Drone ADB Debugging Guide

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is an essential tool for debugging Android-based drone applications, smart remote controllers, and onboard Android computing platforms (such as Qualcomm RB5/RB6, Snapdragon Flight, or Android-based Ground Control Stations). It enables developers to install applications, capture logs, inspect processes, debug crashes, and communicate directly with the Android operating system.

1. Prerequisites

• Android SDK Platform Tools (ADB/Fastboot)
• Windows, Linux, or macOS development PC
• USB-C cable or Wi-Fi connection
• Android-based drone controller or onboard computer
• USB Debugging enabled

Verify the installation:

adb version

List connected devices:

adb devices

Expected output:

List of devices attached
1234567890ABCDEF    device

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2. Enable USB Debugging

On the Android device:

Settings
    → About Phone
        → Tap Build Number 7 times
            → Developer Options
                → Enable USB Debugging

For Android 11+, wireless debugging is also supported.

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3. Useful ADB Commands

Device Information

adb devices
adb shell getprop
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release
adb shell getprop ro.product.model

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Install Drone App

adb install DroneApp.apk

Replace existing:

adb install -r DroneApp.apk

Grant permissions automatically:

adb install -r -g DroneApp.apk

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Uninstall

adb uninstall com.xdynamics.drone

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Start Application

adb shell monkey -p com.xdynamics.drone 1

or

adb shell am start -n \
com.xdynamics.drone/.MainActivity

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4. View Logs

Real-time logs:

adb logcat

Filter your application:

adb logcat | grep XDynamics

or

adb logcat | grep Drone

Clear log:

adb logcat -c

Save log:

adb logcat > drone.log

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5. Crash Debugging

Only fatal crashes:

adb logcat *:E

Java exceptions:

adb logcat AndroidRuntime:E *:S

Native crashes:

adb logcat | grep libc

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6. Monitor Application

List running packages:

adb shell pm list packages

Running process:

adb shell ps | grep drone

Memory:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo com.xdynamics.drone

CPU:

adb shell top

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7. Capture Screenshots

adb shell screencap /sdcard/screen.png

Copy to PC:

adb pull /sdcard/screen.png

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8. Screen Recording

adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/demo.mp4

Pull:

adb pull /sdcard/demo.mp4

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9. File Transfer

Push:

adb push mission.json /sdcard/

Pull:

adb pull /sdcard/logs/

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10. Shell Access

adb shell

Common commands:

ls
pwd
cd
cat
cp
mv
rm
ps
top

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11. Network Debugging

Find IP:

adb shell ip addr show wlan0

Enable TCP debugging:

adb tcpip 5555

Connect:

adb connect 192.168.1.20:5555

Verify:

adb devices

Wireless ADB is supported on Android 11+ and can simplify debugging when the USB port is occupied by a drone remote controller.

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12. Performance Analysis

GPU rendering:

adb shell dumpsys gfxinfo

Frame statistics:

adb shell dumpsys SurfaceFlinger

Battery:

adb shell dumpsys battery

Memory:

adb shell dumpsys meminfo

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13. Camera Debugging

List cameras:

adb shell dumpsys media.camera

Media services:

adb shell dumpsys media.camera
adb shell dumpsys media.codec

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14. USB Debugging

USB state:

adb shell dumpsys usb

Reconnect:

adb kill-server
adb start-server

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15. Network Capture

Enable packet capture:

adb shell tcpdump -i any

Pull capture:

adb pull /sdcard/capture.pcap

Analyze with Wireshark.

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16. Flight Log Collection

Typical locations:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/

/sdcard/DCIM/

/sdcard/Drone/

/sdcard/log/

Retrieve:

adb pull /sdcard/log

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17. Debugging Native Code

Use LLDB or GDB:

lldb

or

gdbserver

Capture tombstones:

adb shell ls /data/tombstones

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18. Useful dumpsys Commands

adb shell dumpsys activity
adb shell dumpsys battery
adb shell dumpsys location
adb shell dumpsys wifi
adb shell dumpsys sensorservice
adb shell dumpsys package
adb shell dumpsys input
adb shell dumpsys display

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19. Drone App Testing Checklist

• ✔ USB connection
• ✔ Wi-Fi debugging
• ✔ Application installation
• ✔ Permission verification
• ✔ Camera preview
• ✔ Gimbal control
• ✔ Video recording
• ✔ Telemetry
• ✔ GPS
• ✔ IMU
• ✔ Compass
• ✔ Battery
• ✔ Live video streaming
• ✔ Flight log generation
• ✔ Crash log capture
• ✔ Memory monitoring
• ✔ CPU monitoring
• ✔ Network latency
• ✔ Remote controller communication

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20. Typical Development Workflow

Android Device
        │
        │ USB / Wi-Fi
        ▼
ADB Server
        │
        ▼
Android Studio / VS Code
        │
        ├── Install APK
        ├── Logcat
        ├── LLDB
        ├── Performance Monitor
        ├── Screen Record
        ├── File Transfer
        └── Shell Commands

For drone applications, a typical debugging session combines:

• ADB Logcat for application and system logs.
• Android Studio Debugger for Java/Kotlin breakpoints.
• LLDB/GDB for native C/C++ flight-control or image-processing code.
• Systrace/Perfetto for performance profiling.
• Wireshark + tcpdump for telemetry, MAVLink, RTSP, or custom network protocol analysis.
• dumpsys utilities to inspect sensors, camera, battery, USB, and connectivity. These tools together provide comprehensive visibility into Android-based drone software behavior and performance.