MAVLink Forwarding
Forward all MAVLink data from Auterion Mission Control to remote hosts.
Overview
MAVLink forwarding is a feature in Auterion Mission Control that allows you to forward all received MAVLink telemetry data to an external application or service. This enables you to share real-time vehicle telemetry with other ground control stations, logging systems, or analysis tools while Auterion Mission Control maintains the primary connection to your vehicle.
Use Cases
Multiple Ground Control Stations: Allow other users to monitor your vehicle in real-time using their own Auterion Mission Control instances
Data Logging: Forward telemetry to a dedicated logging server for analysis and archiving
Custom Applications: Stream MAVLink data to custom monitoring dashboards, analytics tools, or mission control centers
Development & Testing: Forward data to development tools for testing and debugging MAVLink-based applications
Remote Operations: Share telemetry with remote team members or supervisors
How It Works
When MAVLink forwarding is enabled, Auterion Mission Control creates a transmit-only UDP connection that forwards all received MAVLink messages to the specified destination.
The forwarding happens in real-time as messages are received from the vehicle, ensuring minimal latency for downstream applications.
Configuration
Prerequisites
Auterion Mission Control must be in Advanced Mode to access MAVLink forwarding settings
Enabling MAVLink Forwarding
Open Settings
Select MAVLink from the left sidebar
Check the box "Enable MAVLink forwarding"
Enter the destination in the "Host name" field
Host Name Format
The host name field accepts the following formats:
localhost:14445- Forward to a local application on port 14445 (default)127.0.0.1:14445- Same as localhost, using IP addresshostname:14445- Forward to a computer by hostname
The format is always host:port with a colon separating the hostname/IP and port number.
Changing the hostname requires a restart of the application for changes to take effect.
Using with MAVLink Router
For scenarios where multiple users need to access the MAVLink data, we recommend using mavlink-router as an intermediary. MAVLink Router is a lightweight tool that can receive data from Auterion Mission Control and distribute it to multiple clients simultaneously.
Setup Instructions
Install MAVLink Router
For detailed instructions on building from source or downloading the prebuilt executable, please refer to the official MAVLink Router GitHub repository.
Run mavlink-routerd
For simple use, you can start mavlink-routerd directly from the command line with the following command:
This command:
127.0.0.1:14445: Listens for UDP packets from Auterion Mission ControlCreates a TCP server on port 5760 for clients (default)
This basic command is suitable for straightforward scenarios where only minimal configuration is needed to collect MAVLink data.
Connect Remote Clients
Remote users can now connect to your MAVLink Router:
In Auterion Mission Control:
Go to Settings → Comm Links
Add a new link with type TCP
Enter the IP address of the computer where mavlink-router is running, and port 5760.
Example:
192.168.1.100:5760
Connect to the link
Advanced mavlink-router Configuration
For more advanced scenarios, where multiple clients or more complex routing setups are required, it is advisable to use a configuration file as shown in the example below. This allows precise control over the endpoints and additional features like debug logging.
Create a file ~/mavlink-router.conf:
Configuration Details:
TcpEndpoint server: Creates a TCP server on port 5760 that remote clients can connect to
Address = 0.0.0.0: Allows connections from any network interface (local and remote)
UdpEndpoint amc: Listens for UDP packets from AMC on
localhostport 14445
Start MAVLink Router
Keep this running in a terminal or set it up as a system service.
Troubleshooting
MAVLink Forwarding Option Not Visible
Ensure Advanced Mode is enabled.
No Data Received at Destination
Verify Auterion Mission Control is receiving data from the vehicle
Check that MAVLink forwarding is enabled
Verify the host name format is correct (e.g.,
localhost:14445)Check firewall settings on both computers
Ensure the destination application is listening on the specified port
Test connectivity with
netcatortelnet:
MAVLink Router Not Receiving Data
Verify MAVLink Router process is running
Check the port matches AMC configuration (default: 14445)
Review MAVLink Router logs for errors
Remote Clients Cannot Connect
Verify your computer's IP address is correct
Check firewall rules allow incoming connections on port 5760
Ensure MAVLink Router is bound to
0.0.0.0not127.0.0.1
Security Considerations
Local Network: MAVLink data is transmitted unencrypted. Only use on trusted networks.
Internet: Do not expose MAVLink Router directly to the internet without proper security measures
VPN: For remote access, use VPN or SSH tunneling to secure the connection
Alternative: Direct Forwarding
If you don't want to use MAVLink Router, you can forward directly to another application:
To forward to a remote AMC instance:
Set host name to:
<remote-ip>:14550Note: The remote AMC must have a UDP link configured to listen on that port
Limitation: Direct forwarding only supports one destination. Use MAVLink Router for multiple clients.
See Also
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