GPS: `GPS_TYPE` missing values like `SBF-DualAntenna` in 4.5.0

[flyingthingsintothings]

Bug report

Issue details

When using Mission Planner 1.3.81 build 1.3.8741.25556 to connect to a device (Pixhawk 6X) running ArduPilot 4.5.0 (Copter-4.5.0), some values do not show up for the GPS_TYPE parameter. For example, the SBF-DualAntenna value is missing, and should normally appear at the end of the list with values.

Version

ArduPilot: Copter-4.5.0
Mission Planner: 1.3.81 build 1.3.8741.25556

Platform
[ ] All
[ ] AntennaTracker
[x] Copter
[ ] Plane
[ ] Rover
[ ] Submarine

Airframe type

Copter

Hardware type

Pixhawk 6X

Logs

/

Additional Information

This was reported to @rmackay9 on Discord. This issue is also mentioned in #26103

[IamPete1]

I think #26497 will have nuked all the meta data for the old param format. We really do need to get param meta data versioning for mission planner.

[flyingthingsintothings]

FYI @SeptentrioGNSS

[flyingthingsintothings]

We really do need to get param meta data versioning for mission planner.

Currently it's quite hard to know what version of the ArduPilot codebase is being used to get/generate the parameters, so that could be a helpful addition that makes the process used to get the parameters into Mission Planner a bit more understandable, especially for newer ArduPilot contributors like myself.

I know that I've seen the value SBF-DualAntenna displayed in Mission Planner at some point, so this issue got introduced close to the 4.5.0 release. I have seen the issue for a short while, but thought that it was my parameter files being broken as I had changed them manually for a PR. I recently removed all Mission Planner files (search all directories containing "mission planner" and remove them) and reinstalled Mission Planner to be sure, and the issue is still there. Others have also confirmed the issue.

[rmackay9]

As @IamPete1 says, I think this really is a Mission Planner shortcoming but in any case I think we will need to put the GPS_TYPE2, etc parameter descriptions back into master to resolve this.

FYI @meee1

[IamPete1]

As @IamPete1 says, I think this really is a Mission Planner shortcoming but in any case I think we will need to put the GPS_TYPE2, etc parameter descriptions back into master to resolve this.

As far as I know we don't host param docs on the server for anything other than master, so a GCS has only one option.

[amilcarlucas]

@rmackay9 I do not think so! A better solution is to create version specific apm.pdef.xml files and put them on firmware.ardupilot.org on the version specific folders. Generating these files should be an automated part of the release cycle on the build server.

That way every GCS would be able to get the correct version for the firmware they are seeing.

Long term to have outdated parameters in the apm.pdef.xml files will just confuse stuff!

[amilcarlucas]

@IamPete1 we should change that. Post multiple versions, in the place people expect them: on firmware.ardupilot.org together with the firmware they belong to.

[flyingthingsintothings]

Closing as this seems to be resolved in Copter-4.5.3.