A modular software platform for unmanned aerial vehicle autopilot systems

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have differing control software requirements depending on mission parameters. However, this software tends to change at a different pace than the lower-level software which underlies the higher-level guidance and control algorithms. While these algorithms evolve depending on the mission parameters or research goals, the sensor interfaces and other lower-level software need only change when the hardware itself does. This paper outlines a modular software architecture for UAV autopilots which allows for the altering of control or guidance code without modifying any other code. Modularity is achieved with the use of an Application Programming Interface (API) which abstracts away the actual sensor, navigation, and communication implementation. Using this API also allows for both easier code testing and easier hardware upgrades, as the complex software dictating the guidance and control laws does not need modification to utilize different sources of sensor information.