SP Racing F3 Flight Controller ACRO Version

Utilising a next-generation CPU, the SP Racing F3 Flight Controller ARCO was created to deliver unmatched I/O capabilities in a compact and incredibly light form factor, together with fantastic flight performance based on tried-and-true sensors.

This flight controller has several fascinating features, such as a faster ARM-Cortex M4 core and a next-generation STM32 F3 CPU with a hardware floating point unit for effective flying calculations. Additionally, it has a high capacity black box flight log recorder that eliminates the need for guesswork and helps you optimise your tuning. The extra integrated sensors for direction and altitude, together with the barometer placed at the board’s bottom for convenient wind isolation, are some more fantastic features. Dedicated customisable LED output—ideal for racing, navigation, and night flying. All features are supported simultaneously by the no-compromise I/O.

The difference between Acro and the Deluxe version is:

Acro : Standard model for acrobatic and racing flight. Deluxe : extra sensors for direction and altitude.

F3 is powered by the free and open-source Cleanflight flight control (FC) programme, which has a thriving user and development community. Because it’s open-source, you can add features to the system. A comprehensive handbook is included with Cleanflight and is updated and evaluated by the community and Cleanflight developers. No more rumours or secondhand knowledge.

Refer to http://cleanflight.com for the manual’s links. You can obtain PDF versions from the GitHub release pages. Make sure you consult the handbook corresponding with the firmware version you are using.

Pin Details:

4 x 4pin JST-SH sockets (I2C, SWD, 2xUART)
2 x 8pin JST-SH sockets (PPM, PWM, SERIAL RX, GPIO, ADC, 3V, 5V, GND)
8 x 3pin through -holes for pin headers for ESC/Servo connections
2 x 4pin through-holes for pin headers for 2x serial ports
2 x 2 pin through-holes for pin headers for battery voltage and buzzer.

Highlights:

1. Practical – Easy to access connectors and solder pads.
2. Configurable – Choose to use connectors, solder pads or pins.
3. Stackable – Mount to your PDB or OSD.
4. Compact – Only 36x36mm.
5. Professional – Symmetrical, Neat and Tidy.
6. 8 Dedicated PWM outputs
7. 8 PWM Inputs
8. 36 I/O Connections
9. 72Mhz Clock Speed
10. 3 Hardware Serial Ports
11. 64Mb Flash Storage

Flight Performance

• The SPRacingF3 builds on tried and tested software, processor and sensor technology to make your aircraft fly like it’s on rails.

No-Compromise I/O

• Use all the features all the time; e.g. Connect your OSD + SmartPort + SBus + GPS + LED Strip + Battery Monitoring + Sonar + 8 motors – all at the same time!

Configurable

• The SPRacingF3 runs Cleanflight which can be configured to suit your needs using a cross-platform GUI (Windows/OSX/Linux).

Tiny and lightweight

• The SPRacingF3 has a standard 36x36mm form-factor with 30.5mm mounting holes and weighs just 6 grams.

Flight Logging

• On-board high-capacity black box flight log recorder – optimize your tuning and see the results of your setup without guesswork.

Next-Generation CPU

• The SPRacingF3 has an ARM Cortex-M4 72Mhz CPU with Math co-processor (FPU) for efficient flight calculations that gets more done in less time.
• Loop times up to ~2x as fast as previous-generation STM32F1 based boards.

Developer Friendly

• Developer friendly debugging port (SWD) and boot mode selection, unbreakable bootloader.

OneShot ESC

• Full support for OneShot ESCs for easy PID tuning and a sharper response.

Broad RC receiver Support

• Supports SBus, SumH, SumD, Spektrum1024/2048, XBus, PPM, PWM receivers. No external inverters required (built-in).

Programmable LED

• Dedicated output for programmable LEDs – great for orientation, racing and night flying.

Battery Monitoring

• Battery monitoring ports for voltage and current.

Sonar

• Sonar support for precision low-altitude hold.

I2C Port

• I2C port always powered, perfect for external sensors or always-on OLED Screen.

Buzzer

• Buzzer port for audible warnings and notifications.