD_NAV_CONTINUE_AND_CHANGE_ALT

Supported by: Plane (not Copter, Rover).

Continue on the current course and climb/descend to a specified altitude. Move to the next command when the desired altitude is reached.

Note

The param1 value sets how close the vehicle altitude must be to target altitude for command completion.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	TBD	Climb or Descend (0 = Neutral, command completes when within 5m of this command's altitude, 1 = Climbing, command completes when at or above this command's altitude, 2 = Descending, command completes when at or below this command's altitude.
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7	Alt	Target altitude

MAV_CMD_NAV_ALTITUDE_WAIT

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).

Mission command to wait for an altitude or downward vertical speed. This is meant for high-altitude balloon launches, allowing the aircraft to be idle until either an altitude is reached or a negative vertical speed is reached (indicating early balloon burst). The wiggle time is how often to wiggle the control surfaces to prevent them from seizing up.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	?	Altitude (m)
param2	?	Descent speed (m/s)
param3	?	Wiggle Time (s)
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_NAV_LOITER_TO_ALT

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).

Loiter while climbing/descending to an altitude.

Begin loitering at the specified Latitude and Longitude. If Lat=Lon=0, then loiter at the current position. Don’t consider the navigation command complete (don’t leave loiter) until the altitude has been reached. Additionally, if the Heading Required parameter is non-zero the aircraft will not leave the loiter until heading toward the next waypoint.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Heading	Heading Required (0 = False)
param2	Radius	Radius in meters. If positive loiter clockwise, negative counter-clockwise, 0 means no change to standard loiter.
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5	Lat	Latitude.
param6	Long	Longitude
param7	Alt	Altitude

MAV_CMD_NAV_DELAY

Supported by: Copter, Rover, Plane.

After reaching this waypoint, if disarmed, delay the execution of the next mission command until the time in seconds has elapsed. This is used in a mission to allow a vehicle to land, disarm for a period (for a payload change for example), and then re-arm, and takeoff to resume the mission. If not disarmed, this mission item is skipped.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Time (sec)	Delay in seconds (decimal).
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_NAV_PAYLOAD_PLACE

Supported by: Copter and Plane.

QUADPLANE ONLY, fixed wing planes will skip this command After reaching this waypoint, the vehicle will have transitioned to VTOL and will descend up to the maximum descent value. If the vehicle has not touched the ground before this limit is reached, the vehicle will climb back up to the waypoint altitude and continue to the next mission item. If it reaches the ground, it will stop its motors and wait for a LUA script command (see Package Place LUA applet ) to send an abort_landing command to ascend back to the waypoint altitude and continue to the next mission item, be sent a disarm command, or the pilot uses the RCx_OPTION = 173 to send the abort_landing command, instead of via a LUA script. This allows the gripper to be commanded to be released, packages replaced, etc.

[wiki site=”copter,plane”] Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Maximum Descent	meters
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5	Lat	Latitude.
param6	Long	Longitude
param7	Alt	Altitude

[/site]

MAV_CMD_DO_JUMP

Supported by: All vehicles.

Jump to the specified command in the mission list. The jump command can be repeated either a specified number of times before continuing the mission, or it can be repeated indefinitely.

Tip

Despite the name, this command is really a “NAV_” command rather than a “DO_” command. Conditional commands like CONDITION_DELAY don’t affect DO_JUMP (it will always perform the jump as soon as it reaches the command).

Note

• There can be a maximum of 15 jump commands in a mission after which new DO_JUMP commands are ignored.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	WP#	The command index/sequence number of the command to jump to.
param2	Repeat#	Number of times that the DO_JUMP command will execute before moving to the next sequential command. If the value is zero the next command will execute immediately. A value of -1 will cause the command to repeat indefinitely.
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for DO_JUMP command

In the example above the vehicle would fly back-and-forth between waypoints #1 and #2 a total of 3 times before flying on to waypoint #4.

MAV_CMD_JUMP_TAG

Supported by: Copter, Plane, Rover.

This is a location marker in the mission command sequence that can be used as a “jump to” location for the MAV_CMD_DO_JUMP_TAG command. The tag id in its parameter field can be any arbitrary number between 1 and 65535.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Tag#	The tag number for the DO_JUMP_TAG command.
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_JUMP_TAG

Supported by: Copter, Plane, Rover.

Jump to the specified MAV_CMD_JUMP_TAG item in the mission list. The jump tag command can be repeated, either a specified number of times before continuing the mission, or it can be repeated indefinitely.

Tip

Despite the name, this command is really a “NAV_” command rather than a “DO_” command. Conditional commands like CONDITION_DELAY don’t affect DO_JUMP (it will always perform the jump as soon as it reaches the command).

Note

• There can be a maximum of 15 jump_tag commands in a mission after which new DO_JUMP_TAG commands are ignored.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	WP#	The tag number of the JUMP_TAG item to jump to.
param2	Repeat#	Number of times that the DO_JUMP_TAG command will execute before moving to the next sequential command. If the value is zero the next command will execute immediately. A value of -1 will cause the command to repeat indefinitely.
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for DO_JUMP_TAG command

In the example above, the vehicle would fly back-and-forth between waypoints #3 and #4 a total of 3 times before completing the mission. This is because the DO_JUMP_TAG redirects the vehicle to JUMP_TAG #565 twice.

Conditional commands

Conditional commands control the execution of _DO_ commands. For example, a conditional command can prevent DO commands from executing based on a time delay, until the vehicle is at a certain altitude, or at a specified distance from the next target position.

A conditional command may not be complete before reaching the next waypoint. In this case, any unexecuted _DO_ commands associated with the last waypoint will be skipped.

MAV_CMD_CONDITION_DELAY

Supported by: All vehicles.

After reaching a waypoint, delay the execution of the next conditional “_DO_” command for the specified number of seconds (e.g. MAV_CMD_DO_SET_ROI).

Note

This command does not stop the vehicle. If the vehicle reaches the next waypoint before the delay timer completes, the delayed “_DO_” commands will never trigger.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Time (sec)	Delay in seconds (decimal).
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for CONDITION_DELAY command

In the example above, Command #4 (DO_SET_ROI) is delayed so that it starts 5 seconds after the vehicle has passed Waypoint #2.

MAV_CMD_CONDITION_DISTANCE

Supported by: All vehicles.

Delays the start of the next “_DO_” command until the vehicle is within the specified number of meters of the next waypoint.

Note

This command does not stop the vehicle: it only affects DO commands.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Dist (m)	Distance from the next waypoint before DO commands are executed (meters).
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission PlannerSettings for CONDITION_DISTANCE command

In the example above, Command #4 (DO_SET_ROI) is delayed so that it only starts once the vehicle is within 50m of waypoint #5.

DO commands

The “DO” or “Now” commands are executed once to perform some action. All the DO commands associated with a waypoint are executed immediately.

MAV_CMD_DO_CHANGE_SPEED

Supported by: Copter, Plane, Rover.

Change the target horizontal speed (airspeed or groundspeed) and/or the vehicle’s throttle. If the airspeed option is selected, this changes the AIRSPEED_CRUISE parameter during the flight until reboot or mode is changed to CRUISE or FBWB. If the groundspeed option is used, then MIN_GROUNDSPEED parameter is changed to this value until rebooted or changed by this command again. If the throttle field is non-zero and equal to or below 100, then the TRIM_THROTTLE parameter is changed until reboot or changed by this command again.

Note

Speed changes only have an effect if an airspeed sensor is present, healthy, and in use. TRIM_THROTTLE changes impacts only flight with airspeed sensor not in use.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Type	Speed type (0=Airspeed, 1=Ground Speed).
param2	Speed (m/s)	Target speed (m/s). If airspeed, a value below or above min/max airspeed limits results in no change. a value of -2 uses :ref:`AIRSPEED_CRUISE`
param3	Throttle(%)	Throttle as a percentage (0-100%). A value of 0 or negative indicates no change.
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_HOME

Supported by: All vehicles.

Sets the home location either as the current location or at the location specified in the command. For SITL work, altitude input here needs to be with reference to absolute altitude, taking into account SRTM elevation.

Note

• For Plane and Rover, if a good GPS fix cannot be obtained the location specified in the command is used.

• For Copter, the command will also try to use the current position if all the location parameters are set to 0. The location information in the command is only used if it is close to the EKF origin.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Current	Set home location: 1=Set home as current location. 0=Use location specified in message parameters.
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5	Lat	Target home latitude (if param1=0)
param6	Lon	Target home longitude (if param1=0)
param7	Alt	Target home altitude (if param1=0)

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for DO_SET_HOME command

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_RELAY

Supported by: All vehicles.

Set a Relay pin’s voltage high (on) or low (off).

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Relay No	Relay number.
param2	off(0)/on(1)	Set relay state: 1: Set relay high/on (3.3V on Pixhawk, 5V on APM). 0: Set relay low/off (0v) any other value toggles the relay
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

MissionPlanner Settings for DO_SET_RELAY command

MAV_CMD_DO_REPEAT_RELAY

Supported by: All vehicles.

Toggle the Relay pin’s voltage/state a specified number of times with a given period. Toggling the Relay will turn an off relay on and vice versa

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Relay No	Relay number.
param2	Repeat #	Cycle count - the number of times the relay should be toggled
param3	Delay(s)	Cycle time (seconds, decimal) - time between each toggle.
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for DO_RELAY_REPEAT command

In the example above, assuming the relay was off to begin with, it would be set high and then after 3 seconds, it would be toggled low again.

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_SERVO

Supported by: All vehicles.

Set a given servo pin output to a specific PWM value.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Ser No	Servo number - target servo output pin/channel number.
param2	PWM	PWM value to output, in microseconds (typically 1000 to 2000).
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settingsfor DO_SET_SERVO command

In the example above, the servo attached to output channel 8 would be moved to PWM 1700 (servos generally accept PWM values between 1000 and 2000).

Note

as of firmware versions 4.0 and later, this command can be used on any output configured by its SERVOx_FUNCTION command as 0,1, or 51-66 (disabled or RC pass-throughs)

MAV_CMD_DO_REPEAT_SERVO

Supported by: All vehicles.

Cycle a servo PWM output pin between its mid-position value and a specified PWM value, for a given number of cycles and with a set period.

The mid-position value is specified in the RCn_TRIM parameter for the channel (RC8_TRIM in the screenshot below). The default value is 1500..

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Ser No	Servo number - target servo output pin/channel.
param2	PWM	PWM value to output, in microseconds (typically 1000 to 2000).
param3	Repeat #	Cycle count - number of times to move the servo to the specified PWM value
param4	Delay (s)	Cycle time (seconds) - the delay in seconds between each servo movement.
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settingsfor DO_REPEAT_SERVO command

In the example above, the servo attached to output channel 8 would be moved to PWM 1700, then after 4 second, back to mid, after another 4 seconds it would be moved to 1700 again, then finally after 4 more seconds it would be moved back to mid.

MAV_CMD_DO_LAND_START

Supported by: Plane (not Copter, Rover).

Mission command to prepare for a landing.

This is used as a marker in a mission to tell the autopilot where a sequence of mission items that represents a landing starts. It may also be sent via a COMMAND_LONG to trigger a landing, in which case the nearest (geographically) landing sequence in the mission will be used.

If RTL_AUTOLAND is set to 2, the plane will jump to the nearest DO_LAND_START in the mission table when RTL is initialized.

Note

General information on landing a plane is provided in the topic Automatic Landing.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Empty
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5	Lat	Latitude used to help find the closest landing sequence, or zero if not needed.
param6	Long	Longitude used to help find the closest landing sequence, or zero if not needed.
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_VTOL_TRANSITION

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).Specifically QuadPlanes.

Mission command to change to/from VTOL and fixed wing mode of flight. The mode is changed based on the first parameter: 3 = change to VTOL flight, 4 = change to fixed wing flight.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Mode	3=VTOL,4=Fixed-Wing
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_ROI

Supported by: Copter, Plane, Rover.

Points the camera gimbal at the “region of interest”.

After setting the ROI, the camera will continue to follow it until the end of the mission, unless it is changed or cleared by setting another ROI. Clearing the ROI is achieved by setting a later DO_SET_ROI command with all zeros for param5-param7 (Lat, Lon and Alt).

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Region of interest mode. (see MAV_ROI enum) // 0 = no roi, 1 = next waypoint, 2 = waypoint number, 3 = fixed location, 4 = given target (not supported)
param2		MISSION index/ target ID. (see MAV_ROI enum)
param3		ROI index (allows a vehicle to manage multiple ROI's)
param4		Empty
param5	Lat	Latitude (x) of the fixed ROI
param6	Long	Longitude (y) of the fixed ROI
param7	Alt	Altitude of the fixed ROI

MAV_CMD_DO_DIGICAM_CONFIGURE

Supported by: All vehicles.

Configure an on-board camera controller system.

The parameters are forwarded to an on-board camera controller system (like the 3DR Camera Control Board), if one is present.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Mode	Set camera mode: 1: ProgramAuto 2: Aperture Priority 3: Shutter Priority 4: Manual 5: IntelligentAuto 6: SuperiorAuto
param2	Shutter Speed	Shutter speed (seconds divisor). So if the speed is 1/60 seconds, the value entered would be 60. Slowest shutter trigger supported is 1 second.
param3	Aperture	Aperture: F stop number
param4	ISO	ISO number e.g. 80, 100, 200, etc.
param5	ExposureMode	Exposure type enumerator
param6	CommandID	Command Identity
param7	Engine Cut-Off	Main engine cut-off time before camera trigger in seconds/10 (0 means no cut-off).

MAV_CMD_DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL

Supported by: All vehicles.

Trigger the camera shutter once. This command takes no additional arguments.

Command parameters

In general, if a command field is set to 0 it is ignored.

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	On/Off	Session control (on/off or show/hide lens): 0: Turn off the camera / hide the lens 1: Turn on the camera /Show the lens
param2	Zoom Position	Zoom's absolute position. 2x, 3x, 10x, etc.
param3	Zoom Step	Zooming step value to offset zoom from the current position
param4	Focus Lock	Focus Locking, Unlocking or Re-locking: 0: Ignore 1: Unlock 2: Lock
param5	Shutter Cmd	Shooting Command. Any non-zero value triggers the camera.
param6	CommandID	Command Identity
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission PlannerSettings for DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL command.

MAV_CMD_DO_MOUNT_CONTROL

Supported by: All vehicles.

Mission command to control a camera or antenna mount.

This command allows you to specify a roll, pitch and yaw angle which will be sent to the camera gimbal. This can be used to point the camera in specific directions at various times in the mission.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Pitch, in degrees.
param2		Roll, in degrees.
param3		Yaw, in degrees.
param4		reserved
param5		reserved
param6		reserved
param7		`MAV_MOUNT_MODE `__ enum value.

Mission planner screenshots

Mission Planner Settings for DO_MOUNT_CONTROL command

MAV_CMD_DO_GIMBAL_MANAGER_PITCHYAW

Supported by: All vehicles.

Mission command to move the gimbal to the desired pitch and yaw angles (in degrees).

This command allows you to specify a pitch and yaw angle which will be sent to the camera gimbal. This can be used to point the camera in specific directions at various times in the mission. Positive pitch angles are up, Negative are down. Positive yaw angles are clockwise, negative are counter clockwise.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Pitch, in degrees.
param2		Yaw, in degrees.
param3		PitchRate, in deg/s.
param4		YawRate, in deg/s
param5		Flags: 0=boddyframe, 16=earthframe
param6		reserved
param7		Gimbal instance ID

Mission planner screenshots

Mission PlannerSettings for DO_GIMBAL_MANAGE_PITCHYAW command

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST

Supported by: All vehicles.

Trigger the camera shutter at regular distance intervals. This command is useful in camera survey missions. To trigger the camera once, immediately after passing the DO command, set param3 to 1. Trigger immediately Parameter is available from ArduPilot 4.1 onwards.

Note

Providing a distance of zero will stop the camera shutter from being triggered.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Dist (m)	Camera trigger distance interval (meters). Zero to turn off distance triggering.
param2		Empty
param3	?	Trigger once instantly. One is on, zero is off.
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

Mission planner screenshots

Mission PlannerSettings for DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST command

The above configuration will cause the camera shutter to trigger after every 5m that the vehicle travels.

MAV_CMD_DO_FENCE_ENABLE

Supported by: All vehicles.

Mission commands to enable the Plane GeoFence, Copter/Rover Cylindrical Fence and/or Inclusion and Exclusion Fences.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1		Set GeoFence enable state (0=disable, 1=enable, 2= disable only floor (Plane only)).
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_AUX_FUNCTION

Supported by: All vehicles.

Mission command to control an Auxiliary Function in the same manner as an RC channel switch.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	Aux Function	Auxiliary Function code,same as RCx_OPTIONS
param2	Switch Position	0:Low, 1:Mid, 2:High
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_INVERTED_FLIGHT

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).

Change between normal and inverted flight.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	0=normal, 1=inverted	Set flight type: 0: normal 1: inverted
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_AUTOTUNE_ENABLE

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).

Enable/disable AUTOTUNE mode.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	na	Enable/disable autotune (1: enable, 0:disable)
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_ENGINE_CONTROL

Supported by: Plane (not Copter or Rover).

Stop or start the internal combustion engine (ICE)

This command can be used to start or stop the ICE before a NAV_VTOL_LAND or after a NAV_VTOL_TAKEOFF command for a QuadPlane to avoid potential prop strikes in the wind. It should be placed before either of those commands.Also can be used to allow a single engine start while disarmed if otherwise prohibited by ICE_OPTIONS bit 3 being set,

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	?	Start/Stop ICE (1: start, 0:stop)
param2		Cold Start (1: enables choke, currently not implemented)
param3		Altitude in meters. Altitude at which action is taken.
param4		Flags: 1 = allow a single start while disarmed even if :ref:`ICE_OPTIONS` bit 3 is set
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_DO_SET_RESUME_REPEAT_DIST

Supported by: All vehicles.

Set the distance that the mission will be rewound when resuming after an interrupt (switching modes). A full explanation of this feature can be found on the Mission Rewind on Resume Page. After setting a rewind distance in a mission, setting the distance to zero will switch off the rewind feature from that point on the mission.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	?	Rewind distance in meters
param2		Empty
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty

MAV_CMD_STORAGE_FORMAT

Supported by: All vehicles.

Format SD Card. Useful for vehicles where SD card is inaccessible. Param1 and Param2 must be set to 1.

Command parameters

Command Field	Mission Planner Field	Description
param1	?	Must be 1
param2	?	Must be 1
param3		Empty
param4		Empty
param5		Empty
param6		Empty
param7		Empty