Betaflight Setup & Tuning Basics for FPV Drones
What Is Betaflight?
Betaflight is the open-source flight controller firmware used by the majority of FPV drones. It runs on STM32 processors (F405, F722, H743) and handles everything from gyro stabilization to motor mixing, OSD display, and receiver input processing.
Every FPV pilot should understand basic Betaflight configuration. Whether you build from scratch or buy refurbished, knowing how to configure Betaflight means you can fix problems and optimize performance.
Initial Setup Checklist
1. Install Betaflight Configurator
Download the latest Betaflight Configurator from the official GitHub releases. Connect your flight controller via USB. The configurator auto-detects the port and firmware version.
2. Flash Firmware (If Needed)
If your FC is on an older version, update to the latest stable release. Go to Firmware Flasher → select your target board → flash. Always back up your configuration before flashing — use the CLI tab to save a dump all backup.
3. Ports Tab
Configure UART assignments:
- UART for receiver — enable Serial RX on the UART connected to your receiver
- UART for VTX — enable Peripherals → TBS SmartAudio or IRC Tramp on the VTX UART
- UART for GPS — if installed, enable GPS on the appropriate UART
4. Configuration Tab
Key settings to verify:
- Mixer: Quad X (standard for most builds)
- ESC/Motor Protocol: DShot300 or DShot600 (DShot600 preferred for F7/H7)
- Motor direction: Props In or Props Out (Props In is Betaflight default)
- Arming: configure arming switch on your radio
- GPS Rescue: enable if GPS installed (safety feature)
5. Receiver Tab
- Receiver Mode: Serial (for ELRS, Crossfire, SBUS)
- Serial Receiver Provider: CRSF (for ELRS and Crossfire) or SBUS
- Channel Map: AETR1234 (standard for most radios)
- Verify all channels respond correctly when moving sticks
- Set failsafe to "Drop" (motors stop if signal lost)
6. Motor Direction and Prop Check
Critical safety step — do this with props removed:
- Go to Motors tab
- Enable motor testing (accept the safety warning)
- Spin each motor individually at minimum throttle
- Verify spin direction matches your motor configuration
- Reverse any incorrect motors via BLHeli configurator or Betaflight motor direction override
7. OSD Tab
Configure your On-Screen Display:
- Essential elements: battery voltage, flight time, RSSI/LQ, warnings
- Recommended: throttle position, GPS speed (if equipped), craft name
- Position elements to avoid cluttering your camera view
- Test OSD by powering up with a battery and checking goggles
Basic PID Tuning
PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) values control how your drone responds to stick inputs and disturbances.
When to Tune
- Default PIDs work well for most 5-inch builds
- Tune if you experience: oscillations, propwash, sluggish response, or bounce-back
- Start with Betaflight's default values — they're good baselines
Simple Tuning Approach
- If oscillating at high throttle — reduce P gain by 10-15%
- If oscillating at low throttle (propwash) — increase D gain by 5-10%
- If sluggish or mushy response — increase P gain by 5-10%
- If bounce-back on flips/rolls — increase I gain slightly
- If motors get hot — reduce D gain, check for vibrations
Rate Profiles
Rates control stick sensitivity:
- Beginners: lower rates (400-500°/s max) for smoother control
- Freestyle: medium rates (600-800°/s) for tricks
- Racing: variable — low center sensitivity, high max rate (800-1000°/s)
Common Troubleshooting
Motors won't spin
- Verify ESC protocol matches (DShot300/600)
- Check motor resource mapping in CLI
- Verify ESC firmware is flashed and responding
- Test each motor individually in Motors tab
No receiver signal
- Verify correct UART assignment in Ports tab
- Check receiver protocol (CRSF vs SBUS)
- Bind receiver to radio
- Check wiring (TX/RX may be swapped)
OSD not showing
- Verify OSD elements are enabled and positioned
- Check VTX video output
- Some cameras require specific video format (NTSC vs PAL)
Drone flips on takeoff
- Motor direction is wrong — one or more motors spinning incorrectly
- Motor mapping incorrect — motors assigned to wrong positions
- Props on wrong motors — CW/CCW props swapped
FAQ
Should I update Betaflight every time a new version comes out?
No. Stick with stable releases and read changelogs. Update when a new version fixes an issue you experience or adds a feature you need. Always back up your config before updating.
What is RPM filtering and should I enable it?
RPM filtering uses motor RPM data to precisely filter vibrations. It dramatically improves flight performance on drones with bidirectional DShot. Enable it if your ESC supports bidirectional DShot (BLHeli_32 or AM32).
How do I back up my Betaflight configuration?
Go to CLI tab, type dump all, and save the output to a text file. To restore, paste the saved dump into the CLI and type save. This preserves all settings including PIDs, rates, ports, and OSD layout.