ELRS Receiver
ElectronicsmediumExpressLRS (ELRS) radio receiver for control link. Tiny PCB with an SX1280 LoRa transceiver, ESP8285 MCU, and ceramic antenna. Open-source protocol with 500Hz+ update rate and long range.
What this part does
4 functions- Receives the pilot's stick input at 500+ updates per second.
- Links drone to transmitter over 2.4 GHz LoRa β long range, low lag.
- Hops between bands automatically to dodge radio interference.
- Feeds CRSF-protocol commands into the flight controller.
How to make it
4 steps- 1PCB fabRF-grade substrate
- 2SMTLoRa chip + MCU
- 3RF tuneAntenna match
- 4FlashELRS firmware
Each step happens at a real manufacturer β scroll down to see who can do it and where.
Manufacturing Processes
Materials
Key Requirements
- β’RF-capable PCB fabrication (impedance-controlled traces)
- β’Fine-pitch SMT for QFN/WLCSP packages
- β’RF testing & antenna tuning
- β’Firmware flashing station
Bill of Materials
- 1.SX1280 LoRa transceiver
- 2.ESP8285 MCU
- 3.Ceramic chip antenna or U.FL connector
- 4.LDO regulator
- 5.Passive components
- 6.CRSF/UART connector
Matched Manufacturers
9 of 9 Β· sorted by scoreInferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers pcb fabrication
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Inferred from Wayback enrichment of company website
- +Offers smt assembly
- βMaterial FR4 PCB Substrate not listed (may still be capable)
- +Quantity 500 within range (0ββ)
Supply Chain Decision Guide
Compare sourcing strategies, understand risks, and see the path to production.
ELRS is fully open-source β schematics, BOM, firmware all publicly available on GitHub. The challenge isn't manufacturing, it's RF testing. Budget β¬5K for an RF consultant and you're in production.
Sourcing Options
Use official ExpressLRS reference design (GitHub). PCBs from EU fab, SMT at HFA. External RF consultant for antenna matching.
- Open-source β zero licensing cost, full transparency
- Full design visibility and firmware control
- Bundle assembly with FC + ESC at HFA
- Community firmware support (thousands of contributors)
- Tiny PCB = very cheap to fabricate and assemble
- RF expertise needed β hire consultant (β¬3-5K one-time)
- Antenna tuning requires VNA equipment
- CE RED compliance testing (β¬5-10K, 4-6 weeks)
- 3-4 month total qualification timeline
Source from ELRS brands with EU distribution β BetaFPV EU, RadioMaster EU, or HappyModel through EU warehouses. Pre-tested, certified, ready to ship.
- Pre-tested and CE RED certified
- 1-2 week delivery from EU warehouse
- No RF expertise or testing needed
- Multiple form factors available
- β¬6-12 per unit β higher than local assembly at scale
- No hardware customization possible
- Dependent on brand's EU stock levels
- No IP differentiation β same product anyone can buy
Partner with an EU RF engineering firm to co-develop a custom ELRS receiver optimized for your drone β better antenna, custom form factor, integrated with your FC.
- Custom antenna design optimized for your airframe
- Potential to integrate RX directly into FC (fewer components)
- EU RF partner handles CE RED certification
- Shared IP β strong differentiation from competitors
- β¬15-25K co-development investment
- 6-9 month development timeline
- Limited EU RF specialists available
- Over-engineering risk for a β¬5 component
Buy off-the-shelf ELRS receivers from BetaFPV, HappyModel, or RadioMaster direct from China factories.
- Cheapest option (β¬3-6 per unit)
- Ready to use, tested, proven
- Multiple form factors and frequencies
- 4-6 week lead time from China
- No customization possible
- CE certification may not be valid for EU sale
- Dependent on Chinese supply chain
- Zero differentiation
Supply Chain Risks
900MHz/2.4GHz transmitters must comply with Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU. Testing costs β¬5-10K.
Semtech SX1280 LoRa transceiver is the only viable chip for 2.4GHz ELRS. Single source.
Path to Production β 14 weeks total
Adapt ELRS open-source schematic for your antenna choice and form factor.
Hire RF consultant for antenna matching and impedance tuning.
Assemble 20 units at HFA. RF testing: return loss, range test, sensitivity.
Submit for Radio Equipment Directive testing at SGS or Eurofins.
500-unit batch at HFA. Firmware flash + range verification on each unit.
Open Source Resources
High-performance open-source RC link β 500Hz+ update rate, LoRa-based, 100km+ range
Official PCB reference designs for ELRS receivers & TX modules β KiCad/Eagle files
Desktop app for flashing and configuring ELRS devices
Regulatory & Compliance
- βΈCE RED (Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU) β MANDATORY
- βΈETSI EN 300 220 (900MHz) or EN 300 328 (2.4GHz)
- βΈRoHS 3 compliance
- βΈFCC Part 15.247 if US market
Deep Intelligence
Design best practices, technology evolution forecasts, materials supply chain analysis, and prototyping partners.
