FPV, or First Person View, is a hobby riddled with acronyms that can sometimes be confusing, even for those familiar with the field. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a comprehensive glossary of the most commonly used technical terms and acronyms in the FPV and RC (Remote Control) world. This list aims to serve as a helpful guide for both newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts. If you find any missing terms, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
A bando is an abandoned building popular with freestyle pilots to fly through.
BNF
Bind and Fly
A BNF model is a pre-built model similar to an RTF, but minus the radio transmitter. You need your own radio to bind to it.
PDB
Power distribution board
A board designed to carry high current, it's built with copper traces used to connect various electronic components such as LiPo battery, ESCs, Video transmitter, LEDs etc
IMU
Inertial Measurement Unit
A Break Out Board containing sensors that reads and sends data to the flight controller
Cinelifter
A cinelifter is a type of quad that is designed to carry large professional cameras like the Blackmagic Pocket and Red Komodo. Cinelifters typically use 6" or larger propellers and often have 8 motors (in X8 config).
Cinewhoop
A cinewhoop is a ducted quad (with prop guards) that's primarily made for cinematic shots close to people, animal and properies. Cinewhoops tend to be slower than freestyle drones which makes them great for smooth and up-close shots.
Toothpick
A class of small quadcopters, aka ultra-light micro quad, usually equipped with 2.5" or More info3" propellers.
Tiny Whoop
A class of ultra small quadcopters with ducts (propeller guards). More info
MegaPirate
A cloned flight controller software of the Arducopter
RX
"Radio Receiver" or the "RX pin in a UART"
A device that receives commands from the radio transmitter, and sends them directly to the servos or flight Controller. More info. RX can also mean the receiving pin in a serial connection on a flight controller. More info
VRX
Video Receiver
A device that receives video signal from our video Transmitter, and display the live footage on our FPV goggle or screen.
VTX
Video Transmitter
A device that sends video signal from the FPV camera, to video receiver / FPV goggles. More info
Diversity Receiver
A diversity receiver has two separate receiver chains, and it will select the stronger signal. A diversity receiver can generally offer better signal quality than a non-diversity one.
Air Mode
A feature in Betaflight firmware, it keeps PID controller active even when throttle is at zero when the drone is armed. More info
AH
Altitude hold
A flight mode that maintains height of the drone using a barometric sensor (BARO), or ultrasonic sensor
frame
A frame is a structure in a drone that holds all of the components, typically made of carbon fibre as it's light weight and rigid.
JST
A generic type of battery connector for low power micro drones.
RTH
Return to Home
A GPS feature that when enabled, it returns the aircraft to the "home" position where it took off.
FOV
Field of View
A measurement how much environment you can see through a camera lens. Usually measured in degrees.
Failsafe
A mechanism to minimize damage to the qud and nearby objects in the event of a radio signal loss or system failure. More info
KK
Kaptein Kuk
A multicopter flight controller designed by Rolf Bakke in 2012
Naked GoPro
A naked GoPro has all the unnecessary parts removed except the motherboard and camera module to minimize its weight. https://oscarliang.com/gopro-10-bones/
OSD
On Screen Display
A piece of hardware that overlays flight data in text or graphical form over an existing live stream video.
Pigtail
A pigtail, in FPV, typically refers to the battery connector cable that is soldered onto an 4in1 ESC. Pigtails also refer to a long SMA antenna adapter cable.
PNP
Plug and Play
A PNP quadcopter kit usually comes without the receiver, transmitter, battery and FPV Goggles.
Locked in
A positive description of a multirotor's stable and on-rail flying performance
ACC
Accelerometer
A sensor that measures acceleration forces in a specific direction.
I2C
Inter-Integrated Circuit
A serial bus that allows multiple low speed peripherals, such as sensors, to be connected to a microprocessor.
Trim
A small constant offset applied to a control.
Curr / CRT
Current
A solder pad on ESC / FC for current sensor data
Angle Mode
A stabilized flight mode using both gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. More info
Multishot
A type of analogue ESC protocol to replace Oneshot
Oneshot
Oneshot125
A type of analogue ESC protocol to replace PWM
XT90
A type of battery connector for large FPV drones. It's larger than XT60.
XT30
A type of battery connector for micro FPV drones. It's smaller than XT60.
ADC
Analogue to Digital Converter
A type of circuit that converts analogue signal to digital signal; In EdgeTX and OpenTX hardware settings, there is an "ADC Filter" option for reducing stick jitters, which is great for planes and wings that uses servos, but should be turned off for multirotors to minimize latency.
A type of digital filter that reduces high frequency signal. More info
Brushless Motor
A type of electrical motor that is commonly used in multirotors. They have a wide range of voltage input, more durable and powerful than brushed motors. How to choose mini quad motors
CC3D
CopterControl 3D
A type of flight controller
Crius
A type of flight controller board
APM
ArduPilot Mega
A type of flight controller board that uses the ArduPilot firmware
Brushed Motor
A type of motor that is commonly used in small multirotors, they are generally powered by 1S batteries, and weaker than brushless motors
TRI
Tricopter
A type of multicopter that has 3 motors and a servo for yaw control.
HEXA
Hexacopter
A type of multicopter, that has 6 motors, no servos, all motors on same level.
OCTO
Octocopter
A type of multicopter, that has 8 motors, no servos, all motors on same level.
V-tail
A type of multirotor that has 4 motors, 2 tail motors form a V shape, it has no servo.
Y4
A type of multirotor that has 4 motors, 2 tail motors one on top of the other, it looks like a tricopter but has no servo
X8
A type of multirotor that has 8 motors and of a shape of X, 4 motors on top, 4 motors at bottom, no servo
EEPROM
Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
A type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices to store small amounts of data that must be saved when power is removed, e.g.,static calibration/reference tables. Unlike bytes in most other kinds of non-volatile memory, individual bytes in a traditional EEPROM can be independently read, erased, and rewritten.
DD
Direct Drive
A type of prop designed to go straight on a motor shaft without a gear reduction.
SF
Slow fly
A type of propellers that are designed to go on a motor using a gear reduction to lower rotational speed
TAER1234
A type of radio channel mapping. It means mapping throttle as channel 1, Aileron (roll) as channel 2, Elevator (pitch) as channel 3, and Rudder (yaw) as channel 4
JST-SH
A type of small connector for lower current applications, such as signals
GIT
A version control system for software developers.
Buzzer
A very loud speaker commonly used in drones, for the purpose of low voltage and lost model alarms. More info
BEC
Battery Eliminator Circuit
A voltage regulator found in some PDB, ESC, FC and VTX. They are designed to provide constant voltage, e.g. 5V and 12V, for other RC equipment such as FPV camera and radio receiver
PPM SUM (CPPM)
Pulse Position Modulation
A way of sending sequence of multiple signals down one signal wire. More info
Flow
A word often used in the FPV hobby to describe fast and smooth flying with style
Rate Mode
A.K.A. Acro Mode, and Manual mode. It's a flight mode that only uses the gyro sensor. More info
Acro
Acrobatic
Acrobatic is a flying style which involves a large amount of flips and rolls and extreme maneuver. Acro is also sometimes used interchangeably with rate mode and manual mode. More info
Ground Effect
Air turbulence from propellers bouncing off the ground when the copter is hovering at low altitude
UAV
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Aircraft without a human pilot onboard. Control is provided by an onboard computer, remote control or combination of both.
Active Braking
AKA "Damped Light", it's a feature in BLHeli that improves throttle responsiveness.
LiPo
Lithium Polymer Battery
Aka LiPoly. It's the most commonly used power source for the RC hobby these days because of its high energy storage density-to-weight and high discharge rate. More info
ELEV
Elevator
Also known as pitch, it's the letter "E" in channel map, TAER1234 or AETR1234
AIL
Ailerons
Also known as roll (It's the letter "A" in channel map, TAER1234 or AETR1234)
RUD
Rudder
Also known as yaw, it's the letter "R" in channel map, (TAER1234 or AETR1234)
Kalman Filter
An algorithm used in Multicopter Flight controllers. It is primarily used to combine accelerometer and gyro data to provide an accurate description of aircraft attitude and movement in real time.
ARTF (ARF)
Almost Ready to Fly
An ARTF or ARF model is a pre-built model that usually includes everything you need to fly, except the radio transmitter and receiver.
AWG
American wire gauge
An electrical wire size measurement, the larger the number, the smaller the wire. More info
MAG
Magnetometer
An electronic compass - used to let our FC ( Flight Controller ) know which direction it is pointed in, compared to the Earth's Magnetic field
SimonK
An ESC firmware designed for multirotors, but no longer updated and now obsolete
Stack
An FC stack refers to a flight controller sitting on top of a 4in1 ESC board. A stack is often sold as a combo.
LC FILTER
L = Inductor C = Capacitor
An LC filter is a circuit that reduces unwanted frequencies (noise) from a power supply. A video feed needs stable power to operate optimally and an LC filter smooths the input power.
RTF
Ready to Fly
An RTF model is a pre-built model that's sold with everything you will need in order to fly right out of the box.
mAh
milli-amp per hour
An unit that measures the capacity of a LiPo battery
Drone
An unmanned aircraft that is guided remotely by a pilot. For military use, these aircraft have weapons and/or surveillance gear. For personal/recreational use, these aircraft often have HD cameras. The term is popular in the media and can be misleading sometimes. More info
Proximity
Any flying close to objects or the ground.
Punch out
Ascending vertically at 100% throttle.
AUX
Auxiliary Channels
AUX Channels are additional channels to the 4 channels that are used for the control sticks (throttle, yaw, roll and pitch). AUX1 is channel 5, AUX2 is channel 6, etc... Auxiliary channels are used for the switches, rotary controls and sliders etc. These can be used for changing flight modes & controlling peripherals
Avatar
Avatar is a proprietary HD digital video transmission system created by Walksnail (owned by Caddx) released in 2022. More info
UBEC
Universal Battery Elimination Circuit
Basically just a DC voltage regulator.
BF
Betaflight
Betaflight is a popular flight controller firmware for FPV drones. More info
C Rating
C rating in LiPo batteries refers to the maximum current a battery can deliver to the quad's ESC and distribute to the motors and other parts that require power. However every battery manufacturer seems to have different standard when it comes to C rating and often the numbers are inflated, so take it as a grain of salt. https://oscarliang.com/lipo-battery-guide/#C-Rating
Cap
Capacitor
Capacitors, or caps, are cylinder components with two legs that are soldered onto ESC's power pads for reducing electrical noise, which is better for video quality and flight performance. https://oscarliang.com/capacitors-mini-quad/
CC2500
CC2500 is an RF chip in radio internal modules. It supports multiple radio protocols like FrSky ACCST V1 and Futaba SFHSS.
RF
Radio Frequency
Common radio frequency in the FPV hobby are 2.4gHz, 900mHz and 433mHz. More info
Crossfire is a proprietary 915/868MHz long-range radio protocol created by TBS. People who use Crossfire find it to be easy to install and configure, while it also offers excellent range thanks to the low frequency. https://oscarliang.com/crossfire-betaflight/
CW / CCW
Clockwise / Counter-Clockwise
CW and CCW refer to a propeller's desired rotational direction. Each quadcopter uses two clockwise and two counter-clockwise propellers. They must be installed correctly for the drone to take off. The direction of the prop is typically etched on top of the blade. https://oscarliang.com/choose-propellers-mini-quad/
DC
Direct Current
DC is the type of electricity that comes from power source with Positive and Negative (+ and -), such as a battery. In DC circuitry Negative is often referred to as GND, Ground or common.
BLDC
Brushless Direct Current Motor
Despite your quadcopter using a DC battery, BLDC motors are not to be confused with the brushless motors on a quad, which actually run on 3 Phase AC.
Digital
Digital in FPV typically refers to HD digital video transmission, as opposed to analog. Digital FPV systems includes DJI, HDZero, and Avatar that transmit digital signals with at least 720p or 1080p resolution video stream.
DJI
Da Jiang Inovation
DJI is the world's leading consumer drone manufacturer.
DSSS
Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum
DSM uses Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) modulation technique. As with other spread spectrum technologies, the transmitted signal takes up more bandwidth than the information signal that modulates the carrier or broadcast frequency. The name 'spread spectrum' comes from the fact that the carrier signals occur over the full bandwidth (spectrum) of a device's transmitting frequency.
EMI
Electro-Magnetic Interference
EMI is disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to either electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source.
ESC
Electronic Speed Control
ESC is used to convert signals from a flight controller or radio receiver, and apply the right amount of power to the electric motors. It also turns DC voltage into AC in order to spin up the 3-phase brushless motor. More info
Expo
Exponential
Expo refers to a drone's rate setting that increases or decreases the sensitivity around center stick, having some expo can help make finer movements and it does not affect the maximum rotational speed at full stick. https://oscarliang.com/rates/
ExpressLRS
ExpressLRS or ELRS, is a long-range, open-source radio protocol that's widely accepted as one of the best radio protocols for FPV as of 2023. https://oscarliang.com/expresslrs/
FET
Field-effect transistor
FET's are transistors on ESC's, they take small electrical signals from the flight controller and controls the much larger current flow from the battery to the motors. Think of them as on/off switches, and they can switch extremely quickly (tens of thousands of times per second).
FW
Firmware
Firmware is a software designed for a specific piece of hardware / equipment.
FC
Flight Controller
Flight Controller is the brain of your multirotor. More info
AL
Auto Levelling or Self-Level
Flight modes that keep the copter level when it's not controlled.
S
Cell Count - "Cells connected in series"
For example, a 4S LiPo is a LiPo battery with 4 cells connected in series, nominal voltage is 14.8V (4x3.7).
P
Battery cells in parallel
For example, a LiPo battery of 4S2P, has two 4S batteries connected in parallel.
freestyle
Freestyle is a flying style focused on acrobatics and tricks. The same term is also commonly used to describe a type of frame or drone build that's designed for freestyle flying.
goggles
Goggles, or FPV goggles, is a headset with built in screen, allows you to see the image from the drone.
GND
Ground
Ground or Negative of a DC electrical circuit
Gyroflow
Gyroflow is a free and open-source video stabilization software made for FPV that utilizes the gyro data from a camera or flight controller to stabilize the video footage.
HDZero
HDZero is an HD digital FPV system which offers the lowest latency among the other digital systems. https://oscarliang.com/hdzero-digital-fpv-system/
DFU
Device Firmware Update
If you have trouble flashing flight controller firmware directly, you can enter DFU mode first by holding down the boot button on the flight controller board while powering on.
NC
Not Connected
If you see a pin/pad in a connector labelled as NC it most likely means "Not connected to anything" or "not used"
Analog
Analogue
In the FPV world, analog typically refers to the traditional analog FPV system (as opposed to digital), the video transmitter sends analog signals hence the name. Analog is cheaper, widely available, low latency, but image quality is only up to 480p, usually even lower.
IPEX
IPEX is a type of antenna connector typically found on radio receivers and video transmitters due to their small connector size. IPEX is often used interchangeably with U.FL, but only IPEX4 is the same as U.FL, there are other sizes of IPEX connectors.
Gimbal
It can mean two things: 1. a motorized camera stabilizer; 2. the entire stick control assembly within a radio transmitter
BARO
Barometric Altimeter
It measures altitude by using barometric pressure
GYRO
Gyroscope
It's a sensor on the flight controller that measures the angular velocity around 3 axes of space in degrees (basically, how fast the drone is rotating). This is one of the most important sensors, as the data is used in PID controller to keep the drone afloat and to fly smoothly. There are many types of gyros, some are faster while some are noisier. More info
KV
KV refers to a motor's RPM per volt with no load. In FPV, the same motor often come in different KV values designed for 4S and 6S batteries, the one for 6S will have lower KV than the one for 4S. https://oscarliang.com/motors/
LHCP
Left hand circular polarized
LHCP is left hand circular polarization for antennas, opposite to RHCP (right hand). Make sure your transmit and receive antennas are of the same polarization, mixing the two will have a huge signal penalty. There's no performance different between LHCP and RHCP.
Li-ion
lithium ion
Li-ion batteries have lower discharge rate than LiPo, but has higher energy density, making them great for long range cruise flights, but not good for racing or freestyle. They are also often used for powering FPV equipment such as FPV Goggles and radios. https://oscarliang.com/best-18650-li-ion-battery/
LiHV
high voltage lithium polymer
LiHv is a type of LiPo battery that have slightly higher voltage (4.35V) when fully charged than typical LiPo batteries (4.20V).
LQ
Link Quality
Link quality is the percentage of data that is delivered to the receiver without data corruption. It's a measurement of how good/reliable the radio link is. It's a different measurement than RSSI which measure the signal strength. More info
Cell
S
LiPo battery consists of a number of cells. Each cell has a nominal voltage of 3.7V. In order to obtain higher voltage, cells can be connected in series inside a battery. For example, popular LiPo batteries for FPV drones are 4-cell and 6-cell, a 4-cell LiPo (a.k.a. 4S1P) has 4 cells, while 6S has 6 cells.
LUA
LUA Script
Lua is a general purpose scripting language, developers can make useful LUA scripts in OpenTX and EdgeTX, which functions like little APP on your smartphone. Lua scripts are stored in text files and are loaded and unloaded whenever they are needed by the radio. The scripts are not part of the radio firmware.
MMCX
MMCX is a type of antenna connector typically found on video transmitters due to their small connector size than SMA and yet much more robust than UFL. https://oscarliang.com/fpv-antenna-connectors/#mmcx-connectors
MWC
MultiWii Copter
MultiWii is a general purpose software to control a multirotor RC model. It can use various sensors but was initially developed to support Nintendo Wii console gyroscopes and accelerometers
DOF
Degree of Freedom
Often used in FC marketing back in 2013, it gives clues as to what sensors are available on the flight controller. For example 6DOF = 3 axis gyroscope (gyro) + 3 axis accelerometer (ACC); 9DOF = 3 axis Gyro + 3 axis ACC+ 3 axis magnetometer (compass); 10DOF = same as 9DOF but with an additional barometer
HK
Hobbyking
One of the biggest RC Vendors in the world with warehouses in EU, US, AU, RU and China.
Throttle
One of the controls on your radio transmitter, it changes the speed of all the motors in a drone. It's the letter "T" in channel map, (TAER1234 or AETR1234)
Pack, short for battery pack, typically refers to a quad's battery.
Parallel charging
Parallel charging is the act of charging multiple batteries using the same output on a LiPo charger. This is usually done using a balance charging board that connects the separate batteries into one. https://oscarliang.com/parallel-charging-multiple-lipo/
Polarization
Polarization is the way a radio signal travels from the antenna, either be linearly polarized or circularly polarized, each has its pros and cons. https://oscarliang.com/best-fpv-antenna/#Antenna-Polarization-Linear-or-Circular
Vcc
Vcc
Positive power supply input
Prop wash
Prop wash describes the turbulent air created by the propellers when the drone reverse its travelling direction (either when you do a sharp turn or decending). It can cause the drone to oscillate rapidly in a split second.
Rate
RC Rates
Rate changes how fast your copter rotates with each stick movement. The higher the rate, the more sensitive your drone would be. More info
ReelSteady
ReelSteady is a video stabilization software designed specifically for GoPro footage, it's built into the GoPro player and costs $99 one-time payment in-app purchase.
RHCP
Right hand circular polarized
RHCP is right hand circular polarization for antennas, opposite to LHCP (left hand). Make sure your transmit and receive antennas are of the same polarization, mixing the two will have a huge signal loss. There's no performance different between LHCP and RHCP.
RSSI
Received Signal Strength Indication
RSSI is a measurement of how good your radio signal is. More info
RTL
Return To Launch
Same as RTH.
SBUS
SBUS is a type of serial communication protocol used by Futaba and FrSky. It supports up to 16 channels using only one signal cable. More info
UART
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
Serial communication port. A piece of computer hardware that translates data between parallel and serial form.More info
Prop
Propeller
Short for propeller.
Quad
Quadcopter
Short for quadcopter, which is a type of multicopter that has 4 motors on the same level
PCB
Printed Circuit Board
Silicon board with copper traces and components soldered onto it. Most electronics in this hobby are built on PCB's, such as FC, VTX, TX, RX....
TOW
Take off weight
Similar to AUW
SA
Smart Audio
Smart Audio is a protocol for VTX Control. More info
Smart Audio
Smart audio is a protocol in video transmitters that allows you to change video transmitter settings like output power or channel from the OSD menu or radio.
GCS
Ground Control Station
Software used to monitor a Flight Controller Board. The OpenPilot GCS for example.
DMA
Some pins on a flight controllers have dedicated DMA channels, some don't. Certain features in Betaflight require dedicated DMA channel to work, such as DShot motor output. For example, you might be able to remap motor output to some other pins that don't have DMA channels, multishot might work but DShot does not work properly, this is also known as DMA channel conflict.
Bootloader
Special code stored in non-volatile memory in a microprocessor that can interface with a PC to download a user's program.
Punch
Sudden burst of thrust.
Telemetry
Telemetry is a feature commonly available in radio links. It allows the receiver to send data back to the radio, such as battery voltage, signal link quality, RSSI, GPS coordinates and so on.
Revo
Revolution
The 3rd generation of OpenPilot Controllers
Control Authority
The amount of response in the drone to the pilot’s commands.
IMD
Intermodulation Distortion
The amplitude modulation of signals containing two or more different frequencies, caused by non-linearities or time variance in a system.
CoG or CG
Center of Gravity
The average location of the weight of a copter. It's important to make sure the COG of your copter is right in the middle (or close enough) for optimal performance.
Thrust
The force generated by the propellers and motor, measured in grams
RC
Radio Control
The foundation of our hobby, it's also used to refer to the hobby as a whole, radio controlled cars, multirotor, planes boats and more.
XT60
The most common type of battery connector for FPV drones. The number indicates current rating and size, it's larger than XT30 but smaller than XT90. More info
FTDI
Future Technology Devices International
The name of the company that makes the electronic chip standard, to convert USB to serial communications. Available as a chip for boards that have a USB connector, or in a cable to connected to breakout pins.
RPM
Revolutions Per Minute
The number of motor rotations in 60 seconds.
Pitch
The pitch of a propeller is how steep the blade angle to the horizon blade is, it's refers to a the propeller's traveling distance in one complete 360° spin, typically measured in inches. Generally speaking, a longer pitch means more speed at the expense of more motor torque and current draw, while shorter pitch length means it's easier on the motor, less current draw and more responsiveness.
Bind
The process of pairing radio transmitter and receiver when first setting them up to work together
PWM
Pulse Width Modulation
The square-wave signals used in RC control to drive servos and speed controllers.
PID
Proportional Integral Derivative
The three parameters that you can adjust to change the copter's flight performance. In theory PID is a control loop that attempts to minimize the difference between a measured process value and its desired value by adjusting the control input of a process.More info
AUW
All up weight
The total weight of a copter including LiPo Battery and necessary parts in order to take off, and any other peripherals
AC
Alternating Current
The type of electricity that comes from your wall socket. AC has Live and Neutral wires, as opposed to positive and negative (+ & -) in DC.
ALT
Altitude
The vertical distance you are from ground
Dry Weight
The weight of a multirotor including everything necessary to take off except the battery.
Band
There are a number of VTX frequencies which are split into bands, there are 8 channels per band. More info
31mm, 40mm, 65mm
These are common propeller sizes used in micro drones such as Tiny Whoop
2", 3", 4", 5", 6", 7"...
2-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, 7-inch
These are propeller sizes, also often used to described the size of an FPV drone (the biggest prop it can support) More info
F1, F3, F4, G4, F7, H7
These are the different processors in flight controllers. More info
Mode1 / Mode2
These are the different transmitter stick configurations: mode 1, throttle stick on the right; mode 2, throttle stick on the left (more widely used). See RC Transmitter Basics. More info
DSM / DSM2 / DSMX
These are the proprietary technology of an RC equipment maker, Spectrum, and DSM stands for "Digital Spectrum Modulation".
PAL / NTSC
These are video formats in FPV cameras and your video display. More info
1S, 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S, 6S...
S = number of cells
These numbers indicate how many cells in a LiPo battery. The higher the cell count, the higher the nominal voltage. More Info.
Horizon Mode
This is a stabilized flight mode, similar to Angle mode, but it allows the pilot to do roll and flip.
CLI
Command Line Interface
This is an interface in Betaflight where you can enter command lines. For more info
TVL
TV Line
TVL (TV Lines) is basically a measure of how good the FPV camera resolution is. The number is based on how many alternating black and white lines can be displayed in its image horizontally.
TX
"Transmitter" or the "TX pin in a UART"
TX, or radio transmitter, is a device that sends user commands to the Receiver. More info. TX can also mean the transmitting pin in a serial connection.
U.FL
U.FL is a type of antenna connector typically found on small VTX and radio receivers due to their small connector size.
Jello
Jello Effect
Undesirable high frequency vibration in flight footage Jello is when a camera's image is skewed due to high frequency vibrations on the drone. Jello can be caused by mechanical or electrical issues, or bad PID/filtering tuning. Soft mounting the camera might also help.
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
United States Department of Transportation Agency, it has the authority to regulate and The FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, is the United States governing agency for aviation oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the USA and flight regulations including FPV drones.
GPS
Global Positioning System
Used to track movement or hold position at pre-defined coordinates
AP
Aerial Photography
Using a multirotor to take steady aerial videos and still photos.
FPV
First Person View
Utilizing an onboard FPV camera and wireless connection, to allow a pilot on the ground to see live video stream from an RC aircraft while flying, through FPV goggles or monitor, More info
Channel
Video transmitters broadcast signals on a particular frequency, and this frequency is called a channel; Channel can also refer to the number of controls you are allowed to use on a radio
Walksnail
Walksnail is the manufacturer of the Avatar HD digital FPV system. Walksnail is owned by Caddx.
Payload
What the drone can carry/lift, such as a camera, or package
4in1
4-in-1
When talking about 4in1 ESCs, it means it incorporates 4 ESCs on a single board. These are typically mounted under a flight controller as a stack, rather than mounted on a quad's arms.
LOS
Line of Sight
When you are flying your aircraft by watching your aircraft directly, you are flying LOS. Another way of flying is FPV.
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Do SPOT stand for smart port ? I have seen “SPOT” on one of the pins of my R161 Radio master receiver. Please let me know. Here is one reference for you > getfpv.com/radiomaster-r161-16ch-frsky-d16-compatible-sbus-receiver-w-s-port.html
great list, i wonder if its possible to make a short list purely for beginners to ask a question? i mean a basic list they can use to get somebody online to troubleshoot. most of the people i have helped online really struggle to form a question when they don’t know enough jargon. so many people have got rtf or bnf’s that when something goes wrong its extremely difficult to communicate and troubleshoot without very basic jargon. i’m not sure how to go about this,
On flight controllers they use F3, F4, F7. What do those numbers mean? Is that the number of UARTs? If so, that would increase functionality of the FC?
Would it be possible to add the terms used to describe all the different sizes of drones like whoop and 40mm, I keep coming across them but I get confused about whether terms overlap, especially now as I’m buying new props.
I am new to Quads since first of year, still learning jargon. Last night 7hatguy said to turn ADC off on your Frsky radios in the new BetaFlight 4.0. What does ADC stand for? I don’t see it in Quad glossary here.
OpenTX has an “ADC Filter” option to reduce stick jitters. Long press Enter button, and scroll over to “hardware” page. the option of at the very bottom.
I have one abbreviation that have not seen or heard of. Maybe one you could help with. “KG” abbreviated on flight board I salvaged off a old SJRC toy drone. Anyone? Anyone?
Missing a few important one. I know you have CF for Cleanflight which is all the rage these days. But what about the lesser known FW like Betaflight. :)
BF – Betaflight BFC – Betaflight configurator RF – Raceflight RFC – RF configurator BUF – ButterFlight RX and TX – confusing but often also referred to UART RX and TX FKF – Fast Kalman Filter # eg. 3S, 4S etc?
One of the best list’s i’ve seen, Thank you. Let’s make it better with A few more ACRONYMS If I may suggest. 1. CW/CCW- ClockWise / Counter ClockWise rotation.
2.Add to Diversity: To read Diversity Tracking- An FPV setup that uses a dual receiver system that picks between multiple antennas to display the best picture.
3. FW- Firmware, software designed specifically for a piece of equipment.
4. LED- Light Emitting Diode.
5. Mode 1- Tx throttle position – stick on the right. 6. Mode 2- Tx throttle position – stick on the left (the more widely used configuration). 7. MTOW- Maximum Take Off Weight. 8. (n)S count- Series on a LiPo battery represents the number of cells that are connected in series. For example, a 3S LiPo has 3 cells connected in series. Each cell generally has around 4V, so a 3S would have around 12V. 9. Pal / NTSC- Both are video formats. 10. PNP- Plug and Play. 11. Polarization- A subject related to FPV antennas. 12.RTF- Ready To Fly. A multicopter that’s sold with a radio transmitter. It can be flown right out of the box. 13. TOW- Take Off Weight.
14. VTOL- Vertical take off and landing.
14. XT-60- battery connector type. . Hope these help, Nobodyinparticular
Quadcopter Acronyms – Terminology – Glossary – Vocabulary – Drone Multirotors RC Ground Effect :- The effect ( back Wash or impact induced ) on the flight characteristics of the crafts own Propellers on Air induced BOUNCE when hovering or at the Take-Off & Landing of Craft from surounding Solid Obstacles ( i.e. Ground , Walls etc. ) usualy seen as Dust Cloud .
Ermmm yea i think thats what i mean , I saw it missing so im kinda being presumtuious Sorry Edwin
I am in same position low blow. I’m so happy i finally found this info. It would have been expensive to learn by experimentation, which is what I had been doing.
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46 comments
This is a great resource.
Missing SPI
I was looking for spi
Thank you so much for sharing this, this is extremely helpful
How about DC – dead cat, thus had me confused for awhile
Do SPOT stand for smart port ? I have seen “SPOT” on one of the pins of my R161 Radio master receiver. Please let me know. Here is one reference for you > getfpv.com/radiomaster-r161-16ch-frsky-d16-compatible-sbus-receiver-w-s-port.html
I checked the manual of this RX there’s no mention of what SPOT means. But I think you are right it could be Smart Port.
great list, i wonder if its possible to make a short list purely for beginners to ask a question? i mean a basic list they can use to get somebody online to troubleshoot. most of the people i have helped online really struggle to form a question when they don’t know enough jargon. so many people have got rtf or bnf’s that when something goes wrong its extremely difficult to communicate and troubleshoot without very basic jargon. i’m not sure how to go about this,
That’s what IntoFPV.com is for
NC on video transmitters ?
It probably means Not Connected?
Hello, i have an iflight F405 board, what does SDA and SDL mean on the UART section of the board.
These are i2c connection (similar to UART but different interface), you can connect GPS modules to them.
hi oscar, what means curr and crt? found this abbreviations on my 4in1 esc/FC
Both means “current”. I will add these to the list shortly.
On flight controllers they use F3, F4, F7. What do those numbers mean? Is that the number of UARTs? If so, that would increase functionality of the FC?
F1, F3, F4, F7 and H7 Flight Controller Explained
Would it be possible to add the terms used to describe all the different sizes of drones like whoop and 40mm, I keep coming across them but I get confused about whether terms overlap, especially now as I’m buying new props.
good idea, i will add these terms to the list.
What is DMA? Thanks!
I am new to Quads since first of year, still learning jargon. Last night 7hatguy said to turn ADC off on your Frsky radios in the new BetaFlight 4.0. What does ADC stand for? I don’t see it in Quad glossary here.
Thanks in advance
OpenTX has an “ADC Filter” option to reduce stick jitters.
Long press Enter button, and scroll over to “hardware” page. the option of at the very bottom.
I was looking for the meaning of SWC on an esc.
I have one abbreviation that have not seen or heard of. Maybe one you could help with. “KG” abbreviated on flight board I salvaged off a old SJRC toy drone. Anyone? Anyone?
Here’s another one I came across not in your list: DFU. I think it means Device Firmware Update, but not sure.
github.com/betaflight/betaflight/wiki/Installing-Betaflight
Thanks for the great work on your site!
DFU… It’s easy that one, it obviously stands for ‘Don’t F**k UP!’
Sorry, very puerile of me, but I just could not resist hehehe
call me a stickler but, AC stands for Alternating Current
also, SA for Smart Audio
Great job Oscar! One more i could think of.
Opto – Electronic speed controller without BEC.
Missing a few important one. I know you have CF for Cleanflight which is all the rage these days. But what about the lesser known FW like Betaflight. :)
BF – Betaflight
BFC – Betaflight configurator
RF – Raceflight
RFC – RF configurator
BUF – ButterFlight
RX and TX – confusing but often also referred to UART RX and TX
FKF – Fast Kalman Filter
# eg. 3S, 4S etc?
Great suggestions, thank you!
One of the best list’s i’ve seen, Thank you. Let’s make it better with A few more ACRONYMS If I may suggest.
1. CW/CCW- ClockWise / Counter ClockWise rotation.
2.Add to Diversity: To read
Diversity Tracking- An FPV setup that uses a dual receiver system that picks between multiple
antennas to display the best picture.
3. FW- Firmware, software designed specifically for a piece of equipment.
4. LED- Light Emitting Diode.
5. Mode 1- Tx throttle position – stick on the right.
6. Mode 2- Tx throttle position – stick on the left (the more widely used configuration).
7. MTOW- Maximum Take Off Weight.
8. (n)S count- Series on a LiPo battery represents the number of cells that are connected in
series. For example, a 3S LiPo has 3 cells connected in series. Each cell generally has around
4V, so a 3S would have around 12V.
9. Pal / NTSC- Both are video formats.
10. PNP- Plug and Play.
11. Polarization- A subject related to FPV antennas.
12.RTF- Ready To Fly. A multicopter that’s sold with a radio transmitter. It can be flown right out
of the box.
13. TOW- Take Off Weight.
14. VTOL- Vertical take off and landing.
14. XT-60- battery connector type.
.
Hope these help,
Nobodyinparticular
thank you, that’s an excellent list ! i will add those shortly! I appreciate your help!
Hi Oscar,
nice work here, it helps a lot, thanks.
I have found a typo:
SimonK A famous ESC firmware optomised for multirotors
thank you very much!! :D
Quadcopter Acronyms – Terminology – Glossary – Vocabulary – Drone Multirotors RC
Ground Effect :- The effect ( back Wash or impact induced ) on the flight characteristics of the crafts own Propellers on Air induced BOUNCE when hovering or at the Take-Off & Landing of Craft from surounding Solid Obstacles ( i.e. Ground , Walls etc. ) usualy seen as Dust Cloud .
Ermmm yea i think thats what i mean , I saw it missing so im kinda being presumtuious
Sorry
Edwin
What does it mean A because in al the motor appears some like 50A like this example: “SyRen 50A 6V-30V”
The A stands for Ampere
what is vcc
added :) cheers
I finally know where to go find all the abbreviations & acronyms, now all I need to do is learn how to fly my quads
I am in same position low blow. I’m so happy i finally found this info. It would have been expensive to learn by experimentation, which is what I had been doing.
You missed one thing.. UOV?
Hi Oscar, your site has been so helpful in getting started and building my quad at every step! Thank you so much.
Hi Oscar
thanks for your information s
is there any company how sale the equipment s of quad copter?
Nice list oscar! Thanks :-)
So far, the best blog and I hope it stay like that;)
thanks Sebastian!