Balance P and D Gains with Step Response
Read a step-response graph and use it to find a practical balance between P and D gains for your FPV quad.
Keep a searchable history of Betaflight and INAV configuration changes across an FPV fleet.
What this tutorial covers
This visual tutorial shows how FPVSIM Fleet Manager associates a named quad with your account, synchronizes its flight-controller configuration, and highlights changes after the quad is reconnected.
Remove the propellers before connecting a flight controller by USB. Save an independent configuration backup, verify every proposed change, and never apply or roll back settings you do not understand.
Before you connect
- Sign in to FPVSIM so the quad and its configuration history can be associated with your account.
- Use a current Chrome or Edge browser with access to the serial-device connection prompt.
- Close Betaflight Configurator, another browser tab, or any application that may already be using the serial port.
- Record the flight-controller target, firmware version, and current working configuration before making changes.
Track a configuration change
Connect the quad
Open Fleet Manager, choose the connection action, and select the correct flight-controller serial device from the browser prompt.
Give it a stable name
When prompted, enter a distinctive quad name. FPVSIM uses that identity to organize the aircraft and its future configuration snapshots.
Save the baseline
Add the quad to your fleet and synchronize its current configuration before editing anything. Confirm that its card and available management actions appear.
Make one known change
Disconnect Fleet Manager, open the appropriate configurator, and make a deliberate setting change. The video demonstrates applying a preset, but a small controlled change is easier to audit while learning.
Reconnect and synchronize
Close the configurator's serial connection, return to Fleet Manager, reconnect the same quad, and synchronize its configuration again.
Review the difference
Open the comparison view and inspect the added, removed, and changed CLI lines. The visual demonstration uses green and red highlighting to make the two snapshots easy to distinguish.
Keep or reverse the change
If the result is intentional, retain the new snapshot as part of the history. If you need to restore an earlier state, inspect the rollback commands first and apply them only to a compatible firmware target.
Practical safeguards
- Synchronize immediately before and after a tuning or preset change so the comparison contains one understandable event.
- Do not assume a CLI line from another firmware version is safe for the connected target.
- Name similar builds distinctly, for example by frame, size, or race number, to avoid selecting the wrong aircraft.
- Keep a conventional offline backup even when Fleet Manager has a configuration history.
- Reboot the flight controller and perform a props-off functional check after restoring or applying configuration.
Edited transcript
This video is a music-led visual demonstration with no spoken tutorial narration. The edited tutorial notes below describe the visible workflow and are not a verbatim transcript.
00:00–00:09
The first on-screen instruction is to connect the quad. Fleet Manager opens the browser connection flow for the flight controller.
00:10–00:24
The dashboard asks for a quad name and explains that the name identifies the aircraft in the account. After it is saved, a card for the connected quad appears with configuration-management actions.
00:25–00:37
The initial configuration is synchronized to establish a baseline before anything is changed.
00:38–00:52
Betaflight Configurator is opened and a preset is applied to the same quad. This creates a visible example of a configuration change.
00:53–01:02
The flight controller reconnects and Fleet Manager synchronizes it again, creating a newer configuration snapshot.
01:03–01:12
The comparison view displays the changed CLI lines with contrasting red and green highlighting, making the effect of the preset easy to review.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Fleet Manager ask me to name the quad?
The name provides a stable, recognizable identity for organizing that aircraft and its configuration history in your account.
Why can the browser not see my flight controller?
Another application may own the serial port, the USB cable may be power-only, or the browser may not support the required device connection. Close other configurators, use a data cable, and try a current Chrome or Edge release.
Does a saved snapshot replace my normal backup?
No. Keep an offline backup as well, especially before firmware changes or a large preset update.
Can I roll a snapshot back to any firmware version?
Do not assume so. CLI names, allowed values, and defaults can change between firmware targets and releases. Review compatibility and every command before applying a rollback.
Why synchronize immediately before and after a change?
Closely spaced snapshots isolate the intended edit and make the comparison easier to understand than a diff containing weeks of unrelated adjustments.
