Ethernet Configuration

ArduPilot 4.5 and later provides a network interface framework that supports both LAN and WAN connections.

These CUAV^® controllers have an Ethernet MAC (marked ETH):

• 7-Nano V2 / 7-Nano
• Pixhawk V6X v2 / Pixhawk V6X
• X25 EVO
• X25 MEGA

The following controllers can reach Ethernet over a serial port using PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol), a PPP-to-Ethernet adapter or a custom firmware build. See PPP configuration for details.

• X7+
• X7+ Pro
• Nora+

Today ArduPilot's serial manager interfaces are not limited to UARTs — they also work over a network connection, alongside the Ethernet and PPP interfaces. LUA script bindings also let a controller run web-server-like applications. A web server applet is provided that makes log download faster and can display vehicle and system status.

For networked peripherals, the ArduPilot AP_Periph firmware makes it straightforward to build network devices over a peripheral's serial or DroneCAN interface, and to pass their data to the controller across the network.

ArduPilot network framework

ArduPilot provides a NET manager with an IP protocol engine and UDP and TCP transport layers. There are four configurable IP ports, each of which can be UDP or TCP, client or server. The controller can treat the data coming in on those ports as:

• Any serial device ArduPilot supports (rangefinder, gimbal, serial ESC and so on)
• A MAVLink link to another vehicle or a GCS

LUA scripts running on the controller can also reach those data ports.

Configuration in brief

NET_ENABLE must be set to 1, and the controller restarts automatically, before the network parameters appear:

🌐 Ethernet MAC

NOTE

For controllers with an Ethernet MAC. This is the global 6-byte MAC address; it defaults to a value generated from the CPU unique ID, and can be set manually.

🏷️ Parameter	📝 Description	⚙️ Default
NET_MACADDR0	MAC address byte 1	Generated from the CPU ID
NET_MACADDR1	MAC address byte 2	Generated from the CPU ID
NET_MACADDR2	MAC address byte 3	Generated from the CPU ID
NET_MACADDR3	MAC address byte 4	Generated from the CPU ID
NET_MACADDR4	MAC address byte 5	Generated from the CPU ID
NET_MACADDR5	MAC address byte 6	Generated from the CPU ID

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📡 Controller IP address

NOTE

The controller's 4-byte IP address. If the network has a DHCP server, NET_DHCP can assign it; otherwise set it manually as below.

🏷️ Parameter	📝 Description	⚙️ Default	💡 Example
NET_IPADDR0	IP address byte 1	192	192
NET_IPADDR1	IP address byte 2	168	168
NET_IPADDR2	IP address byte 3	144	144
NET_IPADDR3	IP address byte 4	14	14

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🛤️ Subnet mask and gateway

NOTE

The subnet mask limits which addresses can talk directly; the gateway routes traffic to addresses outside the local subnet.

🏷️ Parameter	📝 Description	⚙️ Default / example
NET_NETMASK	Number of leading 1 bits in the mask (24 means 255.255.255.0)	24
NET_GWADDR0	Gateway IP byte 1	192
NET_GWADDR1	Gateway IP byte 2	168
NET_GWADDR2	Gateway IP byte 3	144
NET_GWADDR3	Gateway IP byte 4	1

Network port parameters

NOTE

These apply to both Ethernet and PPP links. Each physical interface gives you four logical ports. Port 1 is used as the example.

WARNING

Restart the device after changing any of these.

Parameter	Description
NET_P1_TYPE	Port type. 0: disabled, 1: UDP client, 2: UDP server, 3: TCP client, 4: TCP server.
NET_P1_IP0	Server IP byte 1. Required for a client; a server can use 0.0.0.0.
NET_P1_IP1	Server IP byte 2. Required for a client; a server can use 0.0.0.0.
NET_P1_IP2	Server IP byte 3. Required for a client; a server can use 0.0.0.0.
NET_P1_IP3	Server IP byte 4. Required for a client; a server can use 0.0.0.0.
NET_P1_PORT	Port number. The TCP or UDP port.
NET_P1_PROTOCOL	Protocol. Registers the port with the serial manager so ArduPilot handles its data with the protocol you specify.

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Special IP addressing:

• UDP broadcast: use 255.255.255.255 as the IP.
• UDP multicast: use an address in the multicast range.

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The sections below walk through the common configurations.

Server or client?

Which role a device takes depends on how it exchanges data:

• Command-response devices (ESCs, gimbals): usually the server. They sit listening for instructions from the controller.
• Data-reporting devices (airspeed sensors): usually the client. They produce a continuous stream and push it to the controller without waiting to be polled.

Ethernet use cases

Case 1: A single device (ground station)

🌐 Connecting to a ground station over Ethernet (pick client or server)

Controller parameters

📂 Group	🏷️ Parameter	💻 Client (recommended)	🖥️ Server
Enable Ethernet	NET_ENABLE	1	1
Disable DHCP	NET_DHCP	0	0
Network role	NET_P1_TYPE	1	2
Gateway	NET_GWADDR0	192	192
Gateway	NET_GWADDR1	168	168
Gateway	NET_GWADDR2	144	144
Gateway	NET_GWADDR3	1	1
Controller IP	NET_IPADDR0	192	192
Controller IP	NET_IPADDR1	168	168
Controller IP	NET_IPADDR2	144	144
Controller IP	NET_IPADDR3	14	14
Target IP	NET_P1_IP0	192	0
Target IP	NET_P1_IP1	168	0
Target IP	NET_P1_IP2	144	0
Target IP	NET_P1_IP3	15	0
Port	NET_P1_PORT	14550	14550
Protocol	NET_P1_PROTOCOL	2	2

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Computer IP configuration

The gateway, the computer and the other devices on the LAN must share a subnet (for example 192.168.144.15) before they can talk.

• Client mode: the controller pushes the stream to the computer, which only has to listen on that port. Choose UDP in the ground station (set the IP to 127.0.0.1 if it asks for one) and enter the port number.

• Server mode: the ground station pulls the stream. Connect with UDPCl and enter the controller's IP and port. The controller's NET_P1_IPx group should be 0, or the controller's own IP.

Case 2: Several Ethernet devices

The example uses:

• CUAV Pixhawk V6X

• SIYI A8 mini gimbal / HD camera

• H16 telemetry system

• BotBlox ArduPilot Ethernet switch

The controller is the client and the gimbal camera is the server: the controller pushes data to the camera.

📷 Controller parameters

🏷️ Parameter	⚙️ Value	📝 Notes
NET_ENABLE	1	Enable Ethernet
NET_DHCP	0	Off when there is no DHCP server
NET_IPADDR0	192	Controller IP byte 1
NET_IPADDR1	168	Controller IP byte 2
NET_IPADDR2	144	Controller IP byte 3
NET_IPADDR3	26	Must be unique on the network; the remote controller uses 10/11
NET_NETMASK	24	Subnet mask (255.255.255.0)
NET_GWADDR0	192	Gateway IP byte 1
NET_GWADDR1	168	Gateway IP byte 2
NET_GWADDR2	144	Gateway IP byte 3
NET_GWADDR3	1	Gateway IP byte 4

Teach ArduPilot about the gimbal and send it commands over a virtual serial port on Ethernet.

🏷️ Parameter	⚙️ Value	📝 Notes
CAM1_TYPE	4	Allows shutter and other camera control
MNT1_TYPE	8	SIYI mount type
MNT1_YAW_MAX	135	Maximum gimbal yaw
MNT1_YAW_MIN	-135	Minimum gimbal yaw
NET_P1_TYPE	1	Network port 1: UDP client
NET_P1_IP0	192	Server (gimbal) IP byte 1
NET_P1_IP1	168	Server (gimbal) IP byte 2
NET_P1_IP2	144	Server (gimbal) IP byte 3
NET_P1_IP3	25	Server (gimbal) IP byte 4
NET_P1_PORT	37260	Port the gimbal listens on
NET_P1_PROTOCOL	8	Gimbal serial protocol

Set up a MAVLink path between the controller and the ground station's air unit.

🏷️ Parameter	⚙️ Value	📝 Notes
NET_P2_TYPE	1	Network port 2: UDP client
NET_P2_IP0	192	Server (ground station) IP byte 1
NET_P2_IP1	168	Server (ground station) IP byte 2
NET_P2_IP2	144	Server (ground station) IP byte 3
NET_P2_IP3	11	Server (ground station) IP byte 4
NET_P2_PORT	14550	Telemetry port
NET_P2_PROTOCOL	2	MAVLink2

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NOTE

Video: Ethernet carries several streams at once, and video does not pass through the controller. Point the ground station's video link at the gimbal camera's IP and port and the picture appears.

Case 3: Downloading logs over the web

ArduPilot's LUA bindings let a controller run an application as a web server. The official net_webserver.lua applet serves the contents of the controller's microSD card to a browser, which makes log downloads quick, and can show vehicle and system status at the same time (armed state, GPS/AHRS position and so on).

How it works

• The script listens on the controller's network interface (ETH), port 8080 by default.
• The microSD card root is the web root, so logs can be browsed and downloaded straight from a browser.
• LUA expressions can be embedded in .shtml files for dynamic content, and LUA CGI scripts in a cgi-bin folder at the card root are supported too.

Step 1: Get and install the script

1. Download net_webserver.lua from the ArduPilot repository: https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/tree/master/libraries/AP_Scripting/applets/net_webserver.lua
2. Upload it to /APM/scripts/ on the microSD card (over the Scripting page in QGC, or with MAVFTP).
3. Set SCR_ENABLE = 1 and restart the controller.

NOTE

SCR_ENABLE only takes effect after a restart, and the script registers the WEB_* parameters when it runs — they only appear in the parameter list after that restart.

Step 2: Configure the web server

🏷️ Parameter	⚙️ Value	📝 Notes
WEB_ENABLE	1	Enable the web server
WEB_PORT	8080	Listen port; change it if you need to
WEB_DEBUG	0	Verbose debug output
WEB_BLKSIZE	-	Network/file block size; larger is faster but uses more memory
WEB_TIMEOUT	-	Idle client connection timeout, in seconds

Step 3 (optional): Test it in SITL

With no hardware to hand, you can try the web server in simulation first:

1. Start SITL, for example sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter.
2. Create a scripts folder in the SITL run directory and put net_webserver.lua in it.
3. Set SCR_ENABLE = 1 and restart SITL.
4. Set SCR_VM_I_COUNT = 1000000 (the web server is compute-heavy, so the instruction limit has to go up) and restart SITL.
5. Open http://127.0.0.1:8080 in a browser.

NOTE

SITL emulates the controller's network interface on the host machine, so you use 127.0.0.1. It must be http, not https, or the connection fails.

Step 4: Connect to a real controller

1. Put the controller's ETH port on the LAN (direct to a computer, or through an Ethernet switch).
2. Configure the network as above: NET_ENABLE = 1 and restart; set NET_IPADDR0~3 (for example 192.168.144.14), NET_NETMASK = 24 and the gateway, so the computer and the controller share a subnet.
3. In the computer's browser open http://<controller IP>:8080, for example http://192.168.144.14:8080.

Downloading logs

1. Opening http://<controller IP>:8080 shows the microSD card root.
2. Go into APM/logs to see the .bin log for each flight — click to download, far quicker than over telemetry.

Custom dynamic pages (example)

Put index.shtml at the card root and embedded LUA can display controller status:

<h1>Controller status</h1>
<p>Armed: <?lstr vehicle:get_armed() ?></p>
<p>Latitude (deg): <?lstr ahrs:get_location():lat()/1e7 ?></p>
<p>Longitude (deg): <?lstr ahrs:get_location():lng()/1e7 ?></p>

• Multi-line logic can be embedded as <?lua ... return "string" ?>.
• A cgi-bin folder at the card root can hold .lua CGI scripts for dynamic responses.

WARNING

1. The web server supports http only, never https.
2. A change to WEB_PORT needs a restart of the script or controller.
3. The web server uses network bandwidth and controller resources — use it sensibly. With many logs on the card, building the listing gets slow.