Today there are many popular flight controllers on market, Sush as KK2 board, ArduPilot APM, 3DR Pixhawk, Naze32, MultiWii Pro, KISS,Lux flight controller, DJI NAZA-M V2 etc. Which is the right one for your drone? Before this, I had post a article about How to choose best flight controller for quadcopter,May be of use to you!
Which factors need to consider?
There are things to consider when choosing for the ultimate flight controller for your drone. Remember that drone flight controller systems are many and varied and can be a bit overwhelming especially for beginners.In order to know what is the best flight controller for your drone, first figure out your needs. Are you an apprentice and just trying to build one just for a hobby? Do you want a fast and racing style drone? Or are you into photography or videography? You must also consider your budget because prices of flight controllers vary.
For example, a Flyduino KISS flight controller which is used for racing and freestyle drones may cost around $45- $50 while the DJI A3 which is best in Pro Aerial Photography costs around $900.
The ability to setup easily and the firmware are also a thing to consider. Look for boards that are compatible with the configurator software packages.
The handling and balancing capabilities of a flight controller must be looked at carefully because not all drones fly the same. Remember that some flight controllers are better than the others. Always look for what kind of sensors the flight controller supports. GPS is very useful for autonomous flights and also for videography and photography. A Magnetometer is also useful for detecting direction. A Barometer is used to hold altitude which is a requirement for cinematography.
Which flight controller?
The KK2 board is easy to setup and supports most flight configurations that is why it is popular among beginners. The CC3D flight controller is best for racing drone because it is compatible with OpenPilot software.The ArduPilot APM supports GPS and autonomous flight and has more important sensors than in any ordinary flight controllers making it more expensive. It supports all kinds of sensors and has telemetry and flight logging capabilities.
The 3DR Pixhawk is one of the best flight controllers in the market. It is best to use in autonomous flights. It has backup system supports all kinds of sensors and other different flight considerations.
The Naze32 has a barometer system and is among the most popular in the market.
The MultiWii Pro is cheap and is readily available worldwide. It is capable of stabilizing remote control style plane, helicopter or a multicopter. It has a barometer, magnetometer, and GPS.
The KISS flight controller is mostly used in small sized drones. It does not have many features but you can be able to navigate through the user interface without causing a lot of confusion. It offers basic configuration settings and monitoring tools.
The Lux flight controller is flexible because it runs the firmware known as CleanFlight. The Lux flight controller has a lot of hardware features that are needed to take advantage of CleanFlight, Betaflight and Raceflight.
The DJI NAZA-M V2 is best to use if you want to do an aerial photography. The flight characteristics are smooth and easy to fly with. It best for cinematographers and good for beginners for you does not have to worry about flying perfectly in order to get the best shot.
Want to know more about these flight controllers? I wrote about the comparison table of these flight controllers. Read more: Flight controller board comparison
