Overview

The GCS parameter group configures the communication and telemetry behavior between the autopilot and the Ground Control Station (e.g., Mission Planner, QGroundControl).

While most MAVLink settings are in the SERIAL and MAV groups, the GCS group handles global telemetry options that affect all active MAVLink links.

Key Concepts

1. PID Tuning Streams (GCS_PID_MASK)

To tune a drone effectively, the pilot needs to see what the PID controllers are doing in real-time. This parameter enables the broadcast of PID_TUNING MAVLink messages.

• Visualization: When enabled, the GCS can draw real-time graphs of "Target Rate" vs "Actual Rate" and show the contribution of the P, I, and D terms.

Parameter Breakdown

• GCS_PID_MASK: Bitmask of controllers to stream.
  • Bit 0: Roll.
  • Bit 1: Pitch.
  • Bit 2: Yaw.
  • Bit 3: Altitude/Position.

Integration Guide

• Tuning: Before starting a manual PID tuning session, set GCS_PID_MASK = 7 (Roll+Pitch+Yaw) to see the performance data on your GCS screen.

Developer Notes

• Library: libraries/GCS_MAVLink.
• Performance: Streaming many PIDs consumes telemetry bandwidth. Turn off when not tuning.