Flight Controller (FC)
ElectronicshardThe brain of the drone. A PCB with an STM32 MCU, IMU (gyroscope + accelerometer), barometer, and connectors for ESCs, receiver, GPS, and video. Runs Betaflight, INAV, or ArduPilot firmware.
What this part does
4 functions- Reads how the drone is moving via gyroscope + accelerometer.
- Decides motor speed 8000 times per second to stay level.
- Talks to the receiver — takes pilot input over radio.
- Overlays battery, GPS and altitude info on the video feed.
How to make it
5 steps- 1PCB fab4+ layers, fine pitch
- 2SMTSTM32 + IMU placed
- 3Through-holeConnectors & pads
- 4TestAOI + functional
- 5CoatConformal for humidity
Each step happens at a real manufacturer — scroll down to see who can do it and where.
Manufacturing Processes
Materials
Key Requirements
- •4+ layer PCB fabrication
- •Fine-pitch SMT (0402, QFN packages)
- •AOI and functional testing
- •ESD-safe handling
- •Conformal coating capability
Bill of Materials
- 1.MCU (STM32F4/F7/H7)
- 2.IMU (BMI270 / ICM-42688)
- 3.Voltage regulators (5V, 3.3V)
- 4.UART/I2C connectors
- 5.USB-C port
- 6.SD card slot
Matched Manufacturers
11 of 11 · sorted by scoreInferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers through hole assembly
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers through hole assembly
- −Material FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 200 within range (0–∞)
Supply Chain Decision Guide
Compare sourcing strategies, understand risks, and see the path to production.
You don't need to design the FC from scratch — open-source Betaflight reference designs exist. The value is in local assembly, testing, firmware customization, and owning the IP.
Sourcing Options
Design PCB in-house (or adapt open-source reference), fabricate PCBs at Proto-Electronics Braga, SMT assembly at HFA or Exatronic.
- Full IP ownership — your design, your brand
- 2-3 week assembly turnaround at HFA
- Custom features (extra UARTs, integrated OSD, sensor choices)
- EU compliance built-in from day one
- Bundle FC + ESC + RX assembly at same partner
- Requires PCB design expertise (hire or outsource ~€5-15K NRE)
- SMT setup fee per production run (~€1-2K)
- STM32 lead times can spike — need buffer stock strategy
- Smaller volume = higher per-unit vs. Chinese mass production
Partner with EU electronics manufacturers who already produce flight controllers or similar boards. Rebrand with GETMILK specs. Companies like Holybro (EU warehouse) or emerging EU FC brands.
- Proven, tested design — lower engineering risk
- Fast to market — 2-4 weeks from order to stock
- No SMT setup or PCB design needed
- CE/RoHS already handled by manufacturer
- Limited customization — pick from their catalog
- Higher per-unit cost (you pay their margin)
- No deep IP ownership — dependent on their roadmap
- EU FC manufacturers are few — limited choices
Co-develop with EU PCB specialist (Eurocircuits Belgium, NCAB Sweden) for PCB fabrication + partner with HFA for assembly. Shared design optimization.
- Best-in-class PCB quality (4-6 layer impedance-controlled)
- Eurocircuits has PCB design review service included
- Assembly close to home at HFA
- Potential Horizon Europe funding for co-development
- Split supply chain — PCB vendor + assembly vendor
- PCB cost ~30% higher than Asia fabs
- Co-development timeline longer (3-4 months setup)
- Still need independent component sourcing (MCU, IMU)
Source complete FCs from SpeedyBee, JHEMCU, or MAMBA OEM programs. Custom branding possible at 1000+ MOQ.
- Lowest cost (€6-12 per board)
- Proven, mass-tested designs
- No engineering investment needed
- No IP ownership — design belongs to OEM
- STM32 counterfeit risk from unknown supply chains
- 6-8 week lead time + customs uncertainty
- Zero customization beyond branding
- Full supply chain dependency on single country
- Cannot respond quickly to firmware/hardware issues
Supply Chain Risks
STM32H7/F7 MCUs had 52-week lead times in 2021-2023. Supply normalized but could spike again.
BMI270 (Bosch) and ICM-42688 (InvenSense) are the only viable drone IMUs.
4+ layer impedance-controlled PCBs need tight manufacturing.
Path to Production — 12 weeks total
Design or adapt open-source FC schematic. Layout in KiCad/Altium. Target STM32H743 + BMI270.
Order 10 bare PCBs from Eurocircuits (5-day express). Source components from Mouser.
Assemble 10 prototypes at HFA. Flash Betaflight. Run functional tests (gyro, UART, USB).
Install in test drones. Validate PID tuning, sensor noise, thermal behavior under load.
200-unit component kit. SMT assembly at HFA. Full QC + firmware flash.
Open Source Resources
Industry-standard open-source FC firmware for STM32 F4/F7/H7 — 50k+ stars
Navigation-enabled FC firmware with GPS waypoints and OSD
Advanced open-source autopilot — supports copters, planes, rovers, submarines
FC firmware for ESP32, RP2040, and STM32 — great for custom builds
Regulatory & Compliance
- ▸CE marking required (EMC directive 2014/30/EU)
- ▸RoHS 3 compliance (Directive 2015/863/EU)
- ▸WEEE registration for EU sales
- ▸FCC Part 15 if selling to US market
Deep Intelligence
Design best practices, technology evolution forecasts, materials supply chain analysis, and prototyping partners.
