F4 vs F7 vs H7
The letter+number in every FC spec refers to the STM32 microcontroller generation. The key difference for AI autonomous builds isn't clock speed — it's UART count. Every peripheral that talks to the FC needs a UART. Run out and your build can't have a companion computer.
Fine for racing/freestyle. Not enough serial ports for GPS + companion + RC + telemetry.
6 UARTs covers most builds. Tighter if you need GPS + companion + ELRS + VTX + telemetry all at once.
ArduPilot's preferred processor. 8 UARTs = GPS + Jetson + ELRS + telemetry + VTX with ports to spare.
Every device needs a UART — and AI drones use all of them
A racing drone might need 3 UARTs: RC receiver, GPS, telemetry. An autonomous AI drone with a companion computer needs 5–6. The Matek H743 has 8 — every single one is occupied on our build.
| UART Port | Connected To | Protocol | Baud |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERIAL1 | Jetson Orin (MAVLink) | MAVLink2 | 921600 |
| SERIAL3 | ZED-F9P RTK GPS | GPS | 38400 |
| SERIAL4 | Telemetry / GCS | MAVLink2 | 57600 |
| SERIAL7 | RadioMaster RP3 ELRS | CRSF | 420000 |
| SERIAL5 | DJI O3 (optional) | DisplayPort | 115200 |
AM32 is the right choice for ArduPilot
ESC firmware determines how the FC communicates with your motors. For ArduPilot, this matters more than it does for Betaflight. Bidirectional DSHOT (RPM telemetry back to FC) enables RPM filtering and motor failure detection — critical for autonomous flight.
Open source. Best ArduPilot bidirectional DSHOT. Configured via esc-configurator.com. Active development. Our choice.
Closed source but excellent. Requires BLHeli Suite 32 for configuration. Bidirectional DSHOT works. Minor ArduPilot quirks.
Older protocol. Limited to DSHOT300, no bidirectional DSHOT on many hardware revisions. Not recommended for new builds.
Current rating: motor peak × 1.5
Each ESC channel must handle your motor's peak current with a safety margin. Our 2809 motors peak at ~35A each. 35 × 1.5 = 52.5A minimum per channel. We use the Foxeer Reaper 65A — comfortable headroom. The rule: never buy an ESC rated at exactly your motor's peak.
Our FC + ESC stack
Matek Systems H743-Slim V3 Flight Controller
Our FC. STM32H743 at 480MHz. 8 UARTs fills every serial port on our build: Jetson companion, ZED-F9P GPS, ELRS receiver, telemetry, DJI O3. ArduPilot 4.6.2 native.
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Foxeer Reaper F4 65A 4-in-1 ESC (AM32)
Our ESC. 65A continuous per channel on 3–8S. AM32 open-source firmware — bidirectional DSHOT works flawlessly with ArduPilot. Configure via esc-configurator.com (not BLHeli Suite 32).
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