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mavQT-Bridging MAVLink Drones to IoT via MQTT

A lightweight tool to forward MAVLink messages to MQTT brokers in real-time, connecting drones to the wider IoT ecosystem

2 min read

Installation and Setup

  1. Clone the repository:

    Terminal window
    git clone https://github.com/rohith8272/mavQT.git
    cd mavQT

  2. Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

    Terminal window
    python -m venv venv
    source venv/bin/activate   # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
    pip install -r requirements.txt

  3. Run the tool:

    Terminal window
    python -m mavQT

Setting Up an MQTT Broker

Before running mavQT, ensure that an MQTT broker is available to receive MAVLink packets.

Option 1: Run a Local Broker (Mosquitto)

  1. Download Mosquitto:
    https://mosquitto.org/download/

  2. Navigate to the Mosquitto installation directory where mosquitto.exe is located.

  3. Create a configuration file named sample.conf with the following contents:

    # Default listener (local + remote)
    listener 1883 0.0.0.0
    

    # Allow anonymous connections
    allow_anonymous true
    

    # (Optional) persistence
    persistence true
    persistence_location mosquitto/

  4. Start the broker:

    Terminal window
    mosquitto.exe -c "sample.conf" -v

    The broker should now be running on port 1883.

Option 2: Use an Online Broker

If you prefer not to run a local broker, you can use a free online MQTT service like:

To connect your MAVLink stream to mavQT, ensure your flight controller or GCS is sending data to the correct UDP/TCP port. If you haven’t set up Software in the Loop(SITL) simulations before, you can use: https://dronesim.xyz/

Example 1: Using Mission Planner

  • Set UDP outbound on port 14550.

mirror

Example 2: Using MAVProxy

Terminal window
mavproxy --master=tcp:127.0.0.1:5760 --out 127.0.0.1:14550

For more information on MAVLink routing, check the DroneSim documentation:
Forwarding MAVLink Packets

Testing mavQT

  1. Connect mavQT to your MQTT broker using its IP and port.
  2. Subscribe to or publish MQTT topics to view real-time MAVLink data.
  3. Adjust QoS levels as needed for reliable message delivery.

Example usage:

Terminal window
python -m mavQT

MP+mavQT On connection to an active MAVLink stream, new messages are auto discovered. I can now check the messages that I would like to broadcast with the custom topic name (default mavlink/msg). The bottom terminal should now show the client topics. You can also recieve the topics on any device with an mqtt client within the network or using a VPN.

The MAVLink packets are sent as soon as they are received by the tool, while it is also possible to set a time interval and QoS level.

Contribute

The current tool is a PoC and you are free to modify and alter it to your requirements. If you’d like to improve mavQT, report bugs, or suggest features, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

📍 Repository: https://github.com/rohith8272/mavQT