Flight Controller Basics for Complete Beginners
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
- Here are where all of the topics are in the video in case you need to rewatch a specific part:
0:05 Intro
1:37 What does a flight controller do?
3:17 What is a flight controller?
5:05 Flight controller options
7:27 Different kinds of flight controller
9:14 What are flight modes?
12:39 Covering some common acronyms
14:51 Firmware choices
18:42 Adding FPV to your flight controller
Some useful links if you want to know more:
My current picks for flight controllers (Summer 2020): • My Flight Controller P...
Flight controller options for fixed Wing:
Arduplane AR Wing build: • ArduPlane, Matek F405-...
Latest iNav wing build: • BrainDART Build Series
Last quadcopter series: • iNav 2.2 Quad Build (B...
Latest PixHawk Cube build: • Mission Planner/ArduPl...
You can see more R/C related videos on the channel - / painless360
Looking for a video on a specific topic? All of my videos are arranged into easy to use playlists and have lots of text tags on them too for easy searching.
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Keep up to date on my projects and builds on social media - / painless360 and / painless360
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Be aware that any comments that are rude, disrespectful or use bullying or threatening language will be deleted. Pedantry isn't encouraged either. This channel is all about helping others and passing on advice and ideas so please comment in that spirit.
Thanks for watching, support each other and the hobby as we have enough external drama without making more for ourselves.
LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and above all - Happy Flying!
As a newbie, I got a lot of valuable info. Everyone should consider being a Patreon. Lee is not just doing, "hey dudes" kind of reviews. These are classroom instructional videos that deserve to be supported.
that is just another video of yours that fits my needs just perfectly, its great that there are still some very experienced enthusiasts of this hobby who remember about amatures and they explain even advanced matters in very simple and accessible way. well done
That's fantastic. You are a real asset. Can't tell you how much I have struggled trying to get an understanding of this hobby. At 62 need these videos to get me up to speed.
he is one of the best reviewers that talks good enough and clearly!
This guy is the real MVP
12:48 explains so much.
Thanks for another excellent introduction to Flight Controllers that has really helped me congeal the concepts and the names that are important to make these little computers work! Keep up this ground breaking work for us newbies! - Jim
I made my first drone from your first beginner building video and have friends that want to start. But what I know has got a bit dated, so this new video is really good.
Excellent as usual. Provides a great framework to think within. Thank you.
You're the simplest colloquial bible of fpv I've come across! Thank you for amazingly valuable information!
Hi Lee,
It's always a pleasure to view your videos.
Although I made couple of drone projects, it is always a good thing thing to summarize. Brilliant!
Very helpful Lee, you bring it all together in a very comprehensive way. No one on UA-cam is as good as you at this regards RC hobby. I’ve learnt heaps from your videos. Thank you very much!!
Thanks mate, I have just learnt more in 10 minuets, I now have a starting point, GREAT STUFF!!!
Another great video. Thanks for all your work on this.
Wow this is so comprehensive, thanks!
Great summary, thanks for sharing!
Great explanation Lee, sincere thanks for the Huge time and effort 👍
Thanks for the explanation of the difference between INAV and Ardupilot. Want to start building semi-autonomous multirotors and fixed wings, but I use CRSF so it looks like I’m going w INAV
I am in agreeance with most peoples comments on here as i am not a new builder but have drifted away and now want to come back but even in 18 months things have changed a lot in my estimation and this video even for myself is a learning curve not to be missed, it took me three days to figure out how to reverse my motors so they spin outwards rather than inwards and if all your esc wires are wired as i thought the same why will it not take off, obviously i have sussed it but not without the input of Painless360 and JB and other special people who want other people to learn by their videos so here is a massive thankyou to you 360 for a great video channel here on YT ..
Great video. Exactly the information I was after. Thanks!
Excellent Video! Thank you for this, it is very clear!
Thanks a lot for this review and info. I look forward to seeing your other videos
By the way, I have a really ambitious idea. Built the smallest and autonomous FPV drone. I don't have experience with drones, it's a new world that excites me.
Thanks so much for the video. Great overview. It helped my understanding of fflight controllers greatly
Wow, what a perfect video! Thank you so much for taking the time to teach unknowns like me!
You are so welcome!
Thanks for the prompt reply and info ,that was very helpful,Cheers
Awesome video my friend, thank you for the share!
I’m thinking about drones as a hobby. These videos are giving me the information I’ll need to know.
There are three videos that cover a basics of power, control and fpv - ua-cam.com/video/xPDc6r6nRTU/v-deo.html
Thx - already knew most of it but not all of the elements you covered so thank you for this handy video for newbies ;-)
Great video, I learnt a lot
Thank you for this video. I understand now
Thank you so much for this video!
Great intro Lee...
Your videos are the best! I am trying to convert my zero turn mower to RC, then ultimately to autonomous. Everyone I talk to about it, laughs at me but it doesn’t get me down. I’m going to do this. Your videos help! Thanks.
Best of luck! Please post videos when you've got it all working! :D
I’d love to see it. Subbing to ur channel
There’s a guy on yt got it running already, I’ll be doing the same in the future with ardurover
Brilliant, been wanting to do that for years....so many possibilities.
Amazing video! thank you so much.
Excellent, thanks !
thank you , that was a clear explanation
Brilliant Lee!
This is a great begineer platform that answers a lot of questions.
Are there any videos that speak to things such as CLI commands? Or, how to understand what you need to tell your FC, with an example such as iNav, what you want it to do, or how to do it? I've been finding that portion of iNav daunting to say the least.
Again, you have some of the very best info available and your help and hard work are so much appreciated.
Best!
Check out my iNav build series on the channel. I cover every step I use to get a inav powered model flying... Best of luck
Very helpful thank you!
Great info.
Thanks Lee...! Very informative and lot's of stuff to keep up with if one is into RC Drones, etc.......! =)
Awesome video, this really helped
Thanks for the video, I’m trying to get into FPV and this helps explain a lot...
Check out the other RC basics videos and the Introduction to FPV playlist... Best of luck
Painless360 will do, appreciate it
Thank you for this video
Great breakdown of this amazing RC component! Good stuff here.
Excellent tutorial thankyou Lee 👍👍👍
Very useful info. Many thanks.
Isolation and H7 back ordered together; found you and it is tolerable. thanks.
excellent!
very informative
Thank you so much for this video
Good summary
Excellent excellent thank you...
Thank you
Thanks for you reply
Thanks to you I've learned a lot by watching your videos ,I'm planning to buy an RC helicopter so
That's why watching videos in UA-cam and try to understand how Rc works 😊, I guess hahah ,thanks a lot ... your awesome..
This video was named perfect to describe me. I’m a 53 yr old rookie no rc background. Just a limited IT background. I feel like Jethro in Manhattan. ( Beverly hillbillies). I’m to testing and channel selection. Then asked myself if I was insane. Thanks.
Lots of content like this on the channel aimed at those getting into the hobby.. Best of luck
Thanks
After years if pause from the hobby i just realized there are a lot of new stuff new protocol such as express LRS, my radio is still Taranis X9D+ and all my quads are still rocking F3 and naze32 i am still happy with them when i tried then last night. I'l probably build a new quad when time and money allows.
There can be a lot of snobbery in places like UA-cam and the forums if you are not using the latest stuff. It can mean that you are missing out on improvements and extra features but...
The point of any hobby is to have fun. If you are then it's working for you.
Happy flying
Hi! Thanks for this video it defo really helped! I bought an APM 2.8 a couple weeks ago from ebay and to say, even after researching this huge topic over the course of a week, I was extremely disappointed to see that when I put arducopter onto the board my APM had been retired and couldn't use the latest software. Nevertheless, I have put this into my drone I have been building and last night I managed to get the motors to spin up and almost take off after two weeks of making this thing! I had two big problems;
1. The back two motors lifted first and almost tipped the drone over.
2. I got an error from prearm saying something about my thrust failsafe values.
For point 1 I think I'm going to try to calibrate my escs one by one to see if this fixes my problem and for point 2 I feel like if I set my controller (Flysky FX-i6X) failsafe to the lowest using lowest trim, and recalibrate using the highest trim this could provide enough separation for the message not to appear?
Do I sound like I'm on the right lines? Can I still get APM 2.8 to work properly? and finally, after forcing the drone to arm and after it almost got wrecked after lifting one side before the other the drone would not disarm and I had to crawl underneath to unplug the battery as the mission planner software kept saying my order to disarm was rejected by mav, what could be the problem here? and how could I possibly fix this?
Once again thank you for the video, it truly has helped my understanding and next time I'll make sure to buy the latest hardware!
The APM is very old now and all of the steps covered in my APM series are still a useful watch. I cover how I get it all working and how to avoid the common mistakes. Best of luck
@@Painless360 Thank you for the fast reply! I managed to calibrate the escs, and fix the thrust value error for the failsafe. Now the thing just seems to want to tip over every time I hit the throttle! Ahhh this is such a fun pain in the neck 😂 I'll rewatch your series to just make sure I've got everything else right and hopefully figure out my new problem!
Great video! Question: could you suggest a combination controller/program to use with my ZOHD plane where I could experiment with pattern flight on my property? Thanks in advance! - Mark
u r the best
Thanks for the comment.
Lee, very interesting approach in your video. By the way, is there any rx in the market which includes a flight controller and telemetry and that can be used with one of the protocols integrated in the TX16S radio?
Excellent video. I'm starting from scratch. I've purchased a Volentex Ranger 2000.
Id love to have DJI Google, pan tilt, and way points missions. I'm very technically minded but I can't seem to decide on what equipment I'll need.
Would really like to know what you'd recommend in regards to FC and transmitters for this project.
Thank you 🇬🇧
Thank you for this and all your tutorials. I've been following your AR Wing build videos and I've gathered most of the components I need except the bloody AR Wing itself. I have ordered it from 3 different places and have had all 3 orders cancelled because they were suddenly on backorder. Could you recommend another wing that's comparable to the AR Wing for FPV beginners? I could go with something like a Mini Talon but I really want a wing.
I have the DJI racing goggles and the ocusync air system. what are my option to use these to learn FPV planes? I am ordering the Volantex V757-6 V757
Hello, I'm basically preparing this drone project for my institution's science carnival. This is something I wanted to make as cheap as possible to show how a "Drone", as we know it, doesn't necessarily need to be the most sophisticated & stuffed with complex machinery (that's kind of the central idea behind it, as in that's the creative part to my prject you could say). So with that goal in mind, I took up this challenge of making a drone with nothing but ice-cream sticks (body frame), 4 DC motors (around 700 -1000 RPM), 4 propellers & a 7-9V battery. But, I have heard a lot about how it would be dangerous if I don't add an RC feature, given that the 700 RPM could possibly cut off a person's finger just that easily. For that, I need to know whether just a flight controller (without any power distributors & an RC controller that's specialized for drones) would work on that design?
I really need the answer because my project presentation is in 1day's time. So I'd genuinely appreciate a helpful answer. Thank you.
I've just seen this. I hope that the presentation went OK.
Hi thanks for this. If you’re not wanting to program things and literally just feed data back to your handset / radio, then do you still need a flight controller? I have a glider I’m building and a total novice but I do want to feed altitude and variometer data to the radio handset and ideally, at some point use FPV.
Thank you for this clear explanation. I'm thinking of moving to fixed wing for long range. Can you recommend a video from you that I should watch? Thanks
It depends on where you are with Fixed wing. A good place to start is here - ua-cam.com/video/OaKqAng-BVE/v-deo.html
Hi Lee, would you be able to do a video on a basic/cheap flight controller linked up to the dji hd fpv system for fixed wing ( not for control but just for the on screen display ) option for GPS receiver if wanted ? Would be nice to have a 3D printed mount for the flight controller board and air unit to keep the footprint small.
INav supports the DJI system. Check out my DJI goggle video all about it.. Best of luck
Great video as always. I don't remember seeing anything on dji flight controllers. Any specific reason?
I tend to make videos for technology that is 'open' and where the manuals and details are not clear. For me it's about helping pilots get into the air. As those DJI flight control systems are 'closed' with specific firmware and backup and support from their DJI resellers then I've never felt the need to make the same kind of content for them. Happy flying!
WHY DO I DO THIS , I FIRST GET A PROBLEM THEN I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS WHY AM I LIKE THAT , no i understand better ho i could do my simple build up thanks for such a great video .
The videos are designed to help avoid a lot of the common problems. But, as you spotted, that only works if you watch them first! :D Happy flying!
should be a great series of video`s
Already is :D Check out the 'RC Basics' and 'Introduction to remote control' series on the channel. Happy flying!
I had a quadcopter that had a feature where it would stop and slowly land when it had low battery. It ran low on battery over an irrigation ditch...
Hello, is there a flight controller which will work with an older Graupner 35 MHz please? My project is converting a large sailplane to become an ultra high endurance electric glider with solar cells but I would like to keep my mc-16/20 gear simply because I hate throwing things away. It would also be useful to have telemetry. As you may guess I am an old school aero modeller so any advice will be most welcome. Thank you! Regards Justin.
I have a lumenier lux mini fc and want to put a barometer on it but according to the manual the sda and scl pads are i2c, but need to be "pulled up".
I have no idea what that means so i contacted the company. They didn't know either and said they will have to get back to me on that.
Do you have a video that explains how to pull up a pad?
you are god. thank you.
Great video.
I recently purchased an older used multicopter. It came with a multiwii board.
Can you explain why I don't want to use it? What would a f4 board do for my that the MW doesn't?
my usage is mostly cinematic flight.
They still work for basic flying but are poorly supported now.
I have a spare FC (F405AIO) from a Skystars STX225 quadcopter. Can I use it to build-up a fixed-wing instead? If yes - do I connect the servos to where the ESCs would normally be if it were a quad? Thanks for all your videos... Inspiring!
I've not tried that but in theory it's possible. Outputs 1 and 2 are reserved for motors so the other two outputs could support two servos for a wing.. You'll also have to rig something up to get the 5v from the BEC in the ESC to the servos. See my trick in the Ardupilot/OmnibusF4Pro build from last summer.. Best of luck!
Hi, am just getting into quadcopters and found this video very informative, excellent video! With the lockdown, can you recommend which online shops is best for ordering and delivery of parts? Which one do you use most? Thanks!
Depends where you are in the world, all the ones I use here in the UK (3DXR, Unmannedtechshop and HobbyRC seem ok)..
@@Painless360 Am in the UK so the list you gave is helpful. Thanks!
Hello and thank you for your channel! I'm preparing to add an FC and FPV (DJI HD) to a motor glider for autonomous flight and use INav. At the 20:20 mark in this video you briefly cautioned about something regarding DJI HD FPV with regard to iNav that I did not understand. Is there a particular playlist or video of yours that you can recommend to better understand using DJI HD FPV with iNav?
ua-cam.com/video/rIZW4q3vrk0/v-deo.html covers it. There are more options for better OSD support in the latest DJI products now.
I have a really weird question for you. I want to add a FC into another electronics project to make use of the Baro, Gyro and OSD out. Can i use an FC as a passive component? Or does the FC need to have a remote connected for it to work? My video display will be hardwired to video out of the OSD (no VTX needed) because I only want to show altitude, horizon, compass etc. automatically on power up of my project. Is this possible? Love the videos! and thanks for any advice you can provide!
I'd still wire the FC in and then fly in manual mode. Get the OSD and lots of additional benefits... best of luck
I'm glad I saw this video. I have big problem with USB drivers and I think I ruined my TYRO 79 flight controller because of that and I hope you can help with usb drivers on a video or a link. Thanks.
This is something that I've already made a video or two about. Please see this video - ua-cam.com/video/P4soR6QgOk0/v-deo.html - that should help you find those videos of mine and help you find the answers you need quickly
Thanks for this video, it helped me to get a better understanding of flight controllers etc however, I'm still abit lost of what is the best one for me? I've just purchased the DJI 03 Air Unit and Integra goggles. It's been set up but is in low power mode and from the videos I've watched it says that I need a FC. I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction of what I need...
See my builds for beginners. I choose newbie friendly hardware.., best of luck
Been flying drones for years, but just got a deal on a Volantex Ranger EX I couldn't pass up! ($120)
I use Speedybee and HGLRC F7 flight controllers for my drones but have never built\bought a FC for a fixed-wing before. I plan to use the plane to capture cinematic video, not acrobatic\stunt flying.
What would you recommend for my first fixed-wing adventure? The price should be $300 or less. I've only used Betaflight up to now, but am open to whatever software you'd recommend.
Thanks for the awesome videos! You just earned a sub!
Thanks for the video. I have a question. Which current flight controller would you suggest, which already comes with a basic software, that I can use for a survey where I want to build my own firmware or modify an existing open source firmware like Ardupilot? Also budget friendly. Thanks again. :)
Most fight controller designed for Betaflight and INAV will ship with a version installed already. But, you would always update it to the latest and greatest as a matter of course for the setup.. Best of luck.
This was really helpful. I want to get into this hobby with the long term goal of messing around with custom VTOL ideas that I have, so I want to get into a system that allows me lots of customisation ideally on a code level. Multiwii on an Arduino seems the best environment I found, but everything I read about it is at least 10 years old and I worry that I find suitable hardware.
So is this arduflight what I am looking for?
MultiWii is old 8 bit tech and not used any more. Most modern VTOL systems are using Ardupilot and Xplane setups.. ardupilot.org/plane/docs/quadplane-support.html
Can I connect a Bluetooth module on a T2 and R2 or does it have to be TX2 and RX2?
Interesting how close these ‘abilities’ come close to those required in a missile!
Hi there, quick question - is the holybro pixhawk 4 have all we need to build out an 4-8 motor copter? or should I get the holybro pix32 v5 with the board? what is the big difference?
Not sure. I've only built quads with them. I'd check out the details in the Arducopter wiki i.e.. github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot/blob/master/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/PH4-mini/README.md .. Best of luck
Great video and info. I have designed a heavy lift drone and am at the point where I need to purchase a radio system and autopilot system, etc.. The system would need to be able to take off as a multicopter and then transition into forward flight. I need help in choosing the correct systems and programing them. Do you or can you pass me along to a person or company that Ican hire to help me with this? Thank you in advance. Steve
Didn't I already answer this on another video? No need to post twice... happy flying!
Nice video! (As always)
I got one question left.
Do i also need to mount them free from vibrations as strict as for a quad copter?
Ideally yes. Lots of flight controllers have some kind of vibration isolation... Happy flying
@@Painless360 thanks
When wiring the esc's can they be soldered together B+ all 4 and the grn 4 together into the battery plug?
Yes, a simple PDB usually makes wiring and troubleshooting easier... Best of luck
If I wanted a controller for a glider for return to home and fly a planned route with way points what would you recommended recommend to get
Basic missions =INAV. Full featured missions = Ardupilot
I have radio link cross flight. Going in a blade 450 heli. Any video,s to watch how to hook in up? Ty
No, best of luck...
Hiiii very informative! I’ve just bought the air unit 03 and integer googles with head tracking, can u suggest a budget friendly transmitter and flight planner
See my kit picks video from August last year. RadioMaster radios and Matek or Speedybee flight controllers would be good... Best of luck
@@Painless360 I appreciate you, thanks
after seeing a few of your video which is always so informative,I thought what better man to ask a question that no one else has been able to answer me.Perhaps your knowledge is wider and can be of help to me.I live about 1200 meters from my flying club and to check if someone is flying at the club,I would like to buy a scanner for 2.4GHZ transmitter,that will display activity and radio type being use in the display sceen.Can you suggest what type of unit will do this and the said range it have.You help will be greatly appreciated.Thanks .
There are a few options, a lot of the modern OpenTX and Edgetx radios have a 'scanner' and vensors like ImmersionRC have had things like an RC signal power meter in the past too. The issue is that so many things use the 2.4Ghz band most pilots use now. Plus at 1.2km range the signals from the chap at the field will be tiny compared to local 2.4Ghz radio from things like local Wifi... best of luck
Hey Lee, what’s your opinion on surge protectors between the Flight Controller and battery?
I don't use them. ua-cam.com/video/JGGWoH7rXsQ/v-deo.html
would you be able to do a flight controller control loop code explanation in C C# or any other language?
Blimey! Sadly not. I do explain PID loops in one of my videos.. best of luck!
Great channel! I'd like to pick your brain. I'm about to begin a build AR wing. I'm planning on modifying and run an edf but for slow flight, long duration. Gps, Autopilot, return to home, gyro, and head track fpv are on the list. I have hull, motor, servos, and 3s 11.1v 5000ish battery. Could I get your opinion on some compatible gear with the capabilities I described? I also haven't decided on a radio, goggles, or ground station yet so if you have the time I'd love your take on that as well. I was going to make a tracker and helical antenna etc with a repeater, something ingenuitive and compact with cooling fans. Any advice would be well taken. Thanks again! Back to surfing your videos trying to learn
EDF isn't a good choice if slower and endurance/longer flights are what you want. See my video on it in the motor and prop series..
Flight Controllers and Receivers are new to me. I have watched a number of your videos on receivers and flight controllers and became motivated to take apart a Syma S39, an inexpensive RTF heli purchased from Amazon, to see if I could identify the RC components but I didn't see the kind of RC components setup the you and many others speak of. I saw one card; not multiple and I don't think that that one card was a RX, nor Flight controller. I tried to see if there were any pads for servos but there were none. Do you have a video that would help me understand this?
Yep, check out the modern heli playlist. The series will start to be released this weekend.... Best of luck