SITL Forge – External FC: Betaflight

This DLC adds a software-in-the-loop bridge between SITL Forge - FPV Laboratory and Betaflight firmware running on your PC. The built-in PID controller is replaced with the real firmware, so you fly and tune against the same code that runs on real hardware — driven by the simulator's 1000Hz physics model, calibrated against real bench measurements.

Requires the base app: SITL Forge - FPV Laboratory.

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What This DLC Adds

• 1000Hz PWM/FDM bridge — motor outputs and full physics state exchanged every millisecond
  
• 50Hz RC channel link — joystick or RC transmitter feeds the firmware's stick inputs
  
• MSP protocol over TCP — telemetry, blackbox, and configuration access
  
• MSP WebSocket bridge — connect a Configurator session straight to the firmware
  
• One-click mode switch — flip between built-in SIM and external firmware in-app

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A Controlled Environment for Real Tuning

Iterate on PID gains, rates, filters, and rate profiles in a simulator that aims to approximate real airframe behavior as closely as possible — without risking hardware on every change. The behavior you see is driven by the same firmware code you'll flash to your drone, running against a physics model fitted to real bench data.

• Validate filter setups against simulated motor vibration
  
• Iterate on PID gains and feedforward without crashing real hardware
  
• Test rate profiles and stick feel before flashing
  
• Reproduce tricky tuning issues in a controlled environment

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Technical Details

• UDP data link between simulator and firmware (ports configurable in-app)
  
• TCP MSP server for Configurator-style tooling
  
• Coordinate transform handled in-engine (Godot Y-up ↔ aviation NED)
  
• Per-axis vibration injection into the firmware's simulated IMU

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Compatibility

You provide your own Betaflight firmware build configured for software-in-the-loop. This DLC does not include or distribute Betaflight binaries. Build instructions are available in the Betaflight project's SITL documentation. In-app setup notes are also included.

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This DLC is an independent integration. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Betaflight project. "Betaflight" is a trademark of its respective owners and is referenced here only to identify the firmware this integration connects to.