Navigator/FW mode manager: fix handling of counter-clockwise loiter

[sfuhrer]

Solved Problem

When NAV_LOITER_RAD is negative, the direction is counter-clockwise. This was not always properly handled and not reflected in the parameter description.

Solution

• refactor: renaming of get_loiter_radius() to get_default_loiter_radius()
• In Navigator: cleanly extract direction from parameter and pass it through PositionSetpoint.msg (has separate fields for radius and direction).
• In FWFlightModeManager: handle negative values of NAV_LOITER_RAD correctly (in the case where the PositionSetpoint loiter_radius is not filled)
• Fix param description of NAV_LOITER_RAD, make the limits symmetric and open them up to 10km (why not, 1km is rather preventive for some usecases)

Changelog Entry

For release notes:

Bugfix: Navigator/FW mode manager: fix handling of counter-clockwise loiter

Test coverage

Simulation tested.

[github-actions]

🔎 FLASH Analysis

px4_fmu-v5x [Total VM Diff: 256 byte (0.01 %)]

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--------------  -------------- 
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px4_fmu-v6x [Total VM Diff: 264 byte (0.01 %)]

    FILE SIZE        VM SIZE    
--------------  -------------- 
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  +6.6%     +36  +6.6%     +36    FixedWingModeManager::control_auto_loiter()
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Updated: 2025-07-22T11:39:11