How to Setup DJI Remote Controller 3 and O4 Air Unit in Betaflight FPV Drones

For Betaflight FPV drones equipped with the DJI O4 and O4 Pro Air Units, you can conveniently use the DJI Remote Controller 3 (RC3) without needing an additional receiver or radio. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to configure Betaflight to work with the RC3, along with radio-related settings you can adjust using DJI Goggles 3 and Goggles N3.

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New to DJI O4? Check out my complete setup guide: https://oscarliang.com/how-to-setup-dji-o4-lite/

Can You Use DJI Remote Controller 3 with Betaflight FPV Drones?

Yes, the DJI Remote Controller 3 (RC3) is fully compatible with Betaflight FPV drones when paired with DJI Goggles 3 or Goggles N3. Please note that RC3 doesn’t work with DJI Goggles 2 and Integra. The RC3 supports DJI O4, O4 Pro, and O3 Air Units.

You can purchase the DJI Remote Controller 3 from:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oEg6wVp
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-bc4y
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-g7hk
• Amazon: https://amzn.to/41TbN8s
• NBD: https://oscarliang.com/product-c05t

The RC3 eliminates the need for a separate receiver because DJI’s O3, O4, and O4 Pro Air Units feature built-in receiver functionality via an SBUS wire directly to the flight controller.

Pros and Cons of DJI Remote Controller 3

You might be wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of using the DJI RC3 compared to an ExpressLRS radio:

Pros:

• The RC3 is highly compact and portable—one of the smallest FPV radios available.
• Simplifies your drone build and lowers overall cost, as no extra receiver is needed.
• Ideal for micro drones: reduces weight and space requirements, making small builds easier and lighter.

Cons:

• ExpressLRS typically offers greater range than DJI’s system. DJI’s radio control shares the video link, meaning if you lose video signal, you also lose radio control.
• The minimalist design of the DJI RC3 might feel limited for some pilots, especially those wanting advanced features or precise control. ExpressLRS offers a broader range of radio choices that are more powerful and feature-rich.
• No telemetry available: SBUS is a one-way protocol, meaning you won’t get RSSI, link quality, or other telemetry information. This isn’t usually a dealbraker, as video bitrate at the bottom-right corner of your goggles’ screen gives a practical indication of signal quality. You can also display many telemetry info on via Betaflight OSD.

Overall, for FPV drones that don’t require a lot of range or penetration, the DJI Remote Controller 3 is an excellent choice—especially for micro drones benefiting from simpler, lighter setups.

Further reading: Looking for an FPV micro quad with DJI O4? Check out my buyer’s guide: https://oscarliang.com/micro-drone-dji-o4-lite-comparison-mar-2025/

Step 1: Backup Betaflight Configuration

Before making big changes in Betaflight, always back up your current configuration. This ensures you can restore your settings easily if something goes wrong.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to backup and restore your Betaflight settings: https://oscarliang.com/backup-restore-betaflight-config/

Step 2: Verify If SBUS is Working

1. In Betaflight Configurator, go to the Receiver tab.
2. Under “Serial Receiver Provider,” select SBUS.
3. Click Save and Reboot.

Now, go back to the Receiver tab and if the page looks like this, you are ready to proceed to the next step.

However, if the channels are blank/empty, this means SBUS might not be included in your current firmware build. You will then need to flash Betaflight again with SBUS selected as the Receiver Protocol. To confirm if this is indeed the case, follow this guide to check your Betaflight build options: https://oscarliang.com/check-betaflight-build-options/

Important: Make sure you back up your Betaflight configuration before flashing firmware, which typically resets all settings to default. To simplify restoration, consider flashing the same firmware version currently installed on your FC. Restoring configurations across different Betaflight versions may not always work reliably. Here’s my complete guide on flashing Betaflight firmware: https://oscarliang.com/backup-restore-betaflight-config/

Here’s my tutorial on how to flash Betaflight: https://oscarliang.com/flash-update-betaflight/

Step 3: Configure UART Port for SBUS

Determine which UART port on your flight controller is connected to the SBUS wire from the DJI O4 Air Unit. Refer to your flight controller’s wiring diagram provided by the manufacturer. It’s straightforward, if the SBUS wire is connected to RX1, it’s UART1; If the SBUS wire is connected to RX2, it’s UART2, and so forth.

In Betaflight:

1. Navigate to the Ports tab.
2. Under the column labeled Serial RX, enable the UART port that your SBUS wire connects to.
3. Disable Serial RX on all other UART ports.
4. Click Save and Reboot.

Step 4: Configuring the Receiver

In Betaflight Configurator:

1. Go to the Receiver tab.
2. Under “Serial Receiver Provider,” select SBUS.
3. Click Save and Reboot.

Step 5: Updating DJI Remote Controller 3

Before proceeding, ensure your DJI Remote Controller 3 (RC3) firmware is up-to-date so it supports the DJI O3 and O4 Air Units, by connecting your DJI RC3 to either the DJI Fly App on your phone or the DJI Assistant (Consumer Drone Series) software on your computer.

Step 6: Binding the DJI RC3, Goggles, and O4 Air Unit

Unlike traditional radios that bind directly to the drone, the DJI RC3 binds first to your goggles, which act as a bridge to the drone. You must bind in the following order:

1. Bind radio with the Goggles,
2. Then bind goggles with the drone.

First, bind the RC3 to your goggles:

1. Turn on your DJI Goggles 3/N3 and DJI RC3.
2. On your goggles, press and hold the power button until it starts beeping (bind mode).
3. On your RC3, press and hold the power button until it also starts beeping (bind mode).
4. After a few seconds, the LEDs on both the goggles and RC3 should stop blinking and become solid, indicating a successful bind.

Next, bind your goggles to the DJI O4 Air Unit:

1. Power on your drone by connecting a battery, you might want to use a fan to prevent the air unit from overheating.
2. Wait until the LED on the O4 Air Unit turns red. Press the bind button on the air unit; the LED will start flashing, indicating it’s in bind mode.
3. Place your goggles into bind mode again by pressing and holding the power button until continuous beeping begins.
4. After a few seconds, the goggles will stop beeping, and the LED on the air unit will turn green, confirming a successful bind.

Step 7: Setting sbus_baud_fast Mode

The DJI O4 system supports a faster SBUS called “SBUS Baud Fast.” To enable it:

• On your goggles, navigate to Settings → Control → Protocol and select “SBUS Baud Fast”.
• In Betaflight CLI, type: set sbus_baud_fast = ON, hit enter, and then enter save.

To disable SBUS Baud Fast:

• Set the goggles’ Control → Protocol back to Standard.
• In Betaflight CLI, type: set sbus_baud_fast = OFF, hit enter then enter save.

Step 8: Verify the RC3 Is Working

Check that your DJI RC3 is properly communicating with Betaflight:

• Go to the Receiver tab in Betaflight Configurator.
• Move the sticks on your RC3 controller and confirm that the corresponding channels respond correctly.

Step 9: DJI RC3 Switches Mapping

Currently, the DJI RC3 doesn’t allow custom button mapping. Here’s how each button/switch corresponds to Betaflight AUX channels by default:

• AUX1 – M/S/N Mode switch (top-left 3-position toggle)
• AUX2 – Top-right 3-position toggle
• AUX3 – Return-to-Home button (top-left push button)
• AUX4 – Start/Stop button (top-right push button)
• AUX5 – C1 button (next to neck strap attachment)

Troubleshooting: RC3 Doesn’t Work in Betaflight?

If you’re having trouble getting the DJI RC3 to work with your Betaflight drone, consider the following issues:

• Firmware Update: Make sure your RC3 firmware is updated via the DJI Fly app or DJI Assistant to ensure compatibility with the O4 Air Unit.
• Incorrect UART settings: Verify you’ve selected the correct UART port in Betaflight’s Ports tab.
• Receiver Configuration: Ensure you’ve correctly selected SBUS as the receiver protocol in Betaflight,
• SBUS is not included in the build options: Flash Betaflight again with SBUS selected in the Receiver Protocol if in doubt.
• Incorrect SBUS Baud: Try toggling the sbus_baud_fast setting both ON and OFF in Betaflight and goggles.

Final Thoughts

That’s how you set up the DJI Remote Controller 3 (RC3) with any Betaflight FPV drones equipped with the DJI O4 Air Unit (Lite and Pro). Common binding issues typically relate to outdated RC3 firmware or misconfigured settings in Betaflight, such as incorrect UART selection or SBUS baud rate settings. In some cases, you might need to re-flash Betaflight to install SBUS receiver protocol due to cloud build options. Happy flying.