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# RP Flight Controller
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A custom FPV flight controller built around the Raspberry Pi RP2354B.
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This project is a personal hardware design experiment: the idea is to build a modern, digital-only FPV flight controller using a microcontroller family I enjoy working with instead of following the usual STM32-based approach used by most commercial FCs.
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It is made with the only intent of havinf fun designing my own FPV hardware to see how hard it is and to get experience with avionics.
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## Why this project exists
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Most FPV flight controllers are built around STM32 microcontrollers. They work well, but they are also very standardized.
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I wanted to explore a different approach using the Raspberry Pi RP2354B, a modern microcontroller with a lot of IO, onboard flash, PIO peripherals, good documentation, and a development ecosystem I already enjoy.
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Betaflight has started adding support for RP2350-class microcontrollers, which makes this project especially interesting: it becomes possible to imagine a serious RP-based flight controller rather than just a simple development board or proof of concept.
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## Design goals
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The goal is not just to make a minimal board that boots.
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The goal is to design something that looks and feels like a real FPV flight controller:
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- Digital FPV focused
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- Compatible with standard 4-in-1 ESCs
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- Designed around Betaflight
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- Onboard IMU and barometer
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- SD-card Blackbox logging
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- USB-C for configuration and programming
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- Multiple UARTs for receiver, GPS, digital VTX, and expansion
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- External I2C for GPS/compass modules or sensors
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- Buzzer, LED, PWM, ADC, and spare IO pads
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- Clean power architecture with 5 V, 10 V, and 3.3 V rails
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- Debug access for development and board bring-up
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The board is intended to be practical, but the main purpose of the project is learning, design exploration, and demonstrating embedded hardware design skills.
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## Main features
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Planned hardware features include:
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- Raspberry Pi RP2354B microcontroller
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- Onboard flash through the RP2354 package
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- BMI270 IMU
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- BMP581 barometer
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- microSD card slot for Blackbox logging
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- USB-C connector
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- Battery-side 5 V and 10 V regulators
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- 3.3 V logic rail
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- USB or battery-powered 5 V logic rail
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- Digital VTX connector
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- GPS connector
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- ESC connector for a standard 4-in-1 ESC
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- SWD debug connector
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- Buzzer output
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- LED output
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- Spare UART, PWM, ADC, I2C, and GPIO pads
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## Digital-only FPV design
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This flight controller is designed for modern digital FPV systems.
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Because of that, it does not include analog video circuitry, an analog OSD chip, or analog camera routing. OSD support is expected to be handled through the digital VTX using a UART connection.
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This keeps the board more focused and avoids adding legacy video circuitry that I do not personally plan to use.
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## Repository structure
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The repository is organized around the KiCad hardware project and the written documentation.
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```text
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.
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├── README.md
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├── .gitignore
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├── Poundering.typ
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└── RP_FC
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├── RP_FC.kicad_pro
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├── RP_FC.kicad_sch
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├── RP_FC.kicad_pcb
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└── RP_FC.kicad_prl
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```
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## Current status
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This project is still in development.
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The schematic and PCB are not final, and the board has not yet been fully validated. The design may change as parts are selected, routed, reviewed, and eventually tested.
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At this stage, this repository should be viewed as a design-in-progress rather than a finished flight controller ready for production or flight.
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## Disclaimer
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This is an experimental hardware project.
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It is not a certified or production-ready flight controller. Anyone using this design is responsible for reviewing, testing, and validating the hardware before connecting batteries, ESCs, motors, or propellers.
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Never test motors with propellers installed during early bring-up.
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