JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM: Most reasonably priced F7 flight controller

Just a few months in the past, I constructed an iFlight Nazgul5 V3 FPV drone, and being on a decent price range, I appeared for an inexpensive however versatile flight controller (FC). Whereas most F7 flight controllers from respected manufacturers akin to Diatone, SpeedyBee, RushFPV, HGLRC, or iFlight have been priced near $100, I discovered this JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM for under $38.

F7 flight controllers are utilized in multirotor and fixed-wing unmanned aerial autos (UAVs), generally referred to as drones. They’re an enormous improve from earlier F3 and F4 flight controllers, providing extra processing energy, elevated connectivity, and improved options.

The JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM flight controller has a robust microcontroller, permitting for quicker knowledge processing and extra superior flight algorithms. This can lead to smoother flight efficiency.

JHEMCU GF30F722 FC: Takeaways

• [Budget friendly] Priced between 35-$50 is probably the most reasonably priced F7 flight controller
• [Faster Calculation and Stable Operation] Boasting quicker calculations, the highly effective STM32F722 CPU can exactly modify the drone’s flight path in actual time.
• [Plug-in-Play DJI HD VTX Support] With plug-in-play compatibility, you’ll be able to simply stream high-quality video out of your drone with out the necessity for added wiring or setup.
• [Six UART ports] This flight controller can interface with a variety of equipment, together with GPS modules and serial radio receivers
• [Integrated 5V/2.5A & 10V/2A dual BEC] Be certain that the drone’s electronics obtain a secure and constant energy supply, bettering efficiency and lowering the danger of part failure.

JHEMCU GF30F722 flight controller evaluate

Shenzhen Jinhang Digital (JHEMCU) was based in 2012 and has headquarters in China. In 2016, they began manufacturing flight controllers and ESCs in their very own manufacturing unit. Now, in addition they have AIO boards, VTXs, and radio receivers.

The JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM comes packed in a clear plastic case with an included ESC and digital FPV cable. A set of silicone rubber grommets can also be offered for a gentle mounting.

The GF30F722 flight controller measures 36x36mm and weighs 8.8 grams. It has 30.5×30.5 (4mm) so it’s extra appropriate for bigger 5-7″ builds. The board has two connectors (ESC and DJI FPV) and a Kind-C port configuration and firmware improve. It may be interfaced with 4 ESCs (motor drivers).

The double-sided board makes use of an STM32F722RET6 32bit microcontroller, ICM-42688-P IMU sensor (6-axis MEMS MotionTracking unit that mixes a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer), air strain barometer sensor, and BetaFlight OSD IC. It has a 16MB flash for knowledge logging (BlackBox). There are solder pins on each side of the FC, which is comprehensible because it has many extension ports.

Out of the field, it comes with BetaFlight V4.3.1 software program (Goal JHEF7DUAL). After I did a configuration backup, I up to date to the newest v4.4.2 firmware.

Pinout and wiring diagram

The JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM flight controller has six UART (Common Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) ports, which let you join numerous peripherals akin to GPS modules, OSDs (On-Display Shows), and telemetry methods. It additionally has devoted pins for the Buzzer and LEDs. All of the soldering pads are properly labeled, which is useful within the soldering and debugging course of. Moreover the DJI HD digital FPV connector, it has devoted pins for analog VTX and digicam.

I accomplished this F7 flight controller with an iFlight BLITZ E55 ESC, AVATAR HD digital FPV package, Walksnail GPS, ELRS radio receiver, and ViFly Buzzer. After greater than fifty flights, no difficulty with the JHEMCU GF30F722-ICM, it really works nicely and lasts so long as these from extra well-known firms.

Pricing and availability

The GF30F722 flight controller may be ordered from Aliexpress, eBay, and well-liked retailers akin to Banggood. The beginning on-line worth is 38$ with free delivery. In the event you don’t want so many UART ports, you can even go for the F4 NOXE V3, which prices solely $16.60.

JHEMCU GF30F722: Technical parameters