# Terminology

The following terms, symbols, and decorators are used in text and diagrams throughout this guide.

## Notation

- Bold face variables indicate vectors or matrices and non-bold face variables represent scalars.
- The default frame for each variable is the local frame: $\ell{}$.
  Right [superscripts](#superscripts) represent the coordinate frame.
  If no right superscript is present, then the default frame $\ell{}$ is assumed.
  An exception is given by Rotation Matrices, where the lower right subscripts indicates the current frame and the right superscripts the target frame.
- Variables and subscripts can share the same letter, but they always have different meaning.

## Acronyms

| Acronym     | Expansion                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| AOA         | Angle Of Attack. Also named _alpha_.                                                                                                                                           |
| AOS         | Angle Of Sideslip. Also named _beta_.                                                                                                                                          |
| FRD         | Coordinate system where the X-axis is pointing towards the Front of the vehicle, the Y-axis is pointing Right and the Z-axis is pointing Down, completing the right-hand rule. |
| FW          | Fixed-wing (planes).                                                                                                                                                           |
| MC          | MultiCopter.                                                                                                                                                                   |
| MPC or MCPC | MultiCopter Position Controller. MPC is also used for Model Predictive Control.                                                                                                |
| NED         | Coordinate system where the X-axis is pointing towards the true North, the Y-axis is pointing East and the Z-axis is pointing Down, completing the right-hand rule.            |
| PID         | Controller with Proportional, Integral and Derivative actions.                                                                                                                 |

## Symbols

| Variable                          | Description                                                                                                                                                     |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| $x,y,z$                           | Translation along coordinate axis x,y and z respectively.                                                                                                       |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{r}}$         | Position vector: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{r}} = [x \quad y \quad z]^{T}$                                                                                            |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{v}}$         | Velocity vector: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{v}} = \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\dot{r}}}$                                                                                      |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{a}}$         | Acceleration vector: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{a}} = \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\dot{v}}} = \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\ddot{r}}}$                                                 |
| $\alpha$                          | Angle of attack (AOA).                                                                                                                                          |
| $b$                               | Wing span (from tip to tip).                                                                                                                                    |
| $S$                               | Wing area.                                                                                                                                                      |
| $AR$                              | Aspect ratio: $AR = b^2/S$                                                                                                                                      |
| $\beta$                           | Angle of sideslip (AOS).                                                                                                                                        |
| $c$                               | Wing chord length.                                                                                                                                              |
| $\delta$                          | Aerodynamic control surface angular deflection. A positive deflection generates a negative moment.                                                              |
| $\phi,\theta,\psi$                | Euler angles roll (=Bank), pitch and yaw (=Heading).                                                                                                            |
| $\Psi$                            | Attitude vector: $\Psi = [\phi \quad \theta \quad \psi]^T$                                                                                                      |
| $X,Y,Z$                           | Forces along coordinate axis x,y and z.                                                                                                                         |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{F}}$         | Force vector: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{F}}= [X \quad Y \quad Z]^T$                                                                                                  |
| $D$                               | Drag force.                                                                                                                                                     |
| $C$                               | Cross-wind force.                                                                                                                                               |
| $L$                               | Lift force.                                                                                                                                                     |
| $g$                               | Gravity.                                                                                                                                                        |
| $l,m,n$                           | Moments around coordinate axis x,y and z.                                                                                                                       |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{M}}$         | Moment vector $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{M}} = [l \quad m \quad n]^T$                                                                                                 |
| $M$                               | Mach number. Can be neglected for scale aircraft.                                                                                                               |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{q}}$         | Vector part of Quaternion.                                                                                                                                      |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}$ | Hamiltonian attitude quaternion (see `1` below)                                                                                                                 |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{R}}_\ell^b$  | Rotation matrix. Rotates a vector from frame $\ell{}$ to frame $b{}$. $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{v}}^b = \boldsymbol{\mathrm{R}}_\ell^b \boldsymbol{\mathrm{v}}^\ell$ |
| $\Lambda$                         | Leading-edge sweep angle.                                                                                                                                       |
| $\lambda$                         | Taper ratio: $\lambda = c_{tip}/c_{root}$                                                                                                                       |
| $w$                               | Wind velocity.                                                                                                                                                  |
| $p,q,r$                           | Angular rates around body axis x,y and z.                                                                                                                       |
| $\boldsymbol{\omega}^b$           | Angular rate vector in body frame: $\boldsymbol{\omega}^b = [p \quad q \quad r]^T$                                                                              |
| $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{x}}$         | General state vector.                                                                                                                                           |

- `1` Hamiltonian attitude quaternion. $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}} = (q_0, q_1, q_2, q_3) = (q_0, \boldsymbol{\mathrm{q}})$.<br> $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}{}$ describes the attitude relative to the local frame $\ell{}$. To represent a vector in local frame given a vector in body frame, the following operation can be used: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{v}}}^\ell = \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}} \, \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{v}}}^b \, \boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}^*{}$ (or $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}^{-1}{}$ instead of $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}^*{}$ if $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{q}}}{}$ is not unitary). $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{v}}}{}$ represents a _quaternionized_ vector: $\boldsymbol{\mathrm{\tilde{v}}} = (0,\boldsymbol{\mathrm{v}})$

### Subscripts / Indices

| Subscripts / Indices | Description                                                      |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| $a$                  | Aileron.                                                         |
| $e$                  | Elevator.                                                        |
| $r$                  | Rudder.                                                          |
| $Aero$               | Aerodynamic.                                                     |
| $T$                  | Thrust force.                                                    |
| $w$                  | Relative airspeed.                                               |
| $x,y,z$              | Component of vector along coordinate axis x, y and z.            |
| $N,E,D$              | Component of vector along global north, east and down direction. |

<a id="superscripts"></a>

### Superscripts / Indices

| Superscripts / Indices | Description                                     |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| $\ell$                 | Local-frame. Default for PX4 related variables. |
| $b$                    | Body-frame.                                     |
| $w$                    | Wind-frame.                                     |

## Decorators

| Decorator    | Description        |
| ------------ | ------------------ |
| $()^*$       | Complex conjugate. |
| $\dot{()}$   | Time derivative.   |
| $\hat{()}$   | Estimate.          |
| $\bar{()}$   | Mean.              |
| $()^{-1}$    | Matrix inverse.    |
| $()^T$       | Matrix transpose.  |
| $\tilde{()}$ | Quaternion.        |