Honestly anything with `ardu` in the name screams "I just learnt to code and I don't know what I'm doing". I know nothing about this space but I'd definitely check out the PX4 link that they other guy posted before this.
Don't dismiss Ardupilot so easily. Yes, it grew out of Arduino Megas running the code with some stapled-on sensors, but that was many years ago - it's an extremely powerful and arguably more "hobbyist"-friendly platform that's very comparable to PX4. In my experience PX4 lends itself very well to more scientific or industrial use, especially when integrating with other on-board compute units that are part of the payload, whereas Ardupilot is much easier to get working and capable off-the-shelf. Both software stacks run on essentially the same hardware nowadays.
I disagree about ease: ArduPilot is not easy to get working. It's a pain in the ass to get a flyable config, for say, a basic quadcopter. I now have a flyable config and notes, but it took me a lot of trial + error to get there. It has... surprising default settings , like going into a tumble if you 0 the throttle. Betaflight and PX4 are easier.
I have a lengthy notes file with exact settings required to make ArduPilot work well with a small quad. The result is a great experience, but getting there was not!
Also of note for ease: The ArduPilot code base is a mess compared to PX4's.
> I have a lengthy notes file with exact settings required to make ArduPilot work well with a small quad.
There are easier ways, like using an existing config file someone posted on AP forum or rcgroups..
It’s not made specifically for small quads and it will never fly as well as BF or even iNav. I wouldn’t expect an agricultural drone to support turtle mode, so no air mode by default shouldn’t be surprising :)
Re code base: AP supports LUA so for small mods you won’t have to change the code base at all, compared to PX4..
Ardupilot is very very mature software. It stopped being able to be run on an arduino about a decade ago. There's a guy who has been doing aireal waypoint missions for miles and miles, as well as terrestrial boat missions lasting days. It's been adapted for sailboats as well.
The only advantage of PX4 is its license - it’s BSD vs Ardupilot’s GPL, so companies can use the code without giving back. The mindshare just isn’t there - PX4 is orders of magnitude more obscure, so instead of YouTube tutorials you’ll be trying to get help on PX4 specific forums or digging through the code base.
