Multiple Parrot Drones as Swarm via WiFi Router

About

If you are eager to try and fly multiple Bebop or Discos at the same time and communicate to each-other, this is the page to read on how to get that to work

What your need

• 2x Bebop
• 1x Router
• Your Fieldlaptop

Network

First all your Bebops need to be configured. Switch on the first one... Repeat all those steps for all your Bebops you are going to use in your swarm.

There is a configuration to make. Here are some examples as a start:

cd ~/paparazzi/sw/tools/parrot

./bebop.py configure_network YOURROUTERSSID managed dhcp

./bebop.py wifikey none none

or if you have WPA2 and fixed IP's and do not have set the MAC of your Bebop in your DHCP for a static lease. IP is an example, your router could be on a different subnet. Ofcourse change the YOURROUTERSSID and YOURKEY to the SSID of your router end the password of your network.

cd ~/paparazzi/sw/tools/parrot

./bebop.py configure_network YOURROUTERSSID managed 192.168.1.44

./bebop.py wifikey wpa2 YOURKEY

IVY Bus

~/paparazzi/sw/ground_segment/tmtc/link -udp -udp_broadcast

Airframe

In Paparazzi-center make four (4x) an airframe configuration, you can use the same airframe file for all since AC_ID makes the difference

To be able to cross-communicate via UDP a additional setting to the Bebop airframe file needs to be added:

If your router has e.g. IP 192.168.209.1 then add this to your airframe in the target section:

 <configure name="HOST" value="192.168.209.$(AC_ID)"/>
 <configure name="MODEM_HOST" value="192.168.209.255"/>
 <configure name="MODEM_BROADCAST" value="TRUE"/>

Change the IP number according to your setup

Tips

• To make things manageable, one could also resort to local name resolving where the last part name of the device is the aircraft ID.
• Or set the last part of a static IP number to the Aircraft ID of your airframes

TIPS

Press and hold the Powerbutton for 10seconds in a row until the light turns red, that is a factory reset.