Directories Structure

This chapter explains how files and directory are structured in Paparazzi.

Here is an extract of the Paparazzi tree:

├── conf
│   ├── airframes
│   │   └── airframe.dtd
│   ├── autopilot
│   │   └── autopilot.dtd
│   ├── conf.xml
│   ├── control_panel.xml
│   ├── flight_plans
│   │   ├── basic.xml
│   │   └── flight_plan.dtd
│   ├── modules
│   │   └── baro_bmp3.xml
│   ├── radios
│   │   └── FrSkyX9D.xml
│   ├── settings
│   │   ├── fixedwing_basic.xml
│   │   └── settings.dtd
│   ├── telemetry
│   │   ├── default_fixedwing.xml
│   │   ├── default_rotorcraft.xml
│   │   └── telemetry.dtd
│   ├── tools
│   │   ├── blacklisted
│   │   ├── gcs.xml
│   │   └── messages.xml
├── doc
│   └── sphinx
│       └── source
├── Makefile
├── paparazzi
├── start.py
├── sw
│   ├── ext
│   ├── airborne
│   │   ├── autopilot.c
│   │   ├── autopilot.h
│   │   └── modules
│   │       ├── decawave
│   │       ├── demo_module
│   │       └── gps
│   ├── ground_segment
│   │   ├── tmtc
│   │   └── cockpit
│   └── simulator
└── var
    ├── aircrafts
    │   └── Microjet
    ├── logs
    │   ├── 20_06_25__11_39_10.data
    │   ├── 20_06_25__11_39_10.log
    └── messages.xml

From a user perspective, the conf directory is the most important.

Aircraft

The conf/airframes, conf/flight_plans, conf/radios and conf/telemetry sub-directories must contain the corresponding files. You can add as many subdirectories as you want, but don’t forget to maintain the relative path to the associated dtd file.

In this example tree for the airframe directory (located itself in the conf directory):

airframe
├── airframe.dtd
├── examples
│   └── microjet.xml
└── nimp.xml

This is the first line of nimp.xml:

<!DOCTYPE airframe SYSTEM "airframe.dtd">

This is the first line of examples/microjet.xml:

<!DOCTYPE airframe SYSTEM "../airframe.dtd">

Aircrafts configurations (stored in conf files), and control panel files should be located in the userconf directory.

Tools

The Tools in the Paparazzi Center come from the conf/tools directory. Each xml file produce a new entry in the Tools menu. You can add you own tools by creating a new xml file in this directory, and restarting the Paparazzi Center.

There are many tools that you will probably never use. You can remove these from the menu by adding their name to the blacklisted file.

Modules

Modules configuration files are located in the conf/modules directory. The actual code of the modules is located in sw/airborne/modules.

Software

Paparazzi softwares are located in sw. Airborne code, that will run on the drone itself, is located in sw/airborne.

sw/ext contains external software dependencies.
sw/simulator contains the simulators
sw/ground_segment/tmtc, for “telemetry and telecommand” contains tools related to modems (link), and the server.
sw/ground_segment/cockpit contains the GCS code

Doc

This documentation is stored in the doc/sphinx directory. Feel free to improve it!

Generated files

Compiled and generated files are located in the var directory.

var/aircrafts contains the files generated by building your aircrafts.

var/logs contains the logs written by the Server from real flights as well as for simulations if you remove the -n option on the server during a simulation.

var/messages.xml list all PprzLink messages.

Launcher

You can launch Paparazzi with the eponym executable file paparazzi, or via the configuration utility start.py. In the later case, you can choose what conf file and what control panel file you want to use.