I bought this FC since I have one and like it.

BetaFPV F4 2 -3S 20A AIO

https://betafpv.com/products/f4-2-3s-20a-aio-fc-v1

Then I bought this VTX

https://betafpv.com/products/a03-400mw-5-8g-vtx

This will go on a 3" tooth pick. 

For the life of me I cannot figure out how to connect the VTX to the FC.







On the VTX DC, smart audio and ground are pretty easy. I am trying to match up the RX, CAM and VTX pads to the ones on the FC.

The VTX pad on the VTX wants to connect to an OUT pad on the FC but there is no OUT pad on this FC. The CAM pad on the VTX wants to connect to VIN on the FC but I cannot find a VIN on the FC.

I assume I can connect the camera directly to the VTX.

The VIN and OUT connection to the FC are to route the camera feed through the OSD chip on the FC. The problem you have is that FC is a digital-only FC which has no onboard analog OSD chip, so if you want to use that analog VTX with that digital-only FC you're not going to be able to have any Betaflight OSD.

The 2-3S board is for digital VTX only, it does not have an analog OSD chip. You can only connect your camera directly to your VTX, you won't be able to get analog OSD through the FC. Maybe you can find an archaic OSD board that might communicate with BF through a UART, but probably easier to just save that AIO for a digital build.

Thank you gentlemen. I wasn't going senile after all. So no onboard analog OSD chip. That would make a lot of sense. Since a few of the FC I soldered had camera pads directly from the FC.

Ok no problem. I like digital FC and I can save this one for another Walksnail build.

Can you guys recommend a flight controller that is AIO with something like 12A speed controllers and ExpressLRS receiver plus an analog OSD chip?

The reason is that I sort of like this AO3 VTX because it has a cover. All I have to do is to seal those edges and it should be fairly rain resistant. 

Oh and it will be nice to have a 25.5mm X 25.5mm hole pattern also. Ok I am not asking for much. 

I have an GEPRC FC with 35A speed controller but that is a bit heavy and no receiver. Yes I have receivers to solder on but that's just another board to water proof.

Yes I am thinking about a rain resistant 3" analog tooth pick.

Actually connecting the camera directly to the VTX and giving up on the BetaFlight OSD is not completely out of the question. However I would like to at least see the battery voltage if possible.

The happy model x12 is awesome. One board - everything on it Just add camera, VTx antenna, 4 motors and battery.

*** OOps - Sorry. X12 is 1-2S, you probably want 3S. Nvmd. ***

(27-Apr-2024, 12:39 AM)QuadFlyer68 Wrote: The happy model x12 is awesome.  One board - everything on it  Just add camera,  VTx antenna and 4 motors.

The motors I plan to use don't have plugs. I need to check to see if I can solder the wires.

Another question. I have the TBS Unify Pro HV VTX. It only has TX and RX wires to the FC and the VTX connects to the camera direct. So there is no BetaFlight OSD from the TBS?

I would have bought this but not sure how to interpret what is said (or not said) here. Do you think I can update BetaFlight to V4.4 and get ExpressLRS 3.X with this FC?

(27-Apr-2024, 12:45 AM)SeismicCWave Wrote: Another question. I have the TBS Unify Pro HV VTX. It only has TX and RX wires to the FC and the VTX connects to the camera direct. So there is no BetaFlight OSD from the TBS?

You wire your camera signal wire direct to the FC (CAM or Video In pad), then you wire the Video Out or VTX pad of the FC to the Video pin on the TBS Unify Pro HV VTX. By doing that the video signal will pass through the OSD chip on the FC so that Betaflight OSD can be overlaid onto the image before it then goes out to the VTX.

(27-Apr-2024, 12:53 AM)SeismicCWave Wrote: I would have bought this but not sure how to interpret what is said (or not said) here. Do you think I can update BetaFlight to V4.4 and get ExpressLRS 3.X with this FC?

The BMI270 Gyro is natively supported in Betaflight 4.4.x onwards whereas it wasn't in Betaflight 4.3.x  thus the need for some manufacturers to create a custom build of Betaflight 4.3.x for their FCs.

If you want to flash the FC with Betaflight 4.4.x or higher that should be no problem. Obviously, save a CLI "dump" and "diff all" of the current settings before you flash any new firmware to the FC.

If you are staying with 2S only, there are quite a few AIOs that meet your criteria, like the Betafpv one you mentioned (there are many versions, one has a serial RX as well), Happymodel has several, Flywoo, JHEMCU, HGLRC, NBD, and GEPRC have them too (some with onboard VTX).
If you need 3S, then options are much slimmer.
HM has a CrazyF411ELRS that comes with 20A ESCs, but they plugs are presoldered so soldering motors is a bit of a pain, plus there is only one available UART. GEPRC also has a 2-4S 12A AIO with SPI ELRS. And I believe the last one is the DarwinFPV 1-3S 15A AIO also SPI.

(27-Apr-2024, 01:12 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: The BMI270 Gyro is natively supported in Betaflight 4.4.x onwards whereas it wasn't in Betaflight 4.3.x  thus the need for some manufacturers to create a custom build of Betaflight 4.3.x for their FCs.

If you want to flash the FC with Betaflight 4.4.x or higher that should be no problem. Obviously, save a CLI "dump" and "diff all" of the current settings before you flash any new firmware to the FC.

Thank you. Sometimes it is hard to understand and keep track of what they are saying. I took a chance and ordered that. I figured if the SPI Rx will not work I can always solder in an external one. If I can update the firmware to BetaFlight 4.4 and get an ExpressLRS 3.X it will be a lot more convenient.

(27-Apr-2024, 01:41 AM)mstc Wrote: If you are staying with 2S only, there are quite a few AIOs that meet your criteria, like the Betafpv one you mentioned (there are many versions, one has a serial RX as well), Happymodel has several, Flywoo, JHEMCU, HGLRC, NBD, and GEPRC have them too (some with onboard VTX).
If you need 3S, then options are much slimmer.
HM has a CrazyF411ELRS that comes with 20A ESCs, but they plugs are presoldered so soldering motors is a bit of a pain, plus there is only one available UART. GEPRC also has a 2-4S 12A AIO with SPI ELRS. And I believe the last one is the DarwinFPV 1-3S 15A AIO also SPI.

I looked through what is available and seems like the BetaFPV one I linked is going to be fine. So I ordered it. The issue with the Happy Model and other smaller FC's they come with motor plugs. That means I have to buy one more set of motors with plugs installed.

I have collected a whole range of crimpers but I don't have the steady hands and eye sight to crimp something that small. Standard servo (3 wire Dupont) connectors is about my skill limit.

I can still solder but I jig up the wires and the board.

You can still solder to the plugged AIOs, just more difficult. If you don't mind the pain, you can clip off the plugs and then remove the pins (I tried a few times, but for me it was too much trouble) or otherwise just solder onto the back where the pins go through the board if you don't mind ugly (done that a few times too).
But yeah, I thought buying a crimper tool would be a great solution, but trying to crimp this sized plug is too difficult for me as well, I have better luck soldering. Still my first choice is just to get plugged motors at least for the micro size.

(27-Apr-2024, 01:04 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: You wire your camera signal wire direct to the FC (CAM or Video In pad), then you wire the Video Out or VTX pad of the FC to the Video pin on the TBS Unify Pro HV VTX. By doing that the video signal will pass through the OSD chip on the FC so that Betaflight OSD can be overlaid onto the image before it then goes out to the VTX.

Thanks, got it. So the FC has to have an OSD chip to let the image over laid. No OSD chip no Betaflight OSD.