Review: T-Motor Velox Cine F7 vs. F7 HD: Which Flight Controller is Right for You?

In this review, we’ll take a look at the new T-Motor Velox Cine F7 flight controller, compare it to the tried-and-true F7 HD, and help you decide which is the better choice. We’ll also delve into the Velox F7’s new features and evaluate its build quality.

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If you’re new to FPV drones, don’t miss our comprehensive flight controller buyer’s guide: https://oscarliang.com/flight-controller/

Now let’s get into the review.

T-Motor Velox Cine F7 FC

Purchase the T-Motor Velox Cine F7 from these vendors:

• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-v4ce
• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dmya8rb
• NBD: https://oscarliang.com/product-fcwx
• T-Motor: https://store.tmotor.com/goods-1281-Velox+F7.html

T-Motor released the Velox F7 about a year ago (product link: https://oscarliang.com/product-rtgh), but don’t confuse it with the new Velox Cine F7 we’re reviewing today. The new Velox F7 features a slightly different board design and a new gyro, the ICM-42688P. Many flight controller manufacturers are adopting this gyro because the good old MPU6000 is becoming harder to acquire. Another alternative is the BMI270, but it limits your PID Loop Frequency to 3.2KHz. With the ICM-42688P, you can run up to 8KHz in Betaflight.

However, I have mixed feelings about the ICM-42688P gyro. In previous tests against the BMI270, I found it to be significantly noisier. I plan to retest this gyro with Betaflight 4.4.1 to see if there’s any improvement with this specific board and the latest software.

The Velox Cine F7 has two ESC output connectors, allowing you to connect two separate 4in1 ESCs and supporting up to 8 motors (e.g., for a hexacopter or octocopter / X8 configuration). Although there’s no manual explaining the pinout, you can figure it out with a multimeter. The left connector (with FC facing away, USB facing up) is for motors 1-4, and the right connector is for motors 5-8. The pinout matches the solder pads on top, i.e., connector 1 is GND, VCC (BAT), E1, E2, E3, E4, Curr, RX4.

There are several 5V pads on the board, but only one can be powered by USB (the one next to RX1/TX1). Commonly known as the “4V5” pad on other boards, this pad is essential because it powers the radio receiver and GPS without plugging in the LiPo. This prevents the VTX from overheating while working on your quad or getting a GPS 3D fix.

The overall board layout is user-friendly, and the solder pads are well-sized for easy soldering. The Velox Cine F7 supports both analog and digital FPV systems. The USB-C connector is durable and user-friendly, as it doesn’t require a specific cable orientation.

Specs:

• MCU: STM32F722
• Gyro: ICM-42688P
• Blackbox Flash: 16MB
• BEC: 5V 2A & 10V 2A
• Input Voltage: 3-6S
• 8 Motor Outputs
• 5 UARTs
• I2C (SDA SCL) available
• Onboard Barometer (SPL06)
• Onboard MAX7456 chip for analog OSD
• Mounting hole: 30.5×30.5mm
• Weight: 9.24g
• Size: 36x36mm
• Betaflight Firmware board target: TMTR-TMOTORVELOXF7V2

T-Motor F722 HD V1.1 FC

Find the T-Motor F7 FC here:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dcj4izr
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-7nr1
• T-Motor: https://store.tmotor.com/goods-935-F7+HD.html

The T-Motor F7 HD FC isn’t new, but I wanted to try it due to its BMI270 gyro and compare it to the Velox F7 in a similar build. This FC is designed for the DJI FPV system (and compatible with other digital systems as well) as it has a dedicated plug for connecting to digital VTXs with its 10V 2A BEC.

While the F722 processor is powerful enough for 8KHz PID Loop Frequency in Betaflight, it is limited to 3.2KHz due to the BMI270 gyro. It’s not a huge deal to be honest, as for most people, it’s hard to tell the difference in flight performance. Not to mention this gyro is actually incredibly reliable in terms of noise handling.

Unlike newer flight controllers, the F7 HD from T-Motor has a less durable micro USB connector. Also, it lacks a 5V output that can be powered by USB, so you must plug in a LiPo battery to power the radio receiver and GPS. This can lead to VTX overheating during testing on the bench or GPS lock acquisition.

Despite these limitations, it’s a solid FC. With 5 UARTs, it’s sufficient for most users. It has 6 motor outputs, making it compatible with hexacopters but not octocopters. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for most pilots flying quadcopters. I do wish it included taller rubber grommets, as only four short ones are provided. Note that this FC doesn’t support Betaflight OSD for analog FPV systems due to the absence of a MAX7456 chip. It’s designed solely for digital FPV systems. An analog version is available here: https://store.tmotor.com/goods-916-F7.html

Specs:

• MCU: STM32F722RET6
• Gyro: BMI270
• Blackbox Flash: 16MB
• BEC: 5V 2A, 10V 2A
• 6 Motor Outputs
• 5 UARTs
• I2C (SDA SCL) available
• No Baro, No MAX7456
• Input Voltage: 3-6S
• Mounting hole: 30.5×30.5mm
• Weight: 8.4g
• Size: 37x37mm
• Betaflight Firmware board target: TMOTORF7

Conclusion

Both flight controllers have similar specs, but the new Velox Cine F7 from T-Motor has an advantage over the F7 HD with 2 extra motor outputs, 4V5 output pad, support for analog and an onboard barometer. The Velox Cine F7 FC from T-Motor also provides a better user experience, additional accessories, and a more modern board design. The only concern is the gyro. If you’re interested in the new Velox Cine F7 FC, stay tuned for updates on my field testing. I’ll upload graphs from Blackbox logs once complete. Currently, testing is delayed due to rain, but I hope to resume soon in a few days.

Purchase the T-Motor Velox Cine F7 from these vendors:

• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-v4ce
• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dmya8rb
• NBD: https://oscarliang.com/product-fcwx
• T-Motor: https://store.tmotor.com/goods-1281-Velox+F7.html

Update (26 Apr 2023)

Here are the noise graphs from some throttle sweeps. This was tested with the latest Betaflight 4.4.1. You can see the build detail from this post: https://oscarliang.com/flyfishrc-volador-vx5-vd5-frames/

Velox Cine F7:

F7 HD:

The ICM42688P is still noisier around 500Hz, but I have to say BF4.4.1 is much better than previous Betaflight versions. I’d say it’s definitely usable and a good alternative to the BMI270 if you prefer to run 8KHz PID loop.