pymavlink
Python MAVLink code
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Pymavlink is the standard Python library for MAVLink protocol communication in the ArduPilot ecosystem. It is actively maintained, production-stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and is widely downloaded. The LGPLv3 copyleft license is standard for this domain. Medium install friction is manageable for most developers; lxml's system dependencies are well-documented and easily resolved on common platforms.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- On Linux, lxml requires libxml2-dev and libxslt-dev system libraries to be installed before pip install.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels and lxml dependency requiring system libraries (libxml2-dev, libxslt-dev on Linux).
- Actively maintained with recent commits and stable production status.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPLv3 (copyleft) — LGPLv3 copyleft license means derivative works must be released under the same license; however, code generated by the included mavgen.py tool is available under the permissive MIT License.
last release 2025-08-01 (378 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 720 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 768,236 downloads/mo, #5,115 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pymavlink
import pymavlink.mavutil
mav = pymavlink.mavutil.mavlink_connection('udpin:localhost')- Whether fastcrc is a runtime dependency or only used optionally for performance
- Specific Python version floor (classifiers list 3.6+ but requires_python is unspecified)
- Whether numpy is required or optional for core functionality
- Example connection parameters and typical usage patterns beyond basic import
What it is and what it does
Pymavlink is a Python library that implements the MAVLink protocol, a lightweight messaging protocol used to communicate with unmanned aerial vehicles, ground stations, and other robotic systems. It provides both a message parser and sender for MAVLink protocol packets, allowing developers to read telemetry, send commands, and interact with autopilot systems. The package includes a code generator (mavgen.py) that can produce MAVLink implementations for other programming languages, and command-line tools for analyzing flight logs recorded by UAVs.
The library depends on lxml for XML parsing (used to process MAVLink message definitions) and fastcrc for checksum computation. It is actively maintained, production-stable, and widely used in the ArduPilot ecosystem. Installation via pip handles dependency resolution, though on Linux systems you may need to install lxml's system-level build dependencies first.
Use it for
- Build a ground control station that receives telemetry and sends commands to a drone or rover.
- Parse and analyze flight logs from ArduPilot-based vehicles to debug flight behavior.
- Integrate UAV communication into a Python application for autonomous mission planning.
- Generate MAVLink protocol implementations for embedded systems or other programming languages.
- Monitor real-time vehicle state over a network connection.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Pymavlink is the standard Python library for MAVLink protocol communication in the ArduPilot ecosystem. It is actively maintained, production-stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and is widely downloaded. The LGPLv3 copyleft license is standard for this domain. Medium install friction is manageable for most developers; lxml's system dependencies are well-documented and easily resolved on common platforms.
Install
pymavlink on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels and lxml dependency requiring system libraries (libxml2-dev, libxslt-dev on Linux). Actively maintained with recent commits and stable production status.
On Linux, lxml requires libxml2-dev and libxslt-dev system libraries to be installed before pip install.
License in practice
LGPLv3 copyleft license means derivative works must be released under the same license; however, code generated by the included mavgen.py tool is available under the permissive MIT License.
Quickstart
pip install pymavlink
import pymavlink.mavutil
mav = pymavlink.mavutil.mavlink_connection('udpin:localhost')Verify before relying
- Whether fastcrc is a runtime dependency or only used optionally for performance
- Specific Python version floor (classifiers list 3.6+ but requires_python is unspecified)
- Whether numpy is required or optional for core functionality
- Example connection parameters and typical usage patterns beyond basic import
Package facts
| License | LGPLv3 copyleft |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packageslxmlfastcrc |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 378 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 768,236 / month, #5,115 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPLv3)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Scientific/Engineering |
Evidence: pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.manylinux_2_5_i686.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp310-cp310-win_arm64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.manylinux_2_5_i686.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pymavlink-2.4.49-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl
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