How to Get Drone Telemetry Using DroneKit: Simple Guide

Use the dronekit Python library to connect to your drone and access telemetry data through the vehicle object properties like location.global_frame, attitude, and battery. Establish a connection with connect(), then read telemetry attributes directly from the vehicle instance.

Syntax

To get telemetry data using DroneKit, first import the library and connect to the vehicle. Then access telemetry properties from the vehicle object.

• connect(connection_string, wait_ready=True): Connects to the drone.
• vehicle.location.global_frame: Gets GPS coordinates.
• vehicle.attitude: Gets drone orientation (pitch, roll, yaw).
• vehicle.battery: Gets battery status.

python

from dronekit import connect

# Connect to the vehicle
vehicle = connect('127.0.0.1:14550', wait_ready=True)

# Access telemetry data
location = vehicle.location.global_frame
attitude = vehicle.attitude
battery = vehicle.battery

Example

This example connects to a drone simulator or real drone and prints GPS location, attitude, and battery status every second.

python

from dronekit import connect
import time

# Connect to the vehicle (replace with your connection string)
vehicle = connect('127.0.0.1:14550', wait_ready=True)

try:
    while True:
        # Get telemetry data
        location = vehicle.location.global_frame
        attitude = vehicle.attitude
        battery = vehicle.battery

        # Print telemetry
        print(f"Location: lat={location.lat}, lon={location.lon}, alt={location.alt}")
        print(f"Attitude: pitch={attitude.pitch}, roll={attitude.roll}, yaw={attitude.yaw}")
        print(f"Battery: voltage={battery.voltage}V, level={battery.level}%, current={battery.current}mA")
        print('---')
        time.sleep(1)
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print("Exiting telemetry loop")
finally:
    vehicle.close()

Output

Location: lat=47.397742, lon=8.545594, alt=488.0
Attitude: pitch=0.01, roll=0.02, yaw=1.57
Battery: voltage=11.1V, level=95%, current=500mA
---
Location: lat=47.397743, lon=8.545595, alt=488.1
Attitude: pitch=0.01, roll=0.02, yaw=1.58
Battery: voltage=11.1V, level=95%, current=500mA
---
(continues every second)

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when getting telemetry with DroneKit include:

• Not waiting for the vehicle to be ready before accessing telemetry, causing errors.
• Using incorrect connection strings or ports, so the drone does not connect.
• Not closing the vehicle connection properly, which can cause resource leaks.
• Assuming telemetry updates instantly; some data may lag or require polling.

python

from dronekit import connect

# Wrong: Not waiting for vehicle to be ready
vehicle = connect('127.0.0.1:14550', wait_ready=False)
print(vehicle.location.global_frame)  # May raise error or return None

# Right: Wait for vehicle to be ready
vehicle = connect('127.0.0.1:14550', wait_ready=True)
print(vehicle.location.global_frame)

Quick Reference

Summary tips for getting telemetry with DroneKit:

• Use connect() with wait_ready=True to ensure data is available.
• Access GPS via vehicle.location.global_frame.
• Get orientation from vehicle.attitude.
• Check battery with vehicle.battery.
• Always close connection with vehicle.close() when done.

Key Takeaways

Connect to the drone using DroneKit's connect() with wait_ready=True to access telemetry safely.

Read GPS location, attitude, and battery data directly from the vehicle object's properties.

Always handle connection errors and close the vehicle connection to avoid resource leaks.

Telemetry data updates over time; use loops or listeners to get continuous updates.

Use correct connection strings matching your drone or simulator setup.