FAQ / Betaflight Configurator Cannot Connect USB

• Betaflight Configurator is ONLY for Betaflight-capable flight-controllers, not DJI equipment, not Walksnail Equipment, not Radio-Controllers, not anything else.

• Recommend latest Configurator 10.10: https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight-configurator/releases

  • Or better, the still in development Web-App https://app.betaflight.com/ (11.0); (Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge; Not Firefox; Not most Android.)

• Use data-cable, not charge-cable. not all data-cables are perfect.

• USB-C-Only laptops and/or newer FC’s with USB-C often need OTG cable or USB-A to USB-C dapters.

• DFU mode is for update/flashing; normal mode is for connect/configurations

• Windows: Uninstall any broken drivers in Windows "Device Manager" that have the warning sign "⚠️". (Typically also "Delete the driver software for this device".)

• Windows: "Guillemot STM DFU Device" driver is wrong; please purge: https://oscarliang.com/fc-driver-issues-flash-firmware/#Wrong-DFU-Driver-Installed (Windows "Device Manager">Sound/Video/Game>Uninstall w/ delete toggled)

• AT32 chips may require Artery drivers:

  • Drivers: https://www.arterychip.com/en/product/AT32F435.jsp
  • Oscar Liang blog: https://oscarliang.com/at32-flight-controllers/

• OSX: AT32 chip may not connect, try https://app.betaflight.com/

• Windows: Often need need ImpulseRC Driver Fixer. https://impulserc.blob.core.windows.net/utilities/ImpulseRC_Driver_Fixer.exe

  • close all configurators and all usb related apps.
  • plug FC
  • run impulse rc driver fixer
  • retry betaflight configurator

• Physically force DFU mode:

  • press and hold the physical boot button on the FC and plug the USB to get DFU mode.
  • enable "no reboot sequence" so that it does not come out of DFU
  • load firmware
  • flash firmware
  • upon success, unplug and replug.
  • Windows: if it does not connect afterward, may need Zadig to install WinUSB driver replacing any currently installed STM32 driver. https://zadig.akeo.ie/
  • How to Zadig: https://www.dronetrest.com/t/zadig-drivers-for-cleanflight-betaflight-stm32-flight-controllers-dfu-mode/2719

• sometimes having RX or other periherals powered on will inhibit flashing. consider desoldering or moving peripheral's power to a LiPo-only powered rail/pad. This is especailly true for some FC using UART1 which may share serial resources with VCP(USB) resources. Maybe consider moving periheral from UART1 onto another.

• Sometimes COM port is hidden.

  • Configurator>Options>Show all serial devices: Enable

• FC needs 5v power from USB-port to work correctly.

  • Desktop PC’s may prefer rear-port rather than front-port
  • on rare occasion resources may have been wrongly assigned to VCP-USB, but DFU mode should always be available for flashing. If no power avaiable via USB, then likely a hardware problem. May need to SMD re-solder or replace FC.

• Cannot brick an FC: https://youtu.be/Zj24aEOyTWs and other connection/UART talk.

• [outdated now] Firmware's fault: 4.4.1 may flash but not connect.
  Try a 4.4.*-zulu or 4.5-zulu it may be fixed..
  

• DFU hijacking https://betaflight.com/docs/wiki/guides/current/DFU-Hijacking#what-is-dfu-hijacking (Potentially fixed with ImpulseRC Driver Fixer). I've seen this on UART1, UART3, UART5.

• Windows: maybe need to disable driver-signing requirements: https://pureinfotech.com/disable-driver-signature-enforcement-windows-11/

• Linux setup: https://hackmd.io/@nerdCopter/H1dtIuUSn

• Many thanks to RabbitAmbulance, Vitroid, Haslinghuis and other community members for portions of this information.