The DYS F4 Pro V2 FC is a new AIO (all in one) flight controller that has been very popular among mini quad builders. In this review we will take a look at the features and some close up photos.
Make sure to check out this article how to choose flight controllers for quadcopter.
The DYS F4 Pro FC is available from:
- BG: http://bit.ly/dys-f4-pro
- Amazon: http://amzn.to/2E6qLQp
- GetFPV: https://goo.gl/JFVh4c
- Gearbest: http://bit.ly/2tbqTUg
What’s Special about the DYS F4 Pro FC?
The DYS F4 Pro V2 FC is very similar in terms of features and capability to other Betaflight AIO FC’s such as the Kakute F4 and Betaflgiht F3, which all have integrated PDB and OSD that enable much simpler and cleaner builds.
There are a few features that set apart the DYS F4 Pro from other flight controller boards:
- Integrated vibration-damping mounting grommets, therefore no soft mounting bobbins required
- Pin headers for connecting the DYS 4in1 ESC by stacking on top of it without any soldering
- The board has waterproof Conformal Coating
- One of the best FC layout designs IMO
- However, there are some issues with this FC… please read on to learn more
Here is the specification of the DYS F4 Pro:
- STM32 F4 with MPU6000 Gyro
- Support 2S to 6S voltage input
- Voltage output: 5V@3A
- Integrated Betaflight OSD (how to setup betaflight OSD)
- Bulit-in Current Sensor
- Supports Betaflight, using Omnibus F4 target
- Onboard flash memory for blackbox, 8MB
These AIO boards have very thick copper and thus require more higher temperature when soldering. If you are having trouble soldering these flight cotnrollers, make sure to check your solder’s quality first.
Unboxing
The flight controller comes with a XT60 pigtail cable, a buzzer, FC standoffs, some nylon nuts and screws.
Close Look
The DYS F4 Pro FC has a very user-friendly layout: ESC power and signal pads are at the four corners, it even has a signal ground which I always love to see. The ESC power pads are sticking out from the board and separated so there is no risk of shorting one another when soldering, which could happen a lot in other AIO FC’s because the pads are all crammed together.
All the pins and pads are available on both sides, so it doesn’t matter which side you solder the wires to. That is a huge problem in the Betaflight F3 board.
The mounting holes on the DYS F4 Pro are much larger than normal (diameter about 4.2mm vs 3.2mm). The purpose of the larger mounting holes is to fit the vibration damping grommets that come with the FC.
These grommets are made of sillicone material and should help reduce the vibration from motors getting into your flight controller. The same technique is used on the Raceflight Revolt V2 and it’s been proven working very well.
The FC comes with 2 sets of grommets.
The FC has a tiny 8-pin header. This is used to connect the FC to the DYS 4in1 ESC’s. The connector is strengthened by epoxy glue.
Here is the DYS F20A 4in1 ESC we previous reviewed. Before the release of DYS F4, we suspected the connector on it was for FC connections and it turned out to be true. It is indeed a very clean and simple solution since there is no soldering or wiring necessary, the result is as simple as plug-and-play.
However when using this configuration, there are a few issues I realized:
- Vibration from the quadcopter can be transferred to the FC through the PDB/FC header-pin connector. I would have probably used wire harness for that reason
- The integrated PDB of the FC become pointless when pairing with 4in1 ESC, and the copper in the FC becomes dead weight (where you could have saved 5 grams using a FC without PDB capability)
- You lose the current sensing feature, as there is no current sensor on the ESC. You could put the XT60 on the FC, and route the power down to the ESC, but then it gets a bit messy
Not enough hardware inversion! (SBUS and Smart Port Telemetry)
If you use Frsky and want to use Smart Port Telemetry with this board, then you have a problem. This FC only has 1 hardware inverter built-in, which is for the SBUS pin. If you want to use SBUS and Smart Port at the same time, you will have to get the uninverted signal for Smart Port on the RX. Here is how.
Also if you wish to use SBUS on a different UART, you will have to get the uninverted SBUS signal from the RX, because those UART’s might not have hardware inversion.
Bug in Betaflight 3.1.7
Apparently there is a bug with the SBUS in this FC. If you flash this board with Betaflight 3.1.7, it will uninvert the already inverted UART1, which is designated for SBUS. If you are having trouble getting SBUS to work with this FC, try to downgrade your firmware back to 3.1.6 and you should be fine.
The stock firmware that comes with this FC is also Betaflight 3.1.6.
Another strange bug is that the firmware flashing wouldn’t go all the way if you choose “erase all settings”.
Update: There is a custom version of BF 3.1.7 that has fixed the issue, you can download it from here. The bug should be fixed in future 3.2.0 stable release.
Conclusion
Overall there is nothing new, but DYS has done a good job in some small details that were overlooked by other FC manufacturers. It would make this a great board if the performance and reliability can match other well established betaflight flight controllers. Also I would love to see the bugs we mentioned fixed in the future.
67 comments
i do have this dys-f4-pro-fc
and trying use it for a tricopter
I’m using m1,2,3 but where does the servo attach to the board
and i like to use crossfire
thanks
You can use LED_Strip as the servo signal, just remap it in CLI. Google “how to setup servo in Betaflight” if you are not sure :) Always a good place to start.
Hello….what’s the difference between using DYS F4 PRO V2 firmware and OMNIBUSF4 firmware from Betaflight? Seems like they both might work. Thanks. Jim
Hey Oscar…how do I hook up Flysky IBUS? Is it even possible, I hope. Thanks. Jim
Hi Oscar.
for this statement:
“You lose the current sensing feature, as there is no current sensor on the ESC. You could put the XT60 on the FC, and route the power down to the ESC, but then it gets a bit messy”…
should i remove the 12v connector from the ESC? im getting “4.1v on 5v pins”. i assume that i have an error on the battery source connection?
Battery is directly connected to the PBEC ESCs board.
is it posible use with inav an airplane only how to instal 3 servos for plane
When I arm and apply stick inputs, it disarms after 30 seconds to a minute of hovering and also bench testing. I get no low RSSI warnings on my Taranis, it is not a failsafe. Tried re-soldering the crossfire receiver wires and replacing the antenna just in case. What could be causing it to constantly disarm?
Please upload a blackbox log, and share the link to our forum, IntoFPV.com
The input from receiver write only ppm and there is no channel so how may i connect channel.
Channel: Aileron-CH1, Elevator-CH2, Throttle-CH3, Rudder-CH4
Any experience using the ublox mini M8N gps with this? Got GPS connected status in betaflight but no satellites or FIX, tried with another gps too, no dice.
Same problem, although I get like 8 satellites just can’t get LAT or LONG co ordinates or a FIX.
Help me, i can’t control my drone by TX: youtube.com/watch?v=5G_Ts70RcQo i don’t know why. This is my the first project. Thank your help!
okay I watched the video. It looks like you are using SF for the arm switch, and you need to turn the SF to its 3rd position down to arm your quad.
Very helpfull tips as I’m starting a build with a DYS F4 PRO V2 (same as this one, not the new one with esc in corners).
Is it better to flash it with the latest Betaflight Omnibus F4 or the custom 3.1.7 ?
I think so, I always upgrade FC firmware for a new build :)
Do the pins from the FC need to be 100% seated in the plug on the ESC? I am using stand-offs that are a little taller between the fc and esc so there is still about 1mm of silver pin visible.
Is this going to cause any kind of connection issue?
Good morning oscar,
I bought the Dys F4 Pro, and I have a problem, when I turn on the engines, the drone goes crazy, and the drone moves left and right continuously, I tried to change PIDs and other data but it always does ,
I also tried from dshot 600 to go to dshot 1200 and always does the same problem, even in multishot.
Will the new FE be broken?
check number 4 in this post:
http://intofpv.com/t-common-problems-and-solutions-with-mini-quads
@FABIO, did you resolved this issue?
I have something similary, check the videos:
– setting motors to max in BF (all is good, motors working well): youtu.be/54UobEOm97w
– arming quad from RC (it goes crazy and motors getting really HOT quickly): youtu.be/dbNFeiHaTek
What I have found till now:
– RXSR correctly gets the values from RC (saw in BF)
– tried BLHeli 16.7 and 16.6 with default values
– The same behavior in Betaflight 3.3.2 and 3.3.1
What else can I do?
Hey Oscar it’s worth noting on the “upgrade” / new version of this FC (>11/2017) DYS has managed to flip flop the uart 3 tx/rx again.
Smartport/fport should be wired to “RX3” on their diagram.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for mentioning this. I bought and returned several of these flight controllers thinking the UART3 port was broken after lots of testing. I was about to give up and now my TF Mini Lidar works!
Does the hard serial port work for smart audio (TX6) and smart port (RX3?) or will soft serial ports need to be mapped to these address spaces for the inversion to work properly?
Have a question concerning “Upgrade DYS 30.5×30.5mm F4 Pro V2 Flight Controller AIO OSD & 5V 9V 3.3V BEC & Current Sensor” from Banggood. Link: banggood.com/DYS-30_5x30_5mm-Omnibus-F4-Pro-Flight-Control-Integrated-with-OSD-5V-BEC-and-Current-Sensor-p-1136875.html?cur_warehouse=CN
There is a pad called “CURT” near Video Out. I could not find its explanation. It is also not present on previous DYS F4 Pro board neither I did not find corresponding pad on other FCs. What is its function?
I2C
it’s probably a current sensor output.
It’s a current sensor input, not output.
hey guys
by the way how to make voltage value to display,i also use dys f4 butvi dont know where should i solder.
Please respond as soon as possible.
thanks
I can’t get this to connect to BF. I have a solid red LED on the board and it can’t connect. all other components on the board work ok (i.e. VTX and FPV vid ok, RX binds) however ESCs only do the first 3 tones. Did I fry the board at some point? Brand new build, haven’t even flown it yet!
The last 2 tones from the ESC is confirming there is a throttle signal and then confirming that the throttle value is ‘0’ and the ESC’s are ready to fly. Make sure that the RX signal wire/wires are properly connected. Can you get other FC connected to BetaFlight? If not it could be to do with drivers on your PC.
Similar problem currently being diagnosed in this thread – http://intofpv.com/t-flight-controller-locked-up
I’ve had 2 DYS F4 Pro flight controllers fail on me – no output to motor 3 no matter what I do. Last one just happened after a no issue flight-just landed -swapped lipo -armed and motor 3 would not spin.One thing I did notice was that suddenly the osd was showing a higher than normal voltage yet I was getting the Land Now warning and this was with a normal 4s pack- that’s all I fly with. On the first FC I replaced both the motor and the esc and it still would not spin. Flashing older firmware or selecting a different esc protocolt the problem still persists ,In think something is up with the quality of the DYS….
I had the same case with Motor 2: no reason and absolutely stopped to arm, the software in the betaflight did not see it, even after changing the esc problem did not falter. I think and from what they say the disorder will have this ailment and how to once see esc is the end !!! I will say that it flew well, but fc is neither wet nor waterproof, because I always made trouble during wilgornych dni. For the first time reset, after some two weeks he turned off the esc and the end of flying – a total of two months of using only and taking care of about equipment.
I ordered a DYS F4 pro Flightcontroller from Flitetest. I build it into my drone and at first everything worked just fine, I could connect to betaflight flash frimware and do some settings, but then this happened, and my accelerometer and gyro didn’t work anymore.
youtu.be/bTGPuxZCGxI
Did you have any luck hooking up an led strip to this board? I’m having issues
I have a question, i have the DYS F4 pro FC and am using a D4R-ii receiver in PPM mode… When i plug the battery it take a long time before the FC see my receiver… it can take 30 sec to 1 or more minute ??? I solder my ppm wire ppm pad on the board the one on the side of the board the inside pad is the RSSI …
If some one know a solution for my probleme it will be apreciate !!!
Hey Oscar, love all your posts!
i got this combo and current sensing isnt’ that big of a deal for me. Question is: If i plug these two boards together, do i have to run a power and ground cable from the esc to the fc?
no, the FC would be powered through the header pins.
Hi,
Just upgraded to BF3.2 rc5.. used dysf4pro target.
Quad flies fine but,
I don’t remember having these problems before the upgrade, now
1)I have no power to the rx(xsr) on USB alone&
2) I don’t get telemetry till arming.
You think it’s FW or did I fry something? Will downgrade to 3.1.6 when get home and check again..
Would be happy for your input.
thanks
BK9
well, after flashing 3.1.6- still no power to Rx with usb so i guess something failed physically. still flies fine though!
ps: anyone got the current meter scale right?- its giving me grief
BK
for current meter I use scale 480 and offset of 10, it is pretty close. I did the calibration from holding the quad down and using clamp meter to read current. Was only game enough to take it up to 20amp which was maybe 1/4 throttle.
It was more accurate up high.
Regards
Q: Does this controller support the new ESC 32bit Dshot1200?
Yes with the latest BF firmware.
Hello Oscar,
i like the FC, but im not happy about the lost of current sensing by using the 4in1 ESC.
Your wrote about the fix “You could put the XT60 on the FC, and route the power down to the ESC, but then it gets a bit messy”
Is there an understandable guide for this workarround ?
thanks a lot
Basically, solder the XT60 pigtail to the FC, then use a piece of wire to connect the power pads (+/-) on the FC to the ESC power pads (+/-).
Because the motors are connected to the 4in1 ESC, current won’t go through the current sesnor on the FC, you see?
I guess you could still use the current sensor, by giving the 4in1 ESC power from the ESC power pads on the FC, but you will need to connect all four of them on the FC for max safety.
My understanding is the FC is powered through the multi pin connector between the FC and ESC, so the FC is grounded for operation. It should be as simple as running the XT-60 POSITIVE to the FC, POSITIVE and then jumber the FC NEGATIVE to the POSITIVE on the ESC. Connect the XT-60 NEGATIVE to the ESC NEGATIVE. This should bring the current meter online as all current from the battery will be routed through it.
Messy maybe, but with some time I feel like it can be bade to look great!
thanks for this review. i’m having problems installing a lemonrx/spektrum dsmx sat. i’m using betaflight 3.2. it seems that it’s not reading the signal wire. i solder it on to the RX3. i have the V2 board as well. thanks in advance for any tip you can offer.
sorry bud, I am not using Spektrum stuff..
I am using a Spektrum DSMX Sat connected to RX3 on BF3.2 RC2. It connected with no issues. Be sure to double check the pin out labeling as above on this page as it is correct. Many are mislabeled, including the ones that come in the package and on most other websites. TX3 and RX3 are reversed. When correct TX3 will be just inboard (left) of SBUS and RX3 will be just inboard (left) of TX1
Hello,
I’m also still having trouble with getting a lemon sat to work with this v2 board. I have the signal wire going to RX3, I am 3.2.1 and have tried using “set spektrum_sat_bind = 9” to get the spek to go into the binding procedure.
A single tiny light flashes when i power on for a half second, but that’s it.
Still nothing. Any chance you have any idea how to fix this?
Thanks.
rx3 and tx3 are switched on the diagram. dys made a typo. try putting your signal wire in the tx3 location because its really rx3. should work.
Which one of these has the correct pin out labeling represented? Here on the oscarliang.com page or this Link below?
pirofliprc.com/assets/images/18156146_1783839238598180_8309787415687443878_o.jpg
Mine should be the correct one as it’s from DYS’s website which is the most up to date.
Yes indeed. Yours is the correct one.
Hey Oscar, I don´t want to lose the current sensing feature, I´ll put the XT60 on the FC, and route the power down to the ESC, but then the 5V BEC of the FC will be connected with de 5V BEC of the 4in1… in theory, there must be no problem with that… what do you think?
Yea I do admit it’s a tricky situation, the 2 boards just don’t seem to be designed to work that well :)
I think the safest you could do is to snap the 5V pin on the FC connecting to the ESC, with a wire cutter maybe
Hello, that does not have to be the Bat +/- on header pin? Yesterday I xt60 soldered to the fc but comes to the pin Bat +/- no lipo voltage. Do you have that too? My ESC will not start then!
I made the mistake of flashing the version 3.1.7 firmware and I believe it is contributing to the problem I have….
When I try to plug the board into Betaflight via USB, the LEDs don’t turn on at all. I am unable to connect the board to Betaflight to program. When I plug my battery in, a single red LED lights up on the board, and the ESC’s do not go through their full sequence. It was working just fine yesterday when I initially flashed the board. Now when I try to downgrade the firmware, I get the “No response from bootloader, programming: Failed” message. Not sure what this means, I’m new to the hobby.
Any solutions? I am running DYS XSD 20a ESC’s if that helps.
Thanks
Could be a driver issue, here is the fix.
I’m having a similar issue What do you think the red light could mean?
Everything works for me but it wont arm. Motors work fine in blheli and bf. ESC arm but when I arm with aux i get nothing. I dont remember seeing the solid red light when I used this fc on another quad.
Has anyone found a solution for this? I’ve got two boards doing this and can’t find out what the red LED means.
Do you know if this board has a built-in LC Filter for Video Power?
yes it does have inductor and capacitors on the power.
You should also mentioned that the TX3 and RX3 are backward (mislabeled) on both version 1 and version 2 of the board.
There is a version of 3.1.7 for this board with the right pin inverted for SBUS. You just have to download it. The pirofliprc.com product page has a direct link to it.
It seems like a great FC so far. I got one with a DYS 30A 4 in 1 to try the stack. The downside of this combo (as mentioned) is the loss of the current sensor and that it will need m3 bobbins under the stack, but everyone should have a bunch of those bobbins lying around by now, right? RIGHT?! Well you should!
You are totally right, I have added a link for this firmware.
Are you sure this is the v2? I’m a little confused with this board as there is a version that has additional pads in the place of the header pins and has an additional inverter so you can run telemetry. I just bought 2 of these with plans of setting up telemetry so hopefully it’s the right one. Here is the one I bought: https://www.racedayquads.com/collections/flight-controllers/products/dys-aio-f4-flight-controller-v2-fc
Yea it even says “V2” on the prints on the FC :D
I don’t see it mentions “support for smart port”, so it looks like we have the same board. You probably need to get the uninverted signal from the receiver :)
Project Blue Falcon has some great videos on this DYS F4 flight controller.He addresses the SBUS and Smart Port issues.