Custom companion data Stinger → Ground Control Station

[Alex Z 1]

Hello Community,

We are building our first mission software. We have questions about potential data communication path from a stinger to a proposed ground station (windows laptop).

Questions:

WiFi - Can we TCP/IP link to the Stinger over a WiFi network while also enabling VTX video transmission to a fpv headset? We wish to leave SoftAP off and meet a static IP assignment request too as a client of a wifi network.

RF - What is the supported way to send companion-generated observation data over this MVX RF link: approximately 0.5–2 KB per observation at 1 Hz, as compact binary or small JSON? Video and normal flight telemetry must continue operating. The onboard service may eventually run in a container with a native host adapter if required.

Hardware:

• Aircraft: ModalAI Stinger Vision, VOXL 2 Mini; reported hardware platform M0104.
• Device-reported SKU: MRB-D0013-6-V1-C33-T8-M26-X0.
• VTX: M26 configuration, identified as MVX/M0185.
• RC receiver configuration: T8, M0184; RC=CRSF_RAW.
• Ground receiver: MVX VRX, currently used with an FPV headset; exact installed receiver SKU and firmware have not been collected.

Software version:

Saved output of voxl-version from the aircraft:

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
system-image: 1.8.06-M0104-14.1a-perf
kernel:       #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Oct 22 05:43:49 UTC 2025 4.19.125
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
hw platform:  M0104
mach.var:     2.0.2
SKU:          MRB-D0013-6-V1-C33-T8-M26-X0
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
voxl-suite:   1.6.0
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Packages:
Repo:  http://voxl-packages.modalai.com/ ./dists/qrb5165/sdk-1.6/binary-arm64/
Last Updated: 2023-03-02 13:09:22
List:
libfc-sensor                   1.0.8
libmodal-cv                    0.6.0
libmodal-exposure              0.1.4
libmodal-flow                  1.0.3
libmodal-journal               0.2.7
libmodal-json                  0.4.8
libmodal-pipe                  2.14.8
libqrb5165-io                  0.5.0
libvoxl-cci-direct             0.3.3
libvoxl-codec                  0.0.1
libvoxl-cutils                 0.1.6
modalai-slpi                   1.2.2
mv-voxl                        0.1-r0
qrb5165-bind                   0.1-r0
qrb5165-dfs-server             0.2.0
qrb5165-imu-server             1.2.3
qrb5165-mini-tof-server        0.2.2
qrb5165-rangefinder-server     0.1.6
qrb5165-slpi-test-sig          01-r0
qrb5165-system-tweaks          0.3.11
qrb5165-tflite                 2.17.2
voxl-bind-spektrum             0.1.1
voxl-camera-calibration        0.6.1
voxl-camera-server             2.2.16
voxl-ceres-solver              2:2.0.0-2
voxl-configurator              1.0.8
voxl-cpu-monitor               0.7.4
voxl-docker-support            1.3.1
voxl-elrs                      0.4.14
voxl-esc                       1.5.7
voxl-feature-tracker           0.5.2
voxl-flow-server               0.3.6
voxl-fpv-px4                   1.14.0-8.121.0
voxl-gphoto2-server            0.0.10
voxl-io-server                 0.0.6
voxl-jpeg-turbo                2.1.3-7
voxl-lepton-server             1.3.3
voxl-lepton-tracker            0.0.4
voxl-libgeographic             1.0.0
voxl-libgphoto2                0.0.4
voxl-libuvc                    1.0.7
voxl-logger                    0.6.0
voxl-mavcam-manager            0.6.0
voxl-mavlink                   0.1.6
voxl-mavlink-server            1.4.12
voxl-modem                     1.2.1
voxl-mongoose                  7.19.0
voxl-mpa-to-ros                0.3.9
voxl-mpa-tools                 1.5.3
voxl-open-vins-server          0.5.6
voxl-opencv                    4.5.5-3
voxl-osd                       0.2.0
voxl-portal                    0.8.4
voxl-px4                       1.14.0-2.0.121
voxl-px4-params                0.8.9
voxl-qvio-server               1.2.2
voxl-remote-id                 0.0.9
voxl-reset-slpi                0.0.1
voxl-state-estimator           0.0.5
voxl-streamer                  0.8.0
voxl-suite                     1.6.0
voxl-tag-detector              0.0.5
voxl-tflite-server             0.5.0
voxl-utils                     1.4.9
voxl-uvc-server                0.1.7
voxl-vision-hub                1.9.19
voxl-vtx                       1.7.1
voxl-wavemux                   0.0.3
voxl2-io                       0.0.3
voxl2-security-hardening-utls  1.0-r0
voxl2-system-image             1.8.06-r0
voxl2-wlan                     1.0-r0
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Relevant saved configuration values:

/etc/modalai/voxl-px4.conf:
  RC=CRSF_RAW

/etc/modalai/voxl-vtx.conf:
  udp=false
  frequency=5805
  bandwidth=20
  enable_fec=true
  enable_pit=true
  mavlink_telem_rate_hz=30
  active_profile_idx=0
  profiles[0].source=hires_default_misp_encoded

These are observed settings, not a claim that RF forwarding was running. The 30 Hz value is a configured telemetry cadence, not measured application throughput. No Docker executable was found during this inspection; container deployment is planned.

What I am trying to do:

Send timestamped, identified observations from an onboard companion application to ground control station (GCS) laptop over the existing MVX RF link while video and pilot RC remain active. Each observation is approximately 0.5–2 KB at approximately 1 Hz. The GCS will reassemble/validate observations and distribute them to local subscribers. We need the supported injection interface, payload envelope, forwarding behavior and matching firmware versions.

What actually happens:

We have not yet identified and exercised a supported companion-to-VTX injection API. Static inspection shows MAVLink handling through mavlink_onboard and suggests batching by message ID, but neither observation establishes end-to-end custom-payload delivery. The receiver has not been connected to our diagnostic computer for a packet capture. There is therefore no reproduced custom-message error or confirmed packet-loss measurement to report; this is an integration/support question before implementing the transmitter.