Mission Planner
Full-featured ground station for ArduPilot.
Overview
Mission Planner is a free, open-source, and full-featured ground control station application for the ArduPilot open-source autopilot project. It is a Windows-based application that allows users to configure ArduPilot-based vehicles, plan and load autonomous missions, and analyze flight logs. It is known for its extensive set of features and deep integration with the ArduPilot firmware.
✨ Key Features
- Open Source and Free to Use
- Detailed Vehicle Configuration and Tuning
- Point-and-click Waypoint Entry for Mission Planning
- Comprehensive Flight Data Logging and Analysis
- Software-in-the-loop (SITL) Simulation
- Support for a wide range of ArduPilot vehicles (Copter, Plane, Rover, etc.)
- Geo-tagging of images
🎯 Key Differentiators
- The most feature-rich and deeply integrated GCS for ArduPilot.
- Powerful post-flight log analysis tools.
- Strong community support and extensive documentation within the ArduPilot ecosystem.
Unique Value: Provides the most comprehensive and powerful set of tools for configuring, flying, and analyzing data from ArduPilot-powered vehicles, all for free as an open-source project.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Setting up and tuning all parameters for an ArduPilot vehicle.
- Creating complex survey grids for autonomous mapping.
- Diagnosing flight issues by analyzing detailed telemetry logs.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Users on macOS or Linux (requires workarounds).
- Controlling non-ArduPilot or non-MAVLink drones.
- Users seeking a very simple, streamlined user interface.
🏆 Alternatives
While QGroundControl has a more modern UI and is cross-platform, Mission Planner offers more advanced features and deeper configuration options specifically for ArduPilot users.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Fully-featured, no limits.
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