Standard Configuration

This section covers the common software configuration and calibration needed for most PX4 vehicles.

You must first load firmware and select your vehicle frame/type. Most other steps can be done out of order, except for tuning, which must be done last.

Preconditions

Before starting you should Download QGroundControl and install it on your desktop computer. Then open the QGC application menu ("Q" icon in the top-left corner) and choose Vehicle Setup in the Select Tool popup:

QGC Main Menu Popup: highlighting Vehicle Setup

Configuration Steps

Firmware/Vehicle Selection

• Loading Firmware
• Vehicle (Frame) Selection

Motor/Actuator Setup

• ESC Calibration
• Actuator Configuration and Testing

Sensor Calibration

• Sensor Orientation
• Compass
• Gyroscope
• Accelerometer
• Level Horizon
• Airspeed (Fixed-wing/VTOL only)

Note: Setup for optional sensors and specific hardware is provided in Flight Controller Peripherals.

Manual Control Setup

Radio Control:

• Radio Controller (RC) Setup
• Flight Mode Configuration

Joystick/GamePad:

• Joystick Setup

Safety Configuration

• Battery/Power Module Setup
• Safety Configuration (Failsafes)

Tuning

• Autotune (Recommended on vehicles and frames that support it)

Video Guide

The video below shows most of the calibration process (it uses an older version of QGroundControl, but most of the process is unchanged).

@youtube

Support

If you need help with the configuration you can ask for help on the QGroundControl Support forum.

See Also

• QGroundControl > Setup
• Flight Controller Peripherals - Setup specific sensors, optional sensors, actuators, and so on.
• Advanced Configuration - Factory/OEM calibration, configuring advanced features, less-common configuration.
• Vehicle-Centric Config/Tuning:

  • Multicopter Config/Tuning
  • Helicopter Config/Tuning
  • Fixed Wing Config/Tuning
  • VTOL Config/Tuning