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Flight Controller

Build a rocket flight controller from scratch - STM32, IMU, barometer, microSD, and 2S LiPo power management on a 40x46mm board.

You’ll learn KiCad, schematic design, STM32CubeMX, PCB routing, differential pairs, PCB fabrication

advancedSparse hand-holding - expect to debug on your own1-2 weeksHands-on time - spread it over as many sessions as you like~$50Approximate parts cost - shipping not includedno solderingThe fab assembles everything - no iron needed

This is an advanced project. I recommend learning the basics of KiCad by making a small dev board or breadboard first. That said, anyone can follow along, as I'll go in-depth on how to build a flight controller.

I'm @NotARoomba and I have a (sort of) obsession with making flight controllers so heres a guide so that you too have the knowledge of making something cool. The files for this guide can be found here.

First, define what type of flight controller you want: for a rocket or a drone? Keep that in mind when starting your own design. In this guide, we'll build a flight controller specifically for rockets.

What you need

~$50 total

#Set up the repo and KiCad project

  • Create a new repository on GitHub and add two folders: hardware and software. These folders will hold most of the project files.

  • Create a new KiCad project inside the hardware folder.

    Folder structure KiCad project files