README.md
PX4 mixer definitions
Files in this directory implement example mixers that can be used as a basis for customisation, or for general testing purposes.
For a detailed description of the mixing architecture and examples see: http://px4.io/dev/mixing
Syntax
Mixer definitions are text files; lines beginning with a single capital letter followed by a colon are significant. All other lines are ignored, meaning that explanatory text can be freely mixed with the definitions.
Each file may define more than one mixer; the allocation of mixers to actuators is specific to the device reading the mixer definition, and the number of actuator outputs generated by a mixer is specific to the mixer.
For example: each simple or null mixer is assigned to outputs 1 to x in the order they appear in the mixer file.
A mixer begins with a line of the form
<tag>: <mixer arguments>
The tag selects the mixer type; 'M' for a simple summing mixer, 'R' for a multirotor mixer, etc.
Null Mixer
A null mixer consumes no controls and generates a single actuator output whose value is always zero. Typically a null mixer is used as a placeholder in a collection of mixers in order to achieve a specific pattern of actuator outputs.
The null mixer definition has the form:
Z:
Simple Mixer
A simple mixer combines zero or more control inputs into a single actuator output. Inputs are scaled, and the mixing function sums the result before applying an output scaler.
A simple mixer definition begins with:
M: <control count>
O: <-ve scale> <+ve scale> <offset> <lower limit> <upper limit>
If is zero, the sum is effectively zero and the mixer will output a fixed value that is constrained by and .
The second line defines the output scaler with scaler parameters as discussed above. Whilst the calculations are performed as floating-point operations, the values stored in the definition file are scaled by a factor of 10000; i.e. an offset of -0.5 is encoded as -5000.
The definition continues with entries describing the control inputs and their scaling, in the form:
S: <group> <index> <-ve scale> <+ve scale> <offset> <lower limit> <upper limit>
The value identifies the control group from which the scaler will read, and the value an offset within that group. These values are specific to the device reading the mixer definition.
When used to mix vehicle controls, mixer group zero is the vehicle attitude control group, and index values zero through three are normally roll, pitch, yaw and thrust respectively.
The remaining fields on the line configure the control scaler with parameters as discussed above. Whilst the calculations are performed as floating-point operations, the values stored in the definition file are scaled by a factor of 10000; i.e. an offset of -0.5 is encoded as -5000.
Multirotor Mixer
The multirotor mixer combines four control inputs (roll, pitch, yaw, thrust) into a set of actuator outputs intended to drive motor speed controllers.
The mixer definition is a single line of the form:
R: <geometry> <roll scale> <pitch scale> <yaw scale> <deadband>
The supported geometries include:
- 4x - quadrotor in X configuration
- 4+ - quadrotor in + configuration
- 6x - hexcopter in X configuration
- 6+ - hexcopter in + configuration
- 8x - octocopter in X configuration
- 8+ - octocopter in + configuration
Each of the roll, pitch and yaw scale values determine scaling of the roll, pitch and yaw controls relative to the thrust control. Whilst the calculations are performed as floating-point operations, the values stored in the definition file are scaled by a factor of 10000; i.e. an factor of 0.5 is encoded as 5000.
Roll, pitch and yaw inputs are expected to range from -1.0 to 1.0, whilst the thrust input ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. Output for each actuator is in the range -1.0 to 1.0.
In the case where an actuator saturates, all actuator values are rescaled so that the saturating actuator is limited to 1.0.