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FPV Telemetry

What It Is

Telemetry is data sent from the aircraft back to the pilot, radio, goggles, ground station, or logging system.

Common telemetry data:

  • Battery voltage
  • Current draw and consumed mAh
  • Link quality and RSSI
  • GPS position
  • Altitude
  • Flight mode
  • Warnings and failsafe status

Common Paths

Path Example
Receiver telemetry CRSF, S.Port, F.Port, IBUS telemetry
Video OSD Betaflight OSD over analog or digital video
Ground station telemetry MAVLink on ArduPilot or PX4 systems
VTX control data SmartAudio, IRC Tramp, MSP

Practical Notes

  • For Betaflight freestyle quads, the most visible telemetry is usually OSD in the goggles.
  • For ExpressLRS and Crossfire, telemetry often goes back to the radio through CRSF.
  • For long range, GPS position, link quality, and battery voltage are important.
  • Telemetry should not replace a correct failsafe setup.