Firmware · ArduPilot
ArduPilot firmware development.
ArduCopter, ArduPlane, TradHeli and the rest of the ArduPilot family — customized in C++ and Lua, tuned with real logs, proven in SITL.
Where we work inside ArduPilot
- Custom flight modes — new modes in ArduCopter, ArduPlane or TradHeli, including mode-transition and failsafe interaction.
- Lua scripting — behaviors that need to change without a firmware rebuild; we're clear about what scripting can and can't safely do.
- Traditional helicopters — TradHeli setup, swashplate configuration, autorotation logic and tuning. This is a thin-bench specialty and it's one of ours.
- Drivers and peripherals — AP_HAL drivers, DroneCAN nodes, custom sensors and payload interfaces.
- Board support — ChibiOS hwdef files for new flight controllers.
- Tuning — rate and attitude loop tuning from logged data, harmonic notch configuration, and documented parameter sets.
About the GPL
ArduPilot is GPL-3. If you distribute firmware binaries, you must make the corresponding source available. That is not a reason to avoid ArduPilot, but it is a reason to understand it before you commit. We'll brief your counsel in plain language.
Good fit when
- The aircraft is a traditional helicopter
- You need rover, boat or sub support alongside air
- Scripting without rebuilds is valuable
- Mature failsafe handling is the priority