The TSC Working Groups provide brief summary updates here. More detailed monthly status updates may be found in the Dronecode blog here.
SDK WG
The SDK WG has made significant progress:
- Dronecore gRPC bindings moving forward for multiple language support
- Docker image to be created for development using Dronecore
- Documentation of DroneCore C++ API moving forward and has near-complete coverage.
- Need a SW designer look at the design of DroneCore for vendor extensibility. Currently task on hold due to lack of developer bandwidth.
- Release 1.8 should support extensibility
- Offboard Control API added
- Example: https://github.com/dronecore/DroneCore/pull/134
- PR for API documentation: https://github.com/dronecore/docs/pull/53
Camera API WG
- Camera control protocol changes have been merged into to QGroundControl.
- Intel to share details of drone apps processor code – https://github.com/01org/camera-streaming-daemon
- SITL camera module development
- Proposed design here (in progress)
- Gets frames from Gazebo camera
- Video Streaming
- Mavlink messages for video streaming delayed until docs for camera control complet
Messaging WG
- The messaging WG will also be working with the SDK WG to evolve the SDK in ways that may not work well over MAVLINK.
- The biggest missing piece of the RTPS support is broader testing
- EProsima is going to have a look at this.
- The VIO samples using RTPS should be completed
- RTPS refactoring
- https://github.com/PX4/Firmware/pull/8113
- Serialization code should be pre-generated in its own layer so the Agent code need not depend on all of Firmware and its submodules
Safety WG
- FAA Application for Dronecode stack certification with Intel. Upcoming calls, but still moving forward.
- FAA not concerned with security but other agencies are (ala DJI). Talking to other agencies about security issues (XCOM, Dept of Interior, EPA, etc).
- Concern voiced about safety of a platform not addressing platform security and data security
- Threat analysis needed
- Opportunity for transparent process of how data is handled by the platform
- Discussed using ROS2 security model and also supporting proprietary solutions (e.g. FLIR, INSITU)
Code Quality WG
Progress in Code Quality is being made on several fronts:
- Architecture Refactoring
- NuttX update that was previously blocking other refactoring work has been merged
- I2C NuttX drivers are now cross platform via vdev. SPI devices not supported yet (missing a handful of things in drivers/device).
- PX4 v1.8 release targeted for refactoring the drivers to use vdev and hopefully moving DriverFramework drivers to use vdev.
- Rearchitecture proposals for vendor layers were prototyped, and provided for comments
- Latest one is here: https://github.com/PX4/Firmware/issues/8127
- Proposal for Offboard Module Architecture
- HW Support
- Not clear to new users what HW platform they should start with
- List what is known good HW
- RPi – best effort vs Intel Aero (supported)
- Need new categories
- Experimental HW
- Unmaintained HW (mfg’s who create non-compliant products, poor build quality)
- Supported HW
- Need quality standards for HW vendors to self certify
UX WG
Group activities has been suspended until WG participants have more time available to contribute.
