matlab-connect-mavlink
Establish MAVLink connections between MATLAB and PX4/ArduPilot autopilots. Use when connecting to a drone, flight controller, or autopilot via MAVLink protocol over UDP. Covers dialect setup, UDP transport, timer-based heartbeat, and client discovery. Use when: "connect to PX4", "MAVLink connection", "heartbeat", "ground control station", "GCS", "connect to ArduPilot", "drone communication", "mavlinkio", "SITL".
npx skills add matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit --skill matlab-connect-mavlink --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# MAVLink Connection Setup Establish a MAVLink UDP connection from MATLAB to a PX4 or ArduPilot flight controller, with MATLAB acting as a ground control station (GCS). This skill encodes the correct protocol sequence and heartbeat pattern that agents consistently get wrong. ## When to Use - User wants to connect MATLAB to a PX4 or ArduPilot autopilot via UDP - User is building a ground control station in MATLAB - User needs to set up MAVLink communication with SITL or networked autopilot - User asks about heartbeat exchange or client discovery - User references `mavlinkio`, `mavlinkdialect`, or `sendudpmsg` ## When NOT to Use - User wants to read/set parameters, upload missions, or download logs over an already-established connection — these work well without this skill - User is working with Simulink MAVLink blocks (different workflow) - User only wants to parse a `.ulg` log file offline — use `ulogreader` directly - User asks about MAVLink message serialization/deserialization only ## Workflow Follow this exact sequence. The order matters — skipping or reordering steps causes silent failures. ### 1. Create the dialect ```matlab dialect = mavlinkdialect("common.xml", 2); ``` Use
- When to Use
- When NOT to Use
- Workflow
- 1. Create the dialect
- 2. Create the MAVLink IO interface
- 3. Connect UDP transport
- 4. Build the GCS heartbeat message
- 5. Start periodic heartbeat
- 6. Verify client discovery (Workflow B only)
- 7. Clean up when done
- Key Functions
- Patterns
- UDP Connection to PX4 SITL (Auto-Discovery)
- Subscribing to Specific Messages
What does the matlab-connect-mavlink skill do?
Establish MAVLink connections between MATLAB and PX4/ArduPilot autopilots. Use when connecting to a drone, flight controller, or autopilot via MAVLink protocol over UDP. Covers dialect setup, UDP transport, timer-based heartbeat, and client discovery. Use when: "connect to PX4", "MAVLink connection", "heartbeat", "ground control station", "GCS", "connect to ArduPilot", "drone communication", "mavlinkio", "SITL".
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit --skill matlab-connect-mavlink --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit, a repository with 868 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.