Six-axis loadcell interface with Cube Orange Plus - Need advice on implementation

PX4 Autopilot
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Interfacing Six-axis Loadcell with Cube Orange Plus - Need Implementation Advice

Background

I’m trying to interface a six-axis loadcell to a Cube Orange Plus flight controller board. The loadcell comes with its own board, manual, and software called iDAS.

Project Goal

I need to read/receive/log the continuous data readings from the loadcell into the controller so I can either:

  • Use it in the control loop later, or
  • Just monitor the forces and torques

What I’ve Already Tried

I initially attempted to directly modify the PX4 code to read data from the loadcell through MAVLINK console (in QGC). The physical connection was through the GPS2 plug on the board using UART communication (TX, RX, GND). Unfortunately, I’ve failed several times with this approach.

New Approach I’m Considering

I’m now thinking about attaching the sensor to a Raspberry Pi Pico as an intermediary, and from that connecting to the GPS2 physical plug on Cube Orange Plus. The idea would be to make the 6-axis force/torque data appear as GPS data to the flight controller.

Questions

  1. Is it feasible to use a Raspberry Pi Pico to translate loadcell data into a format that the Cube Orange Plus would accept through its GPS2 port?
  2. Has anyone attempted something similar or have suggestions for a better approach?
  3. Are there any existing examples or documentation about integrating custom sensors like this with PX4?
  4. Would it be better to revisit direct PX4 code modification, and if so, what would be the best approach?

Any advice, examples, or pointers would be greatly appreciated!