MicoAir WiFi Link — Multi-Drone Networking Tutorial

This tutorial takes the MicoAir WiFi Link from its out-of-the-box AP mode to a router-based STA-mode network where one ground station controls multiple aircraft at once — the standard architecture for drone-swarm work and light shows (including Skybrush-based workflows). The same steps, minus the extra aircraft, also apply if you just want STA mode for longer range.

1. STA mode and what to plan first

1.1 How STA mode works

In STA mode, each WiFi Link joins your router as a wireless client. The flight controller talks to its WiFi Link over serial; the ground-station PC joins the same router over WiFi or Ethernet. Once configured, the ground-station software connects to every flight controller on the LAN at the same time — one network, one GCS, many aircraft.

1.2 Parameters to decide before configuring

Parameter	AT command	Meaning
Router WiFi name	AT+SSID	The wireless network the WiFi Link should join
Router WiFi password	AT+PWD	Password of that network
Module local IP	AT+MIP	The WiFi Link's static IP on the LAN
Target IP	AT+TIP	The ground-station PC's IPv4 address on the LAN
Gateway	AT+GW	The router's gateway IP
UDP port	AT+PORT	The port the ground station listens on, usually 14550

AT+TIP is the one people get wrong

AT+TIP must be the IPv4 address your ground-station PC actually has on this router — not a made-up address, and not yesterday's address if the router re-assigned it. When telemetry "mysteriously" stops arriving, check this first.

1.3 Find your PC's IPv4 address

1. Connect the PC to the router.
2. Open the Windows Command Prompt.
3. Run:

ipconfig

4. Find the IPv4 Address of the active adapter.

Example output:

IPv4 Address . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.8.211
Default Gateway  . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.8.1

From that output you can plan the addresses:

Parameter	Example value
Ground-station PC IP	192.168.8.211
WiFi Link module IP	192.168.8.213
Gateway IP	192.168.8.1
UDP port	14550

AT+MIP must be in the same subnet as the PC and gateway, and must not collide with any other device on the LAN.

Keep the PC connected to this router from here on. If the PC switches networks or the router hands it a new IP, re-check ipconfig and update AT+TIP on every module.

2. Hardware connections

2.1 While configuring

Configuration only needs the module and a computer:

1. Connect the WiFi Link to the PC with a data-capable USB Type-C cable.
2. Confirm a new COM port appears in Windows Device Manager.
3. No COM port? Install the CH340 driver or swap in a Type-C cable that supports data.

2.2 In use, on the aircraft

Wire the flight controller to the WiFi Link with the supplied cable. This tutorial assumes serial 1, i.e. Telem1:

• GH1.25 4-pin end → WiFi Link
• SH1.0 4-pin end → flight controller Telem1

note

Always configure against the serial port you actually wired — check your flight controller's port mapping.

3. Configure the WiFi Link

3.1 Test AT communication

1. Open a serial terminal (e.g. SSCOM).
2. Select the WiFi Link's COM port, baud rate 115200.
3. Enable "append CR-LF" — every AT command must end with \r\n.
4. Send:

AT

Expected response:

OK

No response? Check, in order: correct COM port, baud 115200, CR-LF enabled, data-capable Type-C cable.

3.2 Query the current configuration

AT+ALL?

This shows the module's current mode, WiFi name, baud rate, UDP port, local IP and target IP.

3.3 Set the STA network parameters

Switching to STA mode is done over AT commands. (The web page can change some WiFi settings, but this tutorial configures everything through the serial terminal so first-time setups don't mix entry points.)

Example network used below — substitute your real values:

Parameter	Example value
Router WiFi name	MicoAir_5G
Router WiFi password	12345678
Ground-station PC IP	192.168.8.211
WiFi Link module IP	192.168.8.213
Gateway IP	192.168.8.1
UDP port	14550

AT+SSID=MicoAir_5G
AT+PWD=12345678
AT+MIP=192.168.8.213
AT+TIP=192.168.8.211
AT+GW=192.168.8.1
AT+PORT=14550
AT+BAUD=115200
AT+MODE=1

Setting the mode reboots the module automatically. After changing other parameters on their own, reboot manually:

AT+RST

3.4 Verify the configuration took effect

After the reboot, reopen the serial port and send:

AT+ALL?

Check each line:

• MODE is STA
• SSID is your router's WiFi name
• BAUD matches the flight-controller serial baud
• PORT is the ground-station listening port
• MIP is this module's own IP
• TIP is the ground-station PC's IP
• GW is the router gateway

If the PC later joins another network or gets re-assigned an IP, re-run ipconfig and update AT+TIP.

4. Configure the flight controller

The serial port wired to the WiFi Link must run MAVLink at the same baud rate as AT+BAUD.

4.1 ArduPilot

MicoConfigurator is the recommended tool (download); Mission Planner's full-parameter list works the same way.

1. Connect the flight controller to the PC (USB or otherwise).
2. Open MicoConfigurator and connect.
3. Go to Settings → Serial Ports.
4. Find the port the WiFi Link is wired to and set:

SERIAL1_PROTOCOL = MAVLink2
SERIAL1_BAUD = 115200

For multiple aircraft, each also needs a unique vehicle number:

1. Open Parameters and find SYSID, or search SYSID_THISMAV.
2. Set it to this aircraft's number.

SYSID_THISMAV must be unique per aircraft. For a single aircraft the default 1 is fine. Parameters save automatically; reboot the flight controller to apply.

4.2 PX4

MicoConfigurator is again the recommended tool.

1. Connect the flight controller and open MicoConfigurator.
2. Go to Settings → Serial Ports.
3. With the WiFi Link on TELEM1, set:

MAV_0_CONFIG = TELEM1
MAV_0_MODE = Normal
SER_TEL1_BAUD = 115200 8N1

For multiple aircraft, also set a unique:

MAV_SYS_ID

MAV_SYS_ID must be unique per aircraft; default 1 is fine for a single vehicle. Save, then reboot the flight controller.

5. Connect the ground station

With the modules and flight controllers configured, the ground station connects over UDP — and the procedure is identical for one aircraft or many. The GCS listens on one UDP port; every aircraft's data arrives through that single entry point, and the GCS tells them apart by system ID. You connect once, not once per drone.

5.1 Mission Planner

1. Open Mission Planner.
2. Select UDP as the connection type.
3. Set the port to 14550.
4. Click Connect and wait for the vehicles to appear.

5.2 QGroundControl

1. Open QGroundControl.
2. Go to Application Settings → Comm Links.
3. Enable UDP auto-connect, or add a manual UDP link.
4. Set the listening port to 14550.
5. Connect and wait for the vehicles to appear.

If no data arrives, the first suspect is the Windows Firewall blocking Mission Planner or QGC from receiving UDP.

6. Worked example — three drones, one ground station

Each WiFi Link needs its own local IP, and each flight controller its own system ID. Everything else is shared.

6.1 Network plan

Device	IP / ID
Router gateway	192.168.8.1
Ground-station PC	192.168.8.211
Drone 1 WiFi Link	192.168.8.212
Drone 2 WiFi Link	192.168.8.213
Drone 3 WiFi Link	192.168.8.214
UDP port	14550

All three modules point AT+TIP at the same ground-station PC:

AT+TIP=192.168.8.211

…while each module's AT+MIP must be different.

6.2 Per-drone configuration

Drone 1

AT+SSID=MicoAir_5G
AT+PWD=12345678
AT+MIP=192.168.8.212
AT+TIP=192.168.8.211
AT+GW=192.168.8.1
AT+PORT=14550
AT+BAUD=115200
AT+MODE=1

ArduPilot: SYSID_THISMAV = 1 · PX4: MAV_SYS_ID = 1

Drone 2

AT+SSID=MicoAir_5G
AT+PWD=12345678
AT+MIP=192.168.8.213
AT+TIP=192.168.8.211
AT+GW=192.168.8.1
AT+PORT=14550
AT+BAUD=115200
AT+MODE=1

ArduPilot: SYSID_THISMAV = 2 · PX4: MAV_SYS_ID = 2

Drone 3

AT+SSID=MicoAir_5G
AT+PWD=12345678
AT+MIP=192.168.8.214
AT+TIP=192.168.8.211
AT+GW=192.168.8.1
AT+PORT=14550
AT+BAUD=115200
AT+MODE=1

ArduPilot: SYSID_THISMAV = 3 · PX4: MAV_SYS_ID = 3

Then connect the ground station exactly as in section 5 — one UDP connection. With unique system IDs, the GCS recognises and lists every aircraft automatically.

Four-vehicle example under PX4:

Four-vehicle example under ArduPilot:

6.3 Multi-drone checklist

• Every module's AT+MIP is unique.
• Every module's AT+TIP points to the ground-station PC.
• Every flight controller's system ID is unique.
• If the ground-station PC's IP changes, update AT+TIP on all modules.
• Give the ground-station PC a fixed IP in the router settings — it removes the single most common maintenance chore.
• If some aircraft don't appear after connecting, check for duplicate system IDs first.

7. Troubleshooting

AT commands get no response

• Type-C cable must support data transfer.
• Correct COM port selected.
• Baud rate is 115200.
• CR-LF append is enabled.

Module won't join the router

• AT+SSID is correct.
• AT+PWD is correct.
• The router allows new devices to join.
• The module has actually been switched to STA mode.

Ground station receives no data

• The PC's current IP matches AT+TIP.
• AT+MIP, AT+TIP and AT+GW are in the same subnet.
• The GCS is listening on UDP 14550.
• Windows Firewall isn't blocking the GCS.
• The flight-controller serial protocol is set to MAVLink.
• The flight-controller serial baud matches AT+BAUD.
• TX/RX between FC and module are cross-connected.

Parameter changes don't take effect

Reboot the module:

AT+RST

Then confirm with:

AT+ALL?

Start over from a clean state

AT+RESET

restores factory defaults; then reconfigure STA mode from section 3.

Get the hardware

The MicoAir WiFi Link is available from Robofusion: robofusion.net

3D-printable case — designed by Robofusion

Robofusion has designed a free 3D-printable case and antenna cover for the WiFi Link (the module ships as a bare board). Download links (Robofusion store and MakerWorld) will be posted here.

Related guides

• MicoAir WiFi Link — User Manual
• ArduPilot — Telemetry Setup Guide
• PX4 — Telemetry Setup Guide

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Written and maintained by the Robofusion engineering team.