The Speedybee F405 V4 has been probably the most standard FC stacks for FPV drones over the previous couple of years. Not too long ago, it has been bought out in lots of locations, so I suspected a brand new model could be on the best way—and I used to be proper! Speedybee has quietly launched the F405 V5. It comes with some nice enhancements, but in addition a couple of design selections that increase considerations. On this article, we’ll have a look at what’s new and whether or not the V5 continues to be value recommending.
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The place to Purchase
You may get the SpeedyBee F405 V5 stack from:
V4 No Longer in Manufacturing
SpeedyBee formally introduced that the F405 V4 stack has been discontinued and is being changed by the brand new F405 V5.
Right here’s their full assertion:
What’s New within the V5
The F405 V5 stack is priced at $74.99, in comparison with the V4’s $65.99, a $9 improve. That is possible as a result of each inflation and the improve to a 32-bit ESC. Personally, I really feel SpeedyBee ought to have stored the extra inexpensive 8-bit ESC to take care of the lower cost level.
Try my unique assessment of the SpeedyBee F405 V4: https://oscarliang.com/speedybee-f405-v4/
FC
General Design
The very first thing that caught my eye is the form of the board. I like that SpeedyBee has gone again to a extra conventional sq. form. They’ve additionally relocated the LED pads from the corners to make room for a slot that makes inserting soft-mounting gummies a lot simpler.
That mentioned, I’ll miss the boot button from the V4 that was very easy to entry from the facet. On the V5, it’s been moved away from the facet, that means you’ll most likely want a sharp instrument to press it when mounted contained in the body.
One other noticeable enchancment is the additional plugs. Together with the present connectors for the DJI Air Unit and 4in1 ESC, the V5 now has devoted connectors for GPS and receiver, making setup and restore even simpler with much less soldering required.
Specs and Options
The specs and options of the V5 look strong and is kind of just like the V4, however with these modifications:
- Wi-fi firmware updates: Beforehand, you might configure Betaflight wirelessly however couldn’t flash firmware. Now you are able to do each.
- Blackbox logging: The MicroSD card slot has been changed with 16MB of onboard flash reminiscence, so no extra worrying about SD playing cards.
- Motor outputs: Lowered from 8 to 4. Not a difficulty for quadcopters, however in case you’re constructing a hexa- or octocopter, you’ll must rethink.
- Servo outputs: Elevated from 1 to 2 devoted outputs, which isn’t important for many builds however is sweet to have.
- Firmware help: The V5 now helps Ardupilot along with Betaflight and iNav.
- Weight: The V5 is 2g lighter than the V4.
Right here’s the detailed specs comparability desk between the V5 and V4.
| V5 | V4 | |
| MCU | STM32F405 | STM32F405 |
| IMU (Gyro) | ICM42688P | ICM42688P |
| USB Port Kind | Kind-C | Kind-C |
| Barometer | SPA06-003 | Sure |
| OSD Chip | AT7456E | AT7456E |
| Bluetooth Tuning | Supported | Supported |
| Wi-fi FC Firmware Improve | Supported | Not supported |
| 6-pin DJI Air Unit Plug | YES | YES |
| Blackbox | 16MB Flash Reminiscence | MicroSD Card Slot |
| Enter Voltage | 3S – 6S | 3S – 6S |
| Present Sensor Enter | Sure | Sure |
| 5V BEC | 1.5A | 3A |
| 9V BEC | 3A | 3A |
| 3.3V Output | Sure | Sure, 500mA |
| 4.5V Output | 1A | 1A |
| MCU & Gyro Energy | Unbiased LDO | Unspecified |
| Motor Outputs | M1-M4 | M1-M8 |
| Servo Sign | 2 (S5, S6) | 1 (S9) |
| ESC Telemetry Enter | Sure | Sure |
| Digicam Management (CC) | Sure | Sure |
| I2C | Sure | Sure |
| UART | 6 UART’s | 6 UART’s |
| LED Pads | Sure | Sure |
| Buzzer Pads | Sure | Sure |
| BOOT Button | Sure | Sure |
| RSSI Pads | Sure | Sure |
| SmartPort | No | No |
| Supported Firmware | Betaflight, INAV, Ardupilot | BetaFlight, INAV |
| Firmware Goal Title | SPEEDYBEEF405V5 | SPEEDYBEEF405V4 |
| Mounting Holes | 30.5 x 30.5mm( 4mm gap diameter) | 30.5 x 30.5mm( 4mm gap diameter) |
| Dimensions | 39mm (L) × 39mm (W) × 4.9mm (H) | 41.6(L) x 39.4(W) x 7.8(H)mm |
| Weight | 8.1g | 10.5g |
ESC
SpeedyBee has upgraded the ESC from 8-bit to 32-bit, however it now runs a closed-source firmware referred to as OX32 (dialogue right here). To be trustworthy, I’m not thrilled about this transfer. Not solely is OX32 new and nonetheless largely untested by the neighborhood, however after the drama with BLHeli_32 (learn the total story right here: https://oscarliang.com/end-of-blheli_32/), the concept of one other closed-source ESC firmware doesn’t encourage a lot confidence.
It’s unclear whether or not these ESCs may be flashed to AM32 (the open-source various), however hopefully that turns into potential sooner or later.
Personally, I want SpeedyBee had provided an 8-bit ESC possibility preloaded with Bluejay firmware. That combo is cheaper, dependable, and has all of the options most individuals want. Efficiency-wise, 32-bit ESCs don’t actually deliver a lot noticeable profit for FPV drones, so from a price range stack perspective, this improve feels pointless.
Trying on the specs, the brand new V5 ESC isn’t dramatically totally different from the V4 model. The primary addition is ESC telemetry, which is just potential with 32-bit processors. That mentioned, ESC telemetry isn’t one thing most pilots use typically, so the profit is insignificant.
One actual benefit is weight: Speedybee claims the V5 ESC is over 4g lighter than the V4, regardless of having heatsinks on each side of the board. Nonetheless, I’m unsure if the design is waterproof, or how simple it’s to take away the heatsinks if you wish to apply conformal coating.
| SpeedyBee OX32 55A 30.5×30.5 4in1 ESC | SpeedyBee BLS 55A 30×30 4in1 ESC | |
| Default Firmware | OX32 | BLHeli_S J-H-40 |
| Steady Present | 55A * 4 | 55A * 4 |
| Burst Present | 70A * 4 | 70A * 4 |
| TVS Protecting Diode | Sure | Sure |
| Exterior Capacitor | 1000µF | 1000uF |
| ESC/Motor Protocol | DSHOT300/600 | DSHOT300/600 |
| Enter Voltage | 3-6S LiPo | 3-6S LiPo |
| Present Sensor | Sure | Sure |
| ESC Telemetry | Sure | No |
| Mounting Holes | 30.5 × 30.5mm (Ø4mm) | 30.5 x 30.5mm( 4mm gap diameter) |
| Dimensions | 40.9mm (L) × 44.9mm (W) × 8.0mm (H) | 45.6(L) * 44(W) *8mm(H) |
| Weight | 19.1g | 23.5g |
Normal and Deluxe Variations
The Normal model comes with simply the FC and ESC boards (plus the same old equipment).
The Deluxe model consists of extras:
- Soldering follow board
- Energy extension board
- USB extension board
- Brief-circuit safety instrument
Various Price range FC/ESC Stacks
In case you’re purchasing round, listed below are a few different price range stacks value contemplating:
I’m additionally at present reviewing one other new price range stack — keep tuned in case you’re available in the market for one.
Conclusion
I’m glad to see the SpeedyBee F405 stack get an replace, however the choice to make use of closed-source ESC firmware is questionable. Hopefully, it is going to be potential to flash it to an open-source various sooner or later. Within the meantime, I’ll proceed testing different price range choices to see which stacks really stand out and are value recommending going ahead.
You may get the SpeedyBee F405 V5 stack from:
