MAVLink

MAVLink is a communication protocol designed to configure, to control and to get telemetry from a drone.

MAVLink has many "dialects". The reference message set that is implemented most widely by ground control stations and flight controllers is called "Common Message Set". Most MAVLink dialects build on top of this set. To make sure that incompatible dialect discard each other's incompatible messages, MAVLink employs a relatively complex algorithm for calculating CRC.

MAVLink is supported by gear from Airbot, Ardupilot, Holybro, MatekSys, Team BlackSheep, etc. Ground station software such as QGroundControl, APM, Mission Planner all rely on MAVLink.

MAVLink was first released in early 2009 by Lorenz Meier.