Pre-Flight Checklist

This is an example of a ROSflight pre-flight checklist. You will likely need to augment this with checks specific to both (a) your hardware and (b) the code running on your companion computer.

Before powering up motors

• ROS is running on the companion computer, communicating with the base station
• rosflight_io reports no errors
• Sensors are calibrated and publishing
  • IMU (re-calibrate every flight): rosservice call /calibrate_imu
  • Barometer: rosservice call /calibrate_baro
  • Sonar (if attached)
  • Airspeed (if attached)
• Estimated attitude is being published and looks accurate
• Published outputs look reasonable
• Parameter Check (if using a fixed-wing, there are about 8 parameters you will need to change from default)
• RC communication
• Failsafe behavior
• Arming and disarming
• RC override behavior
• RC range test
• Wire-wiggle test (wiggle all wires to look for bad connections)
• If desired, logging is turned on (e.g. recording a rosbag)

After Powering Up Motors

Danger

Be sure the flight controller is disarmed before powering up motors!!!

• Arm/Disarm test
• Propeller spin test (check directions and response to stick inputs)
• Control surface test (fixed-wing)
• Response to offboard controls