In this post, I will share my 3″ Toothpick build (a sub-100g micro FPV drone) using the latest Flywoo GOKU F405 1-2S 12A AIO FC. This quad will be using the Walksnail FPV system and powered by 2S batteries. I will also share my thoughts and experience from using the GOKU F405 12A AIO FC. Consider this a mini-review.
Learn more about flight controllers in my buyer’s guide: https://oscarliang.com/flight-controller/
My Experience with the Flywoo GOKU F405 1-2S 12A AIO FC
Product Page:
It comes with the following accessories.
Why I really like the Flywoo GOKU 1-2S 12A AIO FC:
- Built-in ExpressLRS 2.4GHz receiver (UART), making it a compact solution.
- Offers 6 UARTs! Normally, whoop/toothpick style FCs only give you 2 UARTs, which is very limiting. With this many UARTs, you can literally use it on any build.
- Multiple 4.5V pads, which I use for powering the receiver and GPS. This allows you to power these devices through USB without the need to plug in the battery, to avoid overheating VTX.
- Has 8MB of flash memory for Blackbox logging! This is useful for tuning your quad. Most other 25.5×25.5mm FCs simply do not have this feature.
- SDA and SCL (i2c) connections allow you to connect a compass. Again, this feature is usually missing in this type of board!
- Onboard barometer!
- Offers both MPU6000 and ICM42688-P gyros.
- Has a 9V 2A BEC for powering your VTX!
- Supports iNAV!
- ESC’s have been flashed with Bluejay 0.19 24KHz in factory.
What I don’t like about this FC:
- The biggest downside of this FC is probably the absence of the OSD chip for analog (AT7456E). The new V2 is designed for HD systems, such as Walksnail, HDZero, and DJI, which don’t need this chip to display OSD in the goggles like analog does. I guess analog is becoming less popular, and this change lowers the cost of production as well. You can still use it with analog if you really want to, but Betaflight OSD won’t work.
- I wish there was an additional version with a horizontal USB port. This would support a wider range of frames and make it more versatile.
Overall, I think the GOKU F405 1-2S 12A AIO FC is one of the best flight controller boards for 1S or 2S toothpicks and whoops, especially for those digital FPV builds like Walksnail, DJI, and HDZero with its 9V BEC.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison between the V1 and V2 of the GOKU 12A AIO FC.
Some close-ups of the flight controller, top and bottom.
Specifications
- BF Flight Controller Firmware: FLYWOOF405S_AIO
- INAV Firmware: FLYWOOF405PRO
- MCU: STM32F405BGA
- BEC: 5V 2A / 9V 2A
- Flash: 8MB
- LED: 2 × WS2812
- Barometer: DPS310 / SPL06
- Gyro: ICM42688P / MPU6000
- Motor: M1-M4 OUTPUT I2C: SCL/SDA
- UARTs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Connector: Type-C
- OSD: No
- Hole: 25.5 × 25.5-3mm
- Size: 30 × 30mm
- Weight: 4.9g
Onboard 4-in-1 ESC
- Built-in 1S/2S 12A BL_S 4-in-1 ESC Supports Oneshot125, Oneshot42, Multishot, Dshot150, Dshot300, Dshot600
- Input Voltage: 1-2S Lipo
- Firmware:
BLHELI_SBluejay 0.19 24KHz - Firmware Version: Z_H_30_REV16.7
ELRS 2.4G RX (Optional)
- ESP8285 MCU
- SX1280IMLTRT RF Module
- Frequency Range: 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz
- Maximum Receive Refresh Rate: 500Hz
- Minimum Receiver Refresh Rate: 25Hz
- Serial: UART 1
- Firmware: Flywoo EL24P 2400 RX
- Version: 3.X.X
| Specification | GOKU F405 HD 1-2S ELRS AIO V2 | GOKU F405 1-2S 12A AIO ELRS |
|---|---|---|
| BF Firmware | FLYWOOF405S_AIO | FLYWOOF405S_AIO |
| BEC | 5V 2A & 9V 2A | 5V 2A |
| Flash | 8MB | 8MB |
| Onboard LED | 2*WS2812 | 2*WS2812 |
| Barometer | DPS310/SPL06 | DPS310/SPL06 |
| Gyro | ICM42688P / MPU6000 | ICM42688P / MPU6000 |
| Motor | M1-M4 OUTPUT | M1-M4 OUTPUT |
| i2c SCL/SDA | Yes | Yes |
| UARTs | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Connector | USB Type-C | Micro USB |
| Analog OSD | No | Yes (AT7456E) |
| Mounting | 25.5*25.5mm | 25.5*25.5mm |
| Size | 30*30mm | 30*30mm |
| Weight | 4.9g | 4.1g |
Here’s the pinout diagram.
3″ 2S Walksnail Toothpick Build
Parts list:
Currently, the lightest frame I could find is the Babytooth, but it’s almost never in stock (I’m also quite surprised it’s still not been cloned at this point). Also, it’s not designed for FCs with vertical USB ports, which are the most common type of FC. There aren’t many whoop-style FCs available with horizontal USB ports, so I normally just flip the board over and re-configure the board alignment in Betaflight. I am getting some new 3″ toothpick frames to try out in the next couple of weeks, hopefully will find a good replacement.
First, mount the motors.
Then, install the Walksnail 1S VTX to the frame and solder it to the FC. I am powering it from the 5V pad on the FC as the 1S VTX only supports 3.3V to 5V input.
I also soldered a capacitor to the XT30 power pads, which come with the FC. I am using BetaFPV’s micro lite canopy designed for tiny whoops, but it works fantastic on this build. It has just enough room to house the USB port. However, I do need to remove the canopy if I want to connect the FC to Betaflight, which is slightly annoying.
The build weighs only 59g excluding the battery, and with a 2S 550mAh battery, it weighs only 88g. I can still make it lighter by:
- Shortening the motor wires and XT30 pigtail.
- Using fewer zip ties.
- Not using screws for mounting propellers (I only have props with 2mm holes, and those motors have 1.5mm shafts, so I have to use screws for now).
- Using a lighter canopy.
- Using a lighter battery mount.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.
