Compatibility matrix¶

What the Nectar SDK supports, and how far each part has been verified, across ROS 2 distributions and platforms. The SDK is modular: a core install pulls ROS base, the SDK packages, and core Python deps; everything else (control backends, AI, RealSense, OAK-D, simulation) is an opt-in group. Each module table states how to install it.

This is a living document. Status reflects the most thorough check performed so far; cells advance as more setups are exercised

Legend¶

Each cell's symbol reflects the deepest verification tier reached (see How it's verified).

Symbol	Meaning
`●`	Functional — a `verify-functional` check, a SITL run, or a hardware run exercised it (a real operation, not just an import).
`◐`	Build — the image builds and `make verify` passes (package present, imports, nodes); the functional check has not been recorded on that distribution yet.
`○`	Not yet tested.
`—`	Not applicable (the feature or its dependency is not available there).

ROS 2 distribution implies its Ubuntu base: Humble = 22.04, Jazzy / Kilted = 24.04. The Jetson column is JetPack 6.x (L4T, arm64, CUDA), built from docker/Dockerfile.jetson on a Humble base.

Platforms¶

Base SDK (nectar, nectar_interfaces, core Python) — builds and make verify:

Platform	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted
Ubuntu amd64 (CI)	●	●	●
Ubuntu arm64 (CI)	◐	◐	◐
Jetson JetPack 6.x (arm64)	●	—	—
Windows (WSL2 / Docker Desktop)	●	●	●

Core runtime¶

Always installed. ROS 2 executor, custom messages, cv_bridge interop.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
rclpy executor + `nectar_interfaces` round-trip	●	●	●	●
cv_bridge ↔ numpy (`<2.0` ABI)	●	●	●	●

Vision¶

Install: make python-vision (algorithms) / camera extras as needed.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
ArUco / color / line / distance (algorithms)	●	●	●	●
ROS-topic camera (`CameraFactory`)	●	●	●	●
USB / OpenCV camera	●	●	●	●
RealSense D4xx (librealsense from source)[^realsense]	●	●	◐	●
OAK-D (`depthai`)[^oakd]	●	●	◐	●
MediaPipe hand / face[^mediapipe]	●	●	●	◐

Control¶

Install: make python-control; backends are opt-in (make drone-<x>).

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
Vehicle core (PID, navigator, frame transforms)	●	●	●	●
Direct MAVLink (`pymavlink`) transport[^mavlink]	●	●	●	●
MAVROS backend (ArduPilot / PX4)	◐	●	●	◐
PX4 native uXRCE-DDS[^px4dds]	●	●	●	◐
Crazyflie / Crazyswarm2[^crazyflie]	●	●	●	○
Bebop driver[^bebop]	●	◐	◐	—

Localization (indoor / GPS-denied)¶

Install: make python-control; Isaac container is Jetson-only.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
Vision-pose bridge — MAVROS backend	●	●	●	●
Vision-pose bridge — MAVLink backend	●	●	●	●
Isaac ROS Visual SLAM (producer)[^isaac]	—	—	—	●

Sensors¶

Install: make python-sensors.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
Obstacle-mask filter	●	●	●	●
Rangefinder → MAVLink `DISTANCE_SENSOR`	●	●	●	●
TF-Luna UART driver[^tfluna]	●	●	●	●

AI / detection¶

Install: make python-ai && make pytorch.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
`nectar-ai` CLI	●	●	●	●
Detection inference (YOLO / DETR / RF-DETR)[^detect]	●	●	◐	●
Classification inference (YOLO-cls / ViT)	●	●	◐	●
PyTorch CUDA (GPU tensor)[^torchcuda]	●	●	●	●
Training / segmentation / classification	●	●	◐	◐

Interface¶

Install: make python-interface.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
Qt6 / PySide6 GUI (offscreen construct)	●	●	●	●
Full GUI on a display[^gui]	●	●	●	●

Simulation¶

Install: make sim-install. Not part of any published image.

Feature	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
Gazebo + `ros_gz` bridge[^gazebo]	●	●	●	○
ArduPilot SITL — MAVROS[^sitl]	●	●	●	—
ArduPilot SITL — MAVLink[^sitl]	●	●	●	—
PX4 SITL — MAVROS[^sitl]	◐	●	●	—
PX4 SITL — MAVLink[^sitl]	◐	●	●	—
PX4 SITL — uXRCE-DDS[^sitl]	●	●	●	—

Pinned versions¶

Per-distro versions live in scripts/lib/config.sh.

	Humble	Jazzy	Kilted	Jetson
librealsense / realsense-ros	v2.55.1 / 4.55.1	v2.56.5 / 4.56.4	v2.57.6 / 4.57.2	v2.55.1 / 4.55.1 (CUDA, RSUSB)
Micro-XRCE-DDS-Agent	v2.4.2	v2.4.3	v3.0.1	(same as Humble)
Gazebo (`ros_gz`)	Harmonic (source)	Harmonic (binary)	Ionic (binary)	—
PyTorch	uv `--torch-backend` (CPU/CUDA)	same	same	JetPack wheels (CUDA)

How it's verified¶

Three commands back this matrix; a cell's symbol reflects the deepest tier reached. CI runs tiers 1-2 across distros/arches and the cells above are updated by hand from those results.

Tier	Command	What it proves
1 — Build	`make verify`	The image builds, packages are present, modules import, and node executables are installed. (`make doctor` gives a read-only environment/device/CUDA report.)
2 — Functional	`make verify-functional`	The pytest suite under `nectar/test/` (also run by `colcon test`). Each test performs a real operation — detect a synthetic ArUco marker, run a PID step response, complete a MAVLink handshake over loopback, relay a VSLAM pose, open the Qt window offscreen, run a nano-model inference. Tests self-skip when a device/GPU/sim/dependency is absent. Subset with `MODULE="vision control"`; hardware/GPU tests opt in via `make verify-hardware`; reproduce per-distro with `make ci-local`.
3 — SITL / integration	`make verify-sitl`	The suite under `nectar/test/sitl/`: a real headless flight (connect, takeoff, move, land) per firmware/protocol.

Not covered yet¶

ROS 2 Lyrical (Ubuntu 26.04): not supported yet. At time of writing the mavros deb is not published for Lyrical and the scientific-Python stack lacks Python 3.14 wheels; the ROS/C++ layer and Gazebo build. Revisit when both land.