RGB_LED Module Documentation

Toolbox: Sensors and Actuators

Introduction

One-sentence Description: This module controls the blinking patterns and light colors of RGB LEDs mounted on drones, providing state visualization feedback for the simulation system.

This module belongs to the Sensors and Actuators interface library of the RflySim toolchain. It interfaces with peripheral driver logic for PX4 flight controllers and simulation systems, enabling flexible configuration of RGB LED states within user-defined Simulink control algorithms. The module supports multiple preset blinking modes and multi-level color selections, allowing developers to directly specify parameters via enumeration-type inputs for rapid deployment.

The module’s state output is synchronized to the CopterSim and RflySim3D rendering engines, ultimately presenting the drone’s LED status intuitively within the 3D simulation scene. Typical use cases include drone flight status indication, flight controller mode-switching prompts, and custom alert notifications during development and debugging, helping developers visually monitor the drone’s current operational state during simulation.

Port Descriptions

Input Ports (Inputs)

Port Name	Data Type	Dimension	Description
Mode	double or enumeration	1×1	RGB LED operating mode, corresponding to the RGBLED_MODE_ENUM enumeration type; input values map to different blinking patterns
Color	double or enumeration	1×1	RGB LED display color, corresponding to the RGBLEDCOLOR_ENUM enumeration type; input values map to different display colors

Output Ports (Outputs)

This module has no output ports.

Parameter Configuration (Parameters)

The Mask dialog box, opened by double-clicking the module, allows configuration of the following parameters:

Parameter Name	Type	Default Value	Available Values/Range	Description
CopterID	int	1	1~255	ID of the target drone, used to specify which drone’s RGB LED should be controlled [To be confirmed]

Parameter Configuration Notes

CopterID

This parameter specifies the drone number whose RGB LED is to be controlled. In multi-drone simulation scenarios, only the drone whose ID matches this parameter will receive and execute the RGB LED control commands output by this module.

Mode Value Options

The input mode parameter supports the following enumeration values:

• MODE_OFF: Turn off the RGB LED
• MODE_ON: Constant-on mode
• MODE_BLINK_SLOW: Slow blinking mode
• MODE_BLINK_NORMAL: Normal-speed blinking mode
• MODE_BLINK_FAST: Fast blinking mode
• MODE_BREATHE: Breathing light mode
• MODE_PATTERN: Custom pattern mode

Color Value Options

The input color parameter supports the following enumeration values:

• COLOR_OFF: Disable display
• COLOR_RED: Red
• COLOR_YELLOW: Yellow
• COLOR_PURPLE: Purple
• COLOR_GREEN: Green
• COLOR_BLUE: Blue
• COLOR_WHITE: White
• COLOR_AMBER: Amber
• COLOR_DIM_RED: Dim red
• COLOR_DIM_YELLOW: Dim yellow
• COLOR_DIM_PURPLE: Dim purple
• COLOR_DIM_GREEN: Dim green
• COLOR_DIM_BLUE: Dim blue
• COLOR_DIM_WHITE: Dim white
• COLOR_DIM_AMBER: Dim amber

You can enter enumeration('RGBLEDCOLOR_ENUM') in the MATLAB command window to view all valid color enumerations, and enumeration('RGBLED_MODE_ENUM') to view all valid mode enumerations.

Module Characteristics (Block Characteristics)

Characteristic	Value
Supported Data Types	double, single, enumeration types
Direct Feedthrough	Yes
Sample Time	Inherited
Code Generation Support	No

Data Communication Protocol

This module does not involve network communication.

Related Modules

Module Name	Description
Buzzer	Actuator module for controlling buzzer sound patterns
PX4CtrlFeedback	Module for acquiring sensor and state feedback data from the PX4 flight controller
GPS	Simulation module for GPS sensor data output
IMU	Simulation module for IMU sensor data output
Barometer	Simulation module for barometer sensor data output
Magnetometer	Simulation module for magnetometer sensor data output
RangeFinder	Simulation module for rangefinder sensor data output
OpticalFlow	Simulation module for optical flow sensor data output
ViconPose	Module outputting drone pose data obtained from motion capture systems
Joystick	Human-machine interaction module for reading keyboard joystick inputs
EscPWMOut	Actuator module for outputting motor ESC PWM control signals
ServoPWMOut	Actuator module for outputting servo PWM control signals

Usage Example

For related usage examples, please refer to the following path:

``` [RflySim Installation Path]/RflySimAPIs/5.RflySimFlyCtrl/0.ApiExps/4.PSPOfficialExps/Readme.pdf

Please refer to Readme.pdf in the path above for complete example descriptions and operational steps.

Notes and Common Issues

• Initialization Sequence: This module relies on the flight controller’s underlying hardware drivers for initialization. After simulation starts, RGB LED control commands must be sent only after the onboard peripherals of the flight controller board have completed initialization; otherwise, control commands sent before initialization completes will not take effect.
• Enum Value Input Specification: The mode and color input ports support only valid members of the corresponding enumeration types RGBLED_MODE_ENUM and RGBLED_COLOR_ENUM. Inputting custom numeric values or strings will cause control failure. You can query all valid enumeration values in the MATLAB command line by executing enumeration('RGBLED_MODE_ENUM') and enumeration('RGBLED_COLOR_ENUM').
• Mode Parameter Adaptation: When selecting MODE_PATTERN (custom pattern mode), additional custom blink pattern timing parameters must be provided via the input port; otherwise, the module will default to outputting the “off” mode.
• Simulation Environment Compatibility: This module is compatible only with the onboard RGB LED peripheral simulation for the PX4 flight controller firmware. For custom RTL flight controllers or other firmware, corresponding driver interfaces must be pre-adapted; otherwise, LED state control will not function properly.
• Sample Time Matching: The module defaults to matching the flight controller’s 100 Hz peripheral update frequency. If the custom simulation sampling rate exceeds 1000 Hz, excess control commands will not be processed by the underlying hardware. It is recommended to set the module’s input update frequency within the range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz.

Changelog

• v4.1.0 (2024-08-12): Initial release of the RGB_LED module, supporting multiple LED blinking modes and color control, with function invocation implemented via enumeration-type inputs.