Betaflight

Betaflight is an open-source firmware for flight controllers used in multirotor drones, primarily in FPV racing and freestyle. It originated as a fork of Cleanflight by the Betaflight Team in the mid-2010s and has since grown into a widely used platform maintained by a global community of developers and pilots.

Key features include a configurable PID control system, multiple flight modes (Angle, Horizon, and Acro), advanced filtering of sensor data, and dynamic notch filtering to reduce motor noise. It supports blackbox logging for post-flight analysis, GPS and compass integration, OSd and VTX control, and robust failsafe and arming options. The firmware also offers PID tuning, rate profiles, power management, and various safety checks to prevent misconfiguration.

Hardware and software: Betaflight runs on flight controllers with ARM Cortex-M MCUs (commonly STM32 F4/F7/H7) and compatible sensors. Configuration is performed via Betaflight Configurator, a desktop application built on Electron that communicates with the board over USB to flash firmware, adjust settings, and monitor telemetry.

Impact and community: Betaflight is widely adopted in FPV racing and freestyle communities due to its performance and breadth of features. It is open-source and actively developed by volunteers and manufacturers, with frequent updates and a large ecosystem of compatible flight controllers, accessories, and integration tools.