QGroundControl

Summary¶

QGroundControl (QGC) is a free and open-source ground control station for ArduPilot and PX4 aircraft. On libdrone ArduPilot platforms, it serves three distinct functions: initial vehicle setup and parameter configuration, pre-flight mission planning and upload, and live telemetry monitoring during flight. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android. QGC connects to the aircraft via the ELRS MAVLink link (UDP or USB) and receives the continuous MAVLink telemetry stream from ArduPilot. No cloud account or internet connection is required for normal operation.

Concept¶

Three distinct operational modes¶

QGC has a modal interface: Fly, Plan, and Analyse views, each serving a different phase of operation.

Setup view (Vehicle Setup in the toolbar) is used during commissioning. It provides wizards for accelerometer calibration, compass calibration, RC calibration, and flight mode assignment. Parameters are accessible as a flat list with search. This is where the ArduPilot parameter groups for ELRS MAVLink, GPS, and failsafe are entered. See → ardupilot-commissioning.

Plan view is the mission planner. The operator draws a survey grid polygon on an offline map, sets altitude and overlap parameters, and QGC auto-generates the waypoint mission file. The mission is uploaded to the FC over MAVLink with a single click. QGC supports survey grid, corridor scan, and structure scan patterns. For Bandit standard missions: survey grid at 50 m AGL with 80% front overlap is the starting point.

Fly view is the operational HUD during flight. It displays: position on map, current flight mode, altitude (barometric and relative), groundspeed, battery voltage and estimated remaining time, RSSI, GPS satellite count and HDOP, and active mission waypoint. The operator monitors this display throughout the mission and does not need to touch the transmitter during Auto mode unless intervention is required.

Offline maps¶

QGC can cache map tiles for offline use. For field operations without mobile internet, cache the survey area at sufficient zoom level before deployment. A missing map tile does not prevent mission execution — the aircraft follows the waypoint coordinates regardless — but it removes the operator's visual reference for the aircraft's ground track.

Mission confidence before Auto¶

Do not switch to Auto mode without verifying the uploaded mission in Plan view. QGC renders the planned flight path with altitude profile. Errors in the plan — incorrect AGL altitude, waypoints outside the survey area, missing RTL at mission end — are visible in Plan view and invisible once the aircraft is in the air.

Reference¶

Connection: UDP port 14550 (ELRS Backpack WiFi) or USB-C serial at 460800 baud.

Download: docs.qgroundcontrol.com/master/en/qgc-user-guide/getting_started/download_and_install.html

Procedure¶

Upload a survey mission to Bandit¶

1. Connect QGC to aircraft via ELRS MAVLink (WiFi UDP or USB-C).
2. Confirm Fly view shows HEARTBEAT, GPS fix, and correct battery voltage.
3. Switch to Plan view.
4. Select Survey from the pattern menu. Draw the survey area polygon on the map by clicking boundary corners.
5. Set parameters: altitude (50 m AGL), overlap (80% front, 70% side for mapping; 30% sufficient for wildlife survey).
6. Review the generated flight path — confirm it covers the intended area and ends with RTL or Land.
7. Click Upload. QGC shows upload progress; confirm "Mission received" from FC.
8. Switch to Fly view. Arm aircraft in Loiter, confirm GPS lock (HDOP < 2.0).
9. Switch to Auto mode. Aircraft begins executing the uploaded mission.
10. Monitor Fly view HUD throughout. Be ready to switch out of Auto and take manual control if the aircraft deviates from the planned path.

Rationale¶

QGC was selected over Mission Planner as the primary libdrone GCS for two reasons: native Linux support without Wine, and a cleaner interface for workshop instruction. Mission Planner has deeper feature coverage but is Windows-primary and has a steeper learning curve. For the primary use cases — commissioning, survey mission upload, and flight monitoring — QGC provides everything needed with less interface overhead. Mission Planner remains available for advanced parameter work.

Connections¶

yaml requires: - [ardupilot-copter](<./ardupilot-copter.md>) - [elrs-mavlink-mode](<./elrs-mavlink-mode.md>) related: - [ardupilot-commissioning](<./ardupilot-commissioning.md>) - [ardupilot-flight-modes](<./ardupilot-flight-modes.md>) - [ardupilot-autotune](<./ardupilot-autotune.md>) - [bandit-variant](<./bandit-variant.md>) - [wing-variant](<./wing-variant.md>) leads_to: - [ardupilot-autotune](<./ardupilot-autotune.md>) - [maiden-flight](<./maiden-flight.md>) - [wildlife-survey-operations](<./wildlife-survey-operations.md>)