This 2020 video introduces the BLHeli_M firmware for JazzMaverick from the BLHeli_S fork. It targets ESCs natively supporting BLHeli_S, not BLHeli_32 hardware; key selling points include the option of up to 96 kHz PWM, Commutation Enhancement, and experimental ESC FeedForward in a dedicated Configurator. ESC FeedForward is immature at the time of recording and the author recommends turning it off.
First verify the hardware family and firmware target
BLHeli_M derives from BLHeli_S; it is not a universal port of BLHeli_32 features to any ESC. The video explicitly says it runs on supported BLHeli_S hardware and excludes BLHeli_32 ESCs. Before flashing, read each ESC’s MCU, layout, and existing version, and confirm that the current project still supports that target.
The project was closely tied to the JazzMaverick firmware ecosystem of that period. Its maintenance status, download location, and recommended alternatives may have changed. Do not flash a similar-looking file based only on a “BLHeli_S” label. The wrong layout can prevent an ESC from booting or cause abnormal motor operation.
96 kHz PWM is an optional operating point, not an automatic upgrade
The video shows selecting PWM frequency directly in the dedicated BLHeli_M Configurator, up to 96 kHz, without replacing the firmware for each frequency. Higher PWM changes motor-drive switching behavior and sound, but efficiency, torque, temperature, and startup reliability depend on the motors, propellers, voltage, and ESC hardware.
Evaluate it from known stable settings, changing only PWM at a time. Check startup without propellers, then make a short flight and compare motor and ESC temperatures, low-throttle stability, flight time, and Blackbox noise. Do not assume that a higher number means better performance.
Commutation Enhancement and ESC FeedForward
Commutation Enhancement offers different modes. The video identifies Async PWM as the recommended setting at recording, but that conclusion belongs to that version. ESC FeedForward makes the ESC respond more actively to rapid throttle increases and decreases. It is not the same parameter as FeedForward in the Betaflight flight-controller layer.
The author explicitly says ESC FeedForward was still immature at the time and recommends leaving it off. If the project still offers these options today, read the relevant release notes, confirm defaults and known problems, and validate each option individually. Do not put early experimental features directly into use on high-power or unattended platforms.
Use the dedicated Configurator and keep a rollback option
The video requires the BLHeli_M fork of Configurator, not the old BLHeli_S Configurator. Its Flash page offered entries such as BLHeli_M Official Beta and BLHeli_S 16.9 Official at the time, and demonstrated that flashing back was possible. Remove propellers for all ground work, maintain stable power, and save the original ESC settings first.
Old Baidu Drive or video-description links may have expired and should not be your only source today. Prefer the current project’s trusted repository, verify release files, and check each target individually. After flashing, reread every ESC to confirm consistent versions and key options before low-risk testing.
Operation steps
- Identify BLHeli_S-compatible hardware
Read the MCU, layout, and existing firmware. BLHeli_32 ESCs are not compatible.
- Check current BLHeli_M support and releases
Use a trusted repository to confirm the target, maintenance status, and rollback method. Do not rely on an old file-sharing link.
- Evaluate PWM frequency separately
Start from a stable value and compare how options such as 96 kHz affect temperature, startup, noise, and flight duration.
- Treat enhancement and ESC FeedForward cautiously
At recording, Async PWM was recommended and experimental ESC FeedForward was recommended off. Follow the current release notes today.
- Use the matching dedicated Configurator
Remove the propellers, back up settings, and select the correct layout. After flashing, reread all ESCs to verify consistency.
- Verify without propellers, then with a short flight
First check motor startup and direction, then monitor ESC / motor temperatures and Blackbox data before gradually expanding testing.
FAQ
Can BLHeli_M be flashed onto BLHeli_32 ESCs?
Not as described in this video. BLHeli_M targets supported BLHeli_S hardware, and the video explicitly excludes BLHeli_32.
Is 96 kHz always better than a lower PWM frequency?
Not necessarily. It affects efficiency, torque, temperature, startup, and noise, with results depending on the motors, propellers, voltage, and ESCs.
Is ESC FeedForward the same as Betaflight FeedForward?
No. The former adjusts response to throttle changes in ESC firmware, while the latter belongs to the flight-controller control algorithm.
Can I flash it using the old BLHeli_S Configurator?
The video explicitly requires the dedicated BLHeli_M fork. Also verify current project tools and targets rather than simply reusing a 2020 link.
Does the video recommend enabling ESC FeedForward?
No. The author considered the feature immature at the time and recommended switching it off.
Full timeline transcript
Transcripts are arranged according to video time, making it easy to quickly locate the explanation content. Transcript language: Simplified Chinese.
Hello everyone. Today let us talk about BLHeli_M. Those who have been in the hobby for a while may have noticed that development of BLHeli_S and BLHeli_32 has not been very active. BLHeli_S has been almost stagnant since around 16.7, with few new updates. BLHeli_32—
—has been a little more active, but new features have not arrived that frequently either. Then a talented developer called JazzMaverick appeared, reportedly a hardware expert based in Taiwan. After taking up BLHeli_S, he added features such as bidirectional DShot, letting us run RPM Filter on BLHeli_S hardware.
Recently, he did something impressive again: creating BLHeli_M. More precisely, rather than creating it from scratch, he forked a new branch from BLHeli_S and named it BLHeli_M. Its firmware can run seamlessly on hardware supported by BLHeli_S. Sorry to those who bought BLHeli_32 hardware: this firmware does not support it.
If you have BLHeli_S hardware, this is good news. You may now be able to run firmware with better code than that on more expensive BLHeli_32 hardware. What is so good about BLHeli_M? First, you can set the PWM frequency you want in Configurator, just as in the BLHeli_32 Configurator, without flashing different firmware.
You can set it directly in Configurator, with support up to 96 kHz, which is also the highest PWM frequency currently supported by BLHeli32. The second improvement is Commutation Enhancement. Try different values to see how they affect flight. At the moment, Async PWM is recommended as the latest and best setting arrived at through iteration.
Then there is FeedForward in the ESC, working for both acceleration and deceleration. What does that mean? My understanding is that when throttle changes rapidly, FeedForward lets you adjust how much response you want from the ESC and how responsive it should be. You can choose different—
—parameter values. It may not be mature yet, and the current recommendation is to turn it off. Those are the main firmware improvements. How do we get it? Download the dedicated BLHeli_M version of BLHeli Configurator. This Configurator—
—will look familiar if you have used BLHeli_S before. But note that you cannot use the old BLHeli_S Configurator; you must use the newly forked one. I will put both Baidu Drive and GitHub links below. If the Baidu Drive link has not been updated, contact me or leave a comment and I will update it. Now that we have Configurator, let us look at flashing the firmware.
On the Flash page, you can see that the options differ from the old BLHeli_S ones. You can choose BLHeli_M Official Beta or 16.9 Official, which should be the latest. You can also flash back to BLHeli_S firmware. Click Flash here, and once it finishes, you are done. Thank you for watching. If you like this—
—firmware too, leave a comment and a like below. Your support motivates me to keep working. Thank you, goodbye.
