2. Simulation

Overview

This section assumes you having completed section 1 Getting Started. It describes how to run ROScopter in simulation using Gazebo.

Gazebo

ROScopter Sim - Simplified Dynamics Model

This simulation does not simulate the firmware (rosflight) and does not require RC input. It has the same API as the SIL stack, and can be useful for developing high-level algorithms, however it makes some simplifying assumptions in the dynamics which reduces the fidelity of the simulation.

You can run the Gazebo simulator with

$ roslaunch roscopter_sim gazebo.launch

Make sure to push the play button in the Gazebo simulator.

ROSflight Sim - Software In The Loop

To run the rosflight SIL simulation information with the full roscopter stack, connect a joystick, transmitter, or clone and build the rosflight_joy package to use the keyboard as an RC controller.

Open the "gazebo.launch" file in "roscopter_sim/launch" folder and change this line

$ <arg name="simulation_mode" default="roscopter_sim"/>

to

$ <arg name="simulation_mode" default="rosflight_sim"/>

Then run

$ roslaunch roscopter_sim gazebo.launch

In a new terminal, callibrate the IMU

$ rosservice call /rosflight/param_set MIXER 2

$ rosservice call /rosflight/calibrate_imu

$ rosservice call /rosflight/param_set ARM_CHANNEL 5