Minimal heartbeat for a Ground control station in ROS for PX4

minimal_gcs.py

#!/usr/bin/env python2
"""
Minimal heartbeat for a Ground control station in ROS for PX4.

It enables STATUS_TEXT streams.

Author: AlexisTM
"""
from threading import Thread
import rospy
from mavros import mavlink
from mavros_msgs.msg import Mavlink
from pymavlink import mavutil

def send_heartbeat():
    mavlink_pub = rospy.Publisher('/mavlink/to', Mavlink, queue_size=1)
    rate = rospy.Rate(2)
    heartbeat_msg = mavutil.mavlink.MAVLink_heartbeat_message(
        mavutil.mavlink.MAV_TYPE_GCS, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
    heartbeat_msg.pack(mavutil.mavlink.MAVLink('', 2, 1))
    heartbeat_ros = mavlink.convert_to_rosmsg(heartbeat_msg)
    while not rospy.is_shutdown():
        try:
            mavlink_pub.publish(heartbeat_ros)
            rate.sleep()
        except rospy.ROSInterruptException as ex:
            rospy.logfatal(ex)

heartbeat_thread = Thread(target=send_heartbeat, args=())
heartbeat_thread.daemon = True
heartbeat_thread.start()