ILX-LR1 camera control & geotagging for ArduPilot and PX4.
TAG-E is a camera controller and EXIF geotagger made for the Sony ILX-LR1. It connects with one USB-C cable (no WiFi, no extra modules), takes camera and trigger commands from your ArduPilot or PX4 autopilot over MAVLink and writes position and attitude into every photo. There’s nothing to initialise and no log to match up afterwards.
Built around the ILX-LR1 and nothing else.
TAG-E’s firmware was written for the ILX-LR1 alone. Because it doesn’t have to cover other cameras, it can reach every exposure and focus control, every menu and button, and every geotag field the ILX-LR1 accepts. Camera control without geotagging also works on all other current Sony cameras.
Automatic EXIF geotagging
Latitude, longitude, altitude and camera angles go straight into the files on the camera's SD card, in JPG, ARW raw, or both. Nothing to initialise and no log-matching.
No capture slowdown
Trigger at the camera's maximum rate — geotagging never throttles your shot interval, so overlap stays tight on long mapping missions.
One USB-C cable
A single USB-C link handles control and geotagging (plus an optional trigger-detect wire). No WiFi, no expander boxes — less weight, fewer failure points.
Full camera control
Trigger, exposure and every camera button over USB — ISO, iris, shutter, exp. comp, exposure mode, AF, even MENU navigation and image playback, all from QGC or the Mission Planner plugin.
RTK positioning & precise timestamps
Geotag precise GPS/RTK position taken from MAVLink, EMLID ERB or NMEA input. A separate PPS input tightens time synchronisation, so each capture carries a highly precise timestamp.
Auto clock sync
TAG-E sets the camera's clock and time zone from the drone's GPS time, so photos carry the correct date and time even when the camera has been sitting in storage for months.
ILX-LR1 camera control from QGroundControl and Mission Planner.
The USB-C cable that carries the geotagging also controls the ILX-LR1. Exposure, focus, triggering and the camera menu are all reachable from your ground station, on ArduPilot and PX4 alike.
Exposure, your way
Switch between automatic, manual and the modes in between. Set ISO, aperture and shutter one by one, or leave them to the camera.
Where it helps: lock manual exposure on a survey block so brightness matches from frame to frame and the orthomosaic comes out even. Switch back to auto for inspection flights where the light keeps changing.
Every button, remotely
Open the MENU, move through it with the arrow keys, press Fn and play back images and clips, all from the ground. A setting buried deep in the menu can still be changed mid-flight.
And more
Format the SD card remotely, put each flight in its own folder automatically, set the HDMI output resolution, and switch focus mode (AF-C, AF-S, MF) or move the focus point. Tap-to-focus is available for integrators.
Label every flight, right from your controller
Type a job name into the camera settings TAG-E adds to QGroundControl. No config file, SD card or laptop needed. The label goes into every image from that flight.
Fast flight speed? No problem.
Each photo is matched to where the drone actually was.
GPS delay and jitter correction with Timesync protocol v2.
TAG-E keeps its clock synchronised with the flight controller’s. When a gimbal or a MavPorter sits between them and adds delay and jitter to the position stream, TAG-E still matches each photo to where the drone was when the photo was taken, not to whichever position message happened to arrive last.
Direct georeferencing, straight out of the camera.
TAG-E reads position, attitude and time from the flight controller and writes them into each image, so photogrammetry software can use the files as they come off the card.
- ✓Standard: GPS/RTK position, altitude and camera attitude (Roll/Pitch/Yaw from frame + gimbal), written to EXIF & XMP of every photo.
- ✓Optional: GPS date & time, relative altitude, laser rangefinder distance, GPS & IMU accuracy (fix type, XY / Z accuracy), focal length & focal-plane resolution, separate frame & gimbal angle tags, and a custom flight label.
- ✓Precision workflows: lever-arm offset correction, and a PPK TXT file for post-processed positioning.
- ✓Video too: position, attitude and rangefinder data embedded as SRT subtitles alongside the recording.
- ✓Viewer: all geotags easily accessible with our free AirPixel Viewer, right beside the picture.
EXIF written to every image
GPSLongitude : 14.428611 E
GPSAltitude : 118.4 m
CameraYaw : 271.6°
CameraPitch : -89.4° (nadir)
CameraRoll : 0.3°
SubjectDistance : 42.7 m (laser)
GPSDateStamp : 2026:07:21
GPSTimeStamp : 09:14:02 UTC
XMP:Label : Site-A / Line-3
Standard tags are written to every photo. Optional tags can be switched on per project or workflow. Attitude includes gimbal orientation when a gimbal is used.
Where the camera was, and which way it pointed.
The ILX-LR1 can be bolted to the frame or hung on a gimbal. Either way, TAG-E records the camera’s position and pointing angle in the EXIF of each photo on the card.
Bolted to the frame
Point the camera straight down for mapping or tilt it for oblique work. Enter the mount angle once and TAG-E writes the correct camera direction into every shot from then on.
Riding a gimbal
TAG-E reads the angles from a Gremsy, BaseCam or any MAVLink gimbal, so each shot records where the camera was actually pointing rather than where the airframe was.
Coordinates that point at the camera, not the antenna
The GPS antenna and the camera sit in different places on the airframe. TAG-E combines the flight controller’s IMU attitude (roll, pitch and yaw of the airframe) with the live gimbal angles to work out where the camera is relative to the antenna, and it redoes that calculation for every frame. The tagged position is the camera’s, not the antenna’s, even in a banked turn. You only measure and enter the offsets once.
This animation is a simplified demonstration. It shows only the antenna-to-camera lever arm. When the camera is on a gimbal, TAG-E also accounts for the gimbal’s own rotation, which is a second lever-arm calculation on top of this one.
Video that knows where it’s looking.
When the ILX-LR1 records video, TAG-E writes a matching SRT subtitle track with position, altitude, camera attitude and laser distance. Scrub to any point in the clip and you can read where the camera was and where it was pointing.
Correct date & time, automatically.
TAG-E reads GPS time from the drone and sets the camera’s clock and time zone. You won’t be fixing timestamps after the battery has been out, and the clock doesn’t drift between flights.
Jobs TAG-E is suited to
Each card names the TAG-E feature that makes the job possible.
Crack & defect sizing on turbines & concrete
TAG-E writes the laser rangefinder distance into every shot, so the free AirPixel Viewer can turn pixels into millimetres and square metres. Measure crack widths, spalling and corrosion on wind-turbine blades, bridges, dams, chimneys and cooling towers without a physical scale bar in the frame.
Precision survey & stockpile volumetrics
With RTK positioning and lever-arm correction, TAG-E writes centimetre-level positions into the images and produces a PPK TXT file. You still fly ground control; the tags give the processing software an accurate starting point. Suits cadastral survey, stockpile volumes in mining and aggregates, and earthworks.
Emergency mapping without a geotagging step
There’s no log to match and nothing to initialise, so one operator can land and hand over images that are already geotagged. That saves time on search & rescue, disaster assessment and other time-critical BVLOS jobs.
Survey-grade photogrammetry payload
Fly corridors and large blocks with the 61 MP ILX-LR1 and land with position and attitude already in EXIF & XMP. Pix4D and Metashape read the tags on import, which gives the alignment a head start.
Drop-in module & easy ENTIRE upgrade
At 27×46×9 mm with a single USB-C link and no WiFi to certify, TAG-E is easy to design into a production airframe. It works with MavCam and accepts ENTIRE R3 commands, so moving an existing ENTIRE fleet over to TAG-E needs few changes on the ground side. Every unit writes the same EXIF layout, and your customers control the camera from QGroundControl or Mission Planner, which they already know.
Add the ILX-LR1 to your own ArduPilot / PX4 rig
On your own drone: wire one cable, load the plugin, and you have geotagging and camera control, remote MENU navigation included. No companion computer or scripting needed.
Connect the ILX-LR1 to ArduPilot or PX4.
TAG-E plugs into a free TELEM port on the flight controller and shows up as a MAVLink camera. These are the only autopilot parameters to change; everything else is set on TAG-E itself.
ArduPilot camera control
ArduPilot 4.6.0 or later. Connect TAG-E’s IO-B port to TELEM1 or TELEM2 (SERIALx below).
| SERIALx_PROTOCOL | 2 (MAVLink2) |
| SERIALx_BAUD | 921 (921600 bps) |
| SRx_* | 0 (TAG-E requests its own streams) |
| CAM1_TYPE | 5 (MAVLink) or 6 (MAVLinkCamV2) |
Reboot the flight controller. The camera appears in QGroundControl, and in Mission Planner through the AirPixel camera control plugin. Full ArduPilot guide ›
PX4 camera control
Connect TAG-E’s IO-B port to TELEM1 or TELEM2 and use the matching MAVLink instance (MAV_1 or MAV_2).
| MAV_x_CONFIG | TELEM 1 / TELEM 2 |
| SER_TELx_BAUD | 921600 |
| MAV_x_MODE | Onboard |
| MAV_x_RATE | 0 |
| MAV_x_FORWARD | Enabled |
Reboot and QGroundControl shows the camera’s trigger, exposure and video controls. Full PX4 guide ›
Step-by-step manuals: ArduPilot connection · PX4 connection · GPS delay calculation · TAG-E in the ArduPilot documentation. Comparing geotagging methods? Read ArduPilot & PX4 geotagging compared.
Compatibility
Control & integration
- ✓QGroundControl auto-detected exposure, trigger & timelapse controls (Android / PC / Mac)
- ✓Mission Planner camera & geotagging plugin
- ✓MAVLink Camera Protocol v2 · MavCam & ENTIRE R3 command compatible
- ✓ArduPilot (4.6.0+) & PX4 flight stacks
- ✓Mission camera trigger: start stills or video from your flight plan or GCS. TAG-E takes the standard MAVLink camera commands (distance and interval triggers, photo and video start/stop) and passes them to the camera over USB-C, at its full shooting speed.
DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST
DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_INTERVAL
IMAGE_START_CAPTURE
IMAGE_STOP_CAPTURE
VIDEO_START_CAPTURE
VIDEO_STOP_CAPTURE
Geotagging & data
- ✓Automatic EXIF & XMP: position, altitude, camera Roll/Pitch/Yaw
- ✓GPS/RTK input via MAVLink, EMLID ERB or NMEA · PPS timestamp precision
- ✓Optional: GPS time, rangefinder, GPS/IMU accuracy, custom label · lever-arm correction · PPK TXT output
- ✓Video geotagging via SRT subtitles
- ✓Free AirPixel Viewer for Windows: every tag at a glance, lengths and areas from the laser distance
ILX-LR1 on ArduPilot and PX4: common questions
How do I control a Sony ILX-LR1 from ArduPilot?
Connect TAG-E to the ILX-LR1 with its USB-C cable and to a TELEM port on the flight controller. Set that port to MAVLink2 at 921600 baud with its SRx stream rates at 0, and set CAM1_TYPE to 5 or 6 (ArduPilot 4.6.0 or later). The camera then appears in QGroundControl, and Mission Planner gets a camera control tab through the AirPixel plugin.
Does the Sony ILX-LR1 work with PX4?
Yes. TAG-E connects to TELEM1 or TELEM2 as a MAVLink camera. Set SER_TELx_BAUD to 921600, MAV_x_MODE to Onboard, MAV_x_RATE to 0 and MAV_x_FORWARD to Enabled. QGroundControl then shows trigger, exposure and video controls for the camera.
How do I trigger the camera from an ArduPilot or PX4 mission?
Use the standard MAVLink camera mission items: IMAGE_START_CAPTURE and IMAGE_STOP_CAPTURE for single shots or a fixed interval, and VIDEO_START_CAPTURE and VIDEO_STOP_CAPTURE for video. On ArduPilot, DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST triggers by distance for survey grids. TAG-E passes the commands to the camera over USB-C, and geotagging never slows the trigger rate down.
How does TAG-E geotag photos without Mission Planner log matching?
TAG-E reads position, altitude and attitude from the autopilot over MAVLink, keeps its clock synchronised to the flight controller with the MAVLink TIMESYNC protocol, and writes the values into the EXIF and XMP of each photo on the camera’s SD card. The photos come off the card already geotagged, so there’s no dataflash log, CAM message matching or time offset to work out.
Which ground stations can control the camera?
QGroundControl on Android, Windows and macOS shows the camera automatically through MAVLink Camera Protocol v2. Mission Planner uses the AirPixel camera control plugin. On HereLink, SIYI and Skydroid controllers, MavCam adds an on-screen camera overlay. With ArduPilot, use QGroundControl 4.4.3 or newer and avoid 5.0 RC1 to RC3.
Does TAG-E work with other Sony cameras?
Triggering and exposure control work on current Sony cameras over the same USB link. EXIF and XMP geotagging is for the ILX-LR1 only; for other cameras, ENTIRE R3 does the geotagging.
What is the difference between TAG-E and ENTIRE R3?
TAG-E is purpose-built for the Sony ILX-LR1: a single USB-C cable, no WiFi and minimal setup. ENTIRE R3 is universal (Sony, PhaseOne Industrial, Workswell Wiris and more) and connects over USB for geotagging plus WiFi or a wired expander, so it needs more configuration. Geotagging accuracy is the same, and both write EXIF & XMP geotags, correct the lever-arm offset and geotag the rangefinder distance. Choose TAG-E if you are standardising on the ILX-LR1, ENTIRE R3 for mixed fleets and other camera brands. Not sure? The AirPixel team can advise based on your camera and flight controller.
Show the full TAG-E vs ENTIRE R3 comparison
| Feature | TAG-E | ENTIRE R3 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera support | Purpose-built for Sony ILX-LR1 | Universal: Sony, PhaseOne Industrial, Workswell Wiris & more |
| Connection | Single USB-C, no WiFi | USB for geotagging + WiFi (or wired expander) |
| Setup complexity | Minimal, a few options | More configuration (universal by design) |
| Geotagging accuracy | Same high accuracy | Same high accuracy |
| EXIF & XMP geotagging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lever-arm offset calculation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rangefinder geotagging measure in AirPixel Viewer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom flight label | ✓ | ✗ |
| Movie SRT video geotagging | ✓ | ✗ |
| PPS GPS time synchronisation | ✓ | ✗ |
| PPK TXT output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic camera clock from GPS | ✓ | ✗ |
| Camera control protocol v2 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Full MAVLink parameter config | ✓ | ✗ |
| Remote SD-card format | ✓ | ✗ |
| SBUS / Jeti / PWM / Link control input | ✗ | ✓ |
| Best fit | Standardising on the ILX-LR1 | Mixed fleets & other camera brands |
Which features does TAG-E have that ENTIRE R3 does not?
Custom flight label, movie SRT video geotagging, PPS GPS time synchronisation, PPK TXT output, automatic camera clock from GPS, camera control protocol v2, full MAVLink parameter configuration and remote SD-card format. In return, ENTIRE R3 accepts SBUS, Jeti, PWM and Link control input, which TAG-E does not.
How do I check the geotags in my photos?
Windows only shows latitude, longitude and altitude under Properties › Details. The free AirPixel Viewer for Windows lists every tag TAG-E writes next to the picture, camera angles, accuracy and laser distance included, and measures lengths and areas when the photo carries a rangefinder reading.
Geotagging and control for your ILX-LR1.
TAG-E costs €299. If you’re integrating it into a drone platform, talk to us first. It works with MavCam, so moving over from ENTIRE R3 is straightforward.