UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

A UAV, often referred to as a “drone,” is an unmanned aircraft that can be flown remotely or operate autonomously. In the DIY and FPV scene, this usually means multirotors with four (quadcopter), six (hexacopter), or more motors. UAVs consist of many individual components that must work together flawlessly.

FC – Flight Controller

The Flight Controller (FC) is the brain of the drone. Using various sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, etc.), it measures the aircraft’s attitude and controls the motors to maintain the desired flight behavior.

In Betaflight, the FC is the central element for:

• Stabilization (gyro & PID loop)
• Flight modes (Acro, Angle, Horizon, GPS Rescue, etc.)
• Communication with the receiver, ESCs, and peripherals (OSD, GPS, VTX)

ESC – Electronic Speed Controller

An ESC is an electronic speed controller that converts commands from the flight controller into precise control signals for each motor. ESCs can be individual units or combined as a 4-in-1 board (controlling all four motors).

Functions include:

• Controlling motor speed
• Supplying power to the motors
• Telemetry (current, voltage, temperature – depending on the firmware)

Rx – Receiver

The receiver (Rx) receives control signals from the transmitter (radio controller) and forwards them to the flight controller, either digitally or via PWM. Modern receivers usually use serial protocols such as:

• CRSF (Crossfire and ExpressLRS)