mavlink/mavlink

What it solves

MAVLink provides a lightweight, standardized way for drones and ground control stations to communicate. It solves the problem of interoperability between different drone hardware and software components from various manufacturers, especially in environments with very limited communication bandwidth and constrained system resources (RAM and flash memory).

How it works

It is a header-only message library that uses XML files to define message-set specifications (called "dialects"). Python tools within the project convert these XML definitions into source code for various supported programming languages, allowing systems to send and receive structured data efficiently.

Who it’s for

This is for developers building micro air vehicles (MAVs), drone flight controllers, or ground control software who need a high-performance, resource-efficient communication protocol.

Highlights

• Resource Optimized: Highly optimized C implementation for systems with limited RAM and flash memory.
• Bandwidth Efficient: Specifically designed for low-bandwidth communication links.
• Cross-Language Support: Uses a generator to create libraries for multiple programming languages.
• Field-Proven: Widely deployed as an interoperability interface across different manufacturers.