feat(actuators): Control Flaps from AUX channel

docs/en/config/actuators.md

@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ The fields are:
 
 #### Flap Scale and Spoiler Scale Configuration
 
+The channel setup of flaps and spoilers is described in [Flaps and Spoiler Control with Manual Control](../payloads/generic_actuator_control.md#flaps-and-spoiler-control-with-manual-control).
+
 "Flap-control" and "Spoiler-control" are aerodynamic configurations that can either be commanded manually by the pilot (using RC, say), or are set automatically by the controller.
 For example, a pilot or the landing system might engage "Spoiler-control" in order to reduce the airspeed before landing.
 

docs/en/payloads/generic_actuator_control.md

@@ -35,6 +35,20 @@ To map a particular RC channel to an output function `RC AUX n` (and hence it's
 For example, to control an actuator attached to AUX pin 3 (say) you would assign the output function `RC AUX 5` to the output `AUX3`.
 You could then use set the RC channel to control the `AUX3` output using `RC_MAP_AUX5`.
 
+
+### Flaps and Spoiler Control with Manual Control
+
+The preferred method to manually actuate spoilers and flaps is to map a manual control switch to an `AUX` output (see [Generic Actuator Control with RC](#generic-actuator-control-with-rc)), and then map that AUX output to the flap or spoiler function using [FW_FLAPS_MAN](../advanced_config/parameter_reference.md#FW_FLAPS_MAN) or [FW_SPOILERS_MAN](../advanced_config/parameter_reference.md#FW_SPOILERS_MAN).
+The source for the manual control can be RC or MAVLink.
+
+::: warning
+Alternatively, you can define a flaps channel directly on the RC using [RC_MAP_FLAPS](../advanced_config/parameter_reference.md#RC_MAP_FLAPS).
+This channel can also be used to control the spoilers by setting [FW_SPOILERS_MAN](../advanced_config/parameter_reference.md#FW_SPOILERS_MAN) to `Flaps channel`.
+This method is not possible when the source for the manual control is MAVLink.
+This method is not recommended for new setups, and will be removed in a future release.
+Use the AUX-based method instead.
+:::
+
 ## Generic Actuator Control in Missions
 
 To use generic actuator control in a mission you must first [configure the outputs that you want to control using MAVLink](#generic-actuator-control-with-mavlink).

src/modules/fw_rate_control/FixedwingRateControl.cpp

@@ -469,9 +469,35 @@ void FixedwingRateControl::Run()
 			// Flaps control
 			float flaps_control = 0.f; // default to no flaps
 
-			/* map flaps by default to manual if valid */
-			if (PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps)) {
-				flaps_control = math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps, 0.f); // do not consider negative switch settings
+			switch (_param_fw_flaps_man.get()) { 		// do not consider negative switch settings
+			case 0:
+				break;
+
+			case 1:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux1) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux1, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 2:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux2) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux2, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 3:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux3) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux3, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 4:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux4) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux4, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 5:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux5) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux5, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 6:
+				flaps_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+
 			}
 
 			normalized_unsigned_setpoint_s flaps_setpoint;
@@ -482,19 +508,29 @@ void FixedwingRateControl::Run()
 			// Spoilers control
 			float spoilers_control = 0.f; // default to no spoilers
 
-			switch (_param_fw_spoilers_man.get()) {
+			switch (_param_fw_spoilers_man.get()) {		// do not consider negative switch settings
 			case 0:
 				break;
 
 			case 1:
-				// do not consider negative switch settings
 				spoilers_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.flaps, 0.f) : 0.f;
 				break;
 
 			case 2:
-				// do not consider negative switch settings
 				spoilers_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux1) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux1, 0.f) : 0.f;
 				break;
+
+			case 3:
+				spoilers_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux2) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux2, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 4:
+				spoilers_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux3) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux3, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
+
+			case 5:
+				spoilers_control = PX4_ISFINITE(_manual_control_setpoint.aux4) ? math::max(_manual_control_setpoint.aux4, 0.f) : 0.f;
+				break;
 			}
 
 			normalized_unsigned_setpoint_s spoilers_setpoint;

src/modules/fw_rate_control/FixedwingRateControl.hpp

@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ class FixedwingRateControl final : public ModuleBase, public ModuleParams,
 		(ParamFloat<px4::params::TRIM_ROLL>) _param_trim_roll,
 		(ParamFloat<px4::params::TRIM_YAW>) _param_trim_yaw,
 
-		(ParamInt<px4::params::FW_SPOILERS_MAN>) _param_fw_spoilers_man
+		(ParamInt<px4::params::FW_SPOILERS_MAN>) _param_fw_spoilers_man,
+		(ParamInt<px4::params::FW_FLAPS_MAN>) _param_fw_flaps_man
 	)
 
 	RateControl _rate_control; ///< class for rate control calculations

src/modules/fw_rate_control/fw_rate_control_params.yaml

@@ -326,6 +326,24 @@ parameters:
         0: Disabled
         1: Flaps channel
         2: Aux1
+        3: Aux2
+        4: Aux3
+        5: Aux4
+        6: Aux5
+      default: 0
+    FW_FLAPS_MAN:
+      description:
+        short: Flap input in manual flight
+        long: Chose source for manual setting of flaps in manual flight modes.
+      type: enum
+      values:
+        0: Disabled
+        1: Aux1
+        2: Aux2
+        3: Aux3
+        4: Aux4
+        5: Aux5
+        6: Flaps channel
       default: 0
     FW_ACRO_YAW_EN:
       description: