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Betaflight Basics

The configurator is where a pile of parts becomes an aircraft with opinions. This page is a tab-by-tab orientation — what each screen owns, what a first-time setup touches, and what to leave alone. The 5″ build page has the condensed 10-step version for that specific quad; this is the map behind it.

BNF does not mean configured

A bind-and-fly quad arrives with someone's configuration, not yours. Failsafe behaviour, arm switch, rates and OSD warnings are all still your job — a BNF skips the soldering, not this page.

🟢 Start — before you touch anything:

  • Props off. Every configurator session, no exceptions (Module 10).
  • Connect over USB. If the board doesn't enumerate, it's a driver problem, not a broken FC — see Flashing firmware for the driver notes.
  • CLI tab → diff all → save the output to a file. That text is your entire configuration. Do it now (the factory state) and after every session. Restoring a quad is pasting that file back; losing it means an evening of archaeology.

The tabs, in the order that avoids rework​

TabOwnsFirst-time setup
SetupSanity viewMove the quad; the 3D model must match. Flat surface → calibrate accelerometer
PortsWhich UART talks to whatReceiver UART → Serial RX; VTX UART → SmartAudio/Tramp/MSP. One protocol per UART
ConfigurationBoard & protocol basicsMotor protocol DShot600; bidirectional DShot ON (the RPM filter needs it — Module 9); board orientation if the FC is rotated
Power & BatteryVoltage/current sensingConfirm cell count detection; warning at 3.5 V/cell (Battery)
FailsafeWhat happens when the link dropsDrop, then bench-test it: arm props-off, radio off, motors must stop (Receiver calls this the highest-consequence setting)
PID TuningGains, filters, ratesLeave defaults for the maiden. Set rates to taste; tune only with logs (Module 9)
ReceiverChannel checkSticks move the right bars the right way; endpoints ~1000–2000 (Radio Transmitter)
ModesSwitch assignmentsArm on its own switch; beeper; flip-over-after-crash. Nothing else on day one
MotorsOrder & direction testProps off, spin each motor: order and direction per the diagram; fix direction in ESC firmware, not by re-soldering
OSDWhat you see in gogglesVoltage, timer, link quality, warnings. Fly the voltage, not the clock
BlackboxLoggingOn, from flight one — the maiden log is your baseline forever

🟡 Hands-on — the ideas behind the screens:

  • Presets (the magnifying-glass tab) apply community-maintained bundles — the RC link preset for your ELRS packet rate is the one genuinely worth applying on day one; it sets the feel-related plumbing correctly for your latency.
  • Everything is CLI underneath. Each screen edits named variables (get/set in the CLI). This is why diff all captures everything, and why firmware docs talk in CLI names — the GUI is a viewport, and a reason this stack is such a good teacher (Module 7).
  • Change one thing at a time once it flies. The configurator makes shotgun changes easy and diagnosis impossible — the same one-variable discipline Module 9 applies to tuning applies here.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • Configuring with props on "just for a second". No.
  • Testing failsafe for the first time in the air.
  • Fixing motor direction by swapping wires after already soldering — it's a checkbox in the ESC configurator.
  • Pasting an old diff all into a new major firmware version and expecting sanity — restore settings selectively after big jumps (Flashing firmware).
  • Flying without OSD voltage because "it's just a hover test".

Where this connects