px4-gz-docker

Docker files needed to build images for px4_sitl simulation in ROS2 and Gazebo

Create a ./work directory in root of cloned repo

The ./work directory setup

run ./get_src.sh to clone each repo

work/
┣ px4/
┣ ros2_ws/
┃ ┗ src/
┃   ┣ px4_msgs/
┃   ┣ px4-offboard/
┗ .gitignore

AVOID:HUGE OVERLOAD, binaries already installed in ENV: Please build ros_gz from source. see ros-gz

Currently, docker uses same network interface as the host (Configure in compose file) QGC running in host environment will directly connect to PX4 SITL

Build and run

To build the image

docker compose build

OR

Same image can be pulled prebuilt by

docker pull pixelinkler/px4-gazebo-docker:latest

To run multiple drones

./run_dev.sh

To access the shell of each service, in two different terminals run

////Terminal 1: docker exec -u user -it px4-gazebo-docker-px4_gazebo-1 terminator

Terminal 1: docker exec -u user -it {(NAME_OF_CONTAINER)} bash

To start px4_sitl and ros2 offboard control, split each terminator into 3 panels and run

1. cd px4 && make px4_sitl gazebo-classic to build px4_sitl first. (This only need to be built once in one of the container shells)\

comment(PX4_SYS_AUTOSTART=4001 PX4_GZ_MODEL=x500 ./build/px4_sitl_default/bin/px4 -i 1 to start px4_sitl instance 1 with x500 in gz-garden.)

2. MicroXRCEAgent udp4 -p 8888 to start DDS agent for communication with ROS2

comment(

Environment Variables

• PX4_GZ_MODEL Name of the px4 vehicle model to spawn in gz
• PX4_GZ_MODEL_POSE Spawn pose of the vehicle model, must used with PX4_GZ_MODEL
• PX4_MICRODDS_NS Namespace assigned to the sitl vehicle, normally associated with px4 instances, but can be set mannually
• ROS_DOMAIN_ID Separate each container into its own domain (Is it still necessary since each SITL instance has a unique namespace?) )

In case anyone tries to get docker to work with QGC (in host), here is what worked for me.

get the the docker host ip using

DOCKER_IP=$(docker inspect -f '{{range.NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{.IPAddress}}{{end}}' $CONTAINER_NAME)

Modify the QGC (in host) config file under

.config/QGroundControl.org/QGroundControl.ini

Add the following

[LinkConfigurations]
Link0\auto=true
Link0\high_latency=false
Link0\host0=$DOCKER_IP
Link0\hostCount=4
Link0\name=gazebo
Link0\port=14580
Link0\port0=14580
Link0\type=1