FLIGHT CONTROLLER SETUP
Betaflight Configuration Guide
Get your freshly built quad flying right — configure ports, receiver, motors, and rates from the ground up.
Why Betaflight Configuration Matters
Betaflight is the firmware that runs your flight controller. Out of the box it does not know your receiver protocol, motor layout, or preferred rates. This guide walks you through the four essential configuration steps every new build needs before its first flight.
What You Need
Have these ready before you open Betaflight Configurator.
Betaflight Configurator
Download the latest Betaflight Configurator from GitHub. Connect via USB — no firmware flashing needed on a new build.
USB Cable
A data-capable USB cable. Many cables are charge-only — if Configurator does not detect your FC, try a different cable first.
Bound Receiver
Your receiver should already be wired to the FC and bound to your radio before starting configuration.
Props Off
Remove all propellers before connecting to Betaflight. You will be spinning motors during setup — props cause serious injury.
Ports Setup
Tell Betaflight which UART your receiver is wired to. This is the most common setup failure for new builders.
Connect and Open Configurator
Plug your FC into your computer via USB. Open Betaflight Configurator and click Connect. Navigate to the Ports tab.
Find Your Receiver UART
Identify which UART your receiver's TX wire is soldered to — check your FC wiring diagram or build notes. Commonly UART1 or UART2.
Enable Serial RX
On the correct UART row, toggle on the Serial RX column. Leave all other columns on that UART as-is.
Save and Reboot
Click Save and Reboot. The FC will restart. Reconnect in Configurator and proceed to the Configuration tab.
Receiver Protocol
Match your receiver protocol in Betaflight to what your receiver actually outputs — a mismatch means no stick control.
Go to Configuration Tab
Navigate to the Configuration tab in Betaflight Configurator. Scroll down to the Receiver section.
Set Receiver Mode to Serial
Set Receiver Mode to Serial (via UART). This tells Betaflight to listen for a serial data stream from your receiver.
Select Your Protocol
Set the Serial Receiver Provider to match your receiver. ELRS receivers use CRSF. FrSky uses SBUS. Spektrum uses SRXL2. Check your receiver documentation if unsure.
Verify in Receiver Tab
Save and reboot, then go to the Receiver tab. Move your sticks — all four channels (Roll, Pitch, Throttle, Yaw) should respond in real time. Verify channel mapping matches your radio output.
Motor Direction
Each motor must spin in the correct direction for your quad to fly. Test and reverse in Betaflight — no resoldering needed.
Remove all propellers before testing motors. Test at low throttle only. Spinning props cause serious injury.
Go to the Motors Tab
Navigate to the Motors tab. Confirm props are removed. Enable the motor test slider by toggling the safety checkbox.
Spin Each Motor Individually
Use the individual motor sliders to spin each motor one at a time at low throttle. Observe the spin direction from above the quad.
Check Against Your Layout
Standard Betaflight motor layout: Motor 1 rear-right spins counter-clockwise, Motor 2 rear-left spins clockwise, Motor 3 front-right clockwise, Motor 4 front-left counter-clockwise.
Reverse Wrong Motors in BLHeli
For any motor spinning the wrong way, use the Betaflight motor direction feature (BLHeli passthrough) or BLHeli Configurator to reverse direction digitally. No resoldering required.
Rates Configuration
Rates control how aggressively your quad responds to stick inputs. Start conservative — you can always increase them as your skills grow.
Open the PID Tuning Tab
Navigate to PID Tuning in Configurator and select the Rateprofile Settings tab. This is where stick feel is configured.
Set Rate Type to Actual or Betaflight
Choose Actual rates for intuitive control over max rotation speed, or stick with the Betaflight rate type if following existing rate profiles from the community.
Start with Conservative Values
For a first build, start with RC Rate around 1.0, Expo around 0.5, and Max Vel around 500 deg/s. These give manageable response without being twitchy.
Save and Test
Save your rates, do a final arming check, and take your maiden flight in an open area. Adjust rates after flying based on how the quad feels — not before.
Betaflight Setup Tips
- Always use the Presets tab to apply a community-tested filter and PID baseline for your motor size before your maiden flight — starting from defaults is harder.
- If your FC is not detected by Configurator, try a different USB cable first — charge-only cables are the most common connection issue.
- Use the Receiver tab to verify all stick inputs before arming — confirm Roll, Pitch, Throttle, and Yaw all respond correctly and the channel order matches your radio.
- Save a backup of your working configuration using the CLI Diff All command after your first successful flight — it saves hours if you ever need to restore.