<p>You haven't provided much context, so I will try to answer this as broadly as possible.</p>
<p>The communication protocol between the RC Transmitter and the drone can be one of many, however (usually) not MAVLink. The following is said on the <a href="https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-rc-systems.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ardupilot Copter documentation page</a> for example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>ArduPilot autopilots are compatible with the following receiver output
protocols:</p>
<ol>
<li>PPM-Sum receivers</li>
<li>SBus receivers</li>
<li>IBUS receivers</li>
<li>FPort Receivers</li>
<li>Spektrum SRXL2,DSM, DSM2, and DSM-X Satellite receivers</li>
<li>Multiplex SRXL version 1 and version 2 receivers</li>
<li>CRSF receivers (including ExpressLRS systems)</li>
<li>Graupner SUM-D</li>
<li>Parallel PWM outputs encoded to PPM-Sum using an external encoder</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>The MAVLink protocol has a message, <a href="https://mavlink.io/en/messages/common.html#RC_CHANNELS_OVERRIDE" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>RC_CHANNELS_OVERRIDE</code></a>, to <strong>override</strong> info recieved from the RC transmitter, so You <em>can</em> control the drone using MAVLink, but as far as I am aware that is not something that is commonly used to directly control like you would with any of the protocols listed above.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-18T16:54:42.740Z
2022-09-18T16:54:42.740Z
Hannes Hultergård
<p>I got a quick question. When we control a drone using an RC transmitter, in this case, are we communicating with the drone via MAVLink? Or there is another protocol?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>

<transmitter>
Are radio transmitter commands to copter considered MAVLink messages?
Nabil Haidar
# Are radio transmitter commands to copter considered MAVLink messages?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-13)

I got a quick question. When we control a drone using an RC transmitter, in this case, are we communicating with the drone via MAVLink? Or there is another protocol?

Thanks.

**Tags:** transmitter


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-09-18. Score: 1

You haven't provided much context, so I will try to answer this as broadly as possible.

The communication protocol between the RC Transmitter and the drone can be one of many, however (usually) not MAVLink. The following is said on the [Ardupilot Copter documentation page](https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-rc-systems.html) for example:

> ArduPilot autopilots are compatible with the following receiver output
> protocols:
>
> 1. PPM-Sum receivers
> 2. SBus receivers
> 3. IBUS receivers
> 4. FPort Receivers
> 5. Spektrum SRXL2,DSM, DSM2, and DSM-X Satellite receivers
> 6. Multiplex SRXL version 1 and version 2 receivers
> 7. CRSF receivers (including ExpressLRS systems)
> 8. Graupner SUM-D
> 9. Parallel PWM outputs encoded to PPM-Sum using an external encoder

The MAVLink protocol has a message, [`RC_CHANNELS_OVERRIDE`](https://mavlink.io/en/messages/common.html#RC_CHANNELS_OVERRIDE), to **override** info recieved from the RC transmitter, so You *can* control the drone using MAVLink, but as far as I am aware that is not something that is commonly used to directly control like you would with any of the protocols listed above.


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