Hey everyone!
We know PID tuning can look complex at first: lots of numbers, lots of parameters, and changing one thing seems to affect everything else. Don’t worry.
This guide breaks it down so you can understand what each setting does and how to adjust it with confidence.
The Basics
Your flight controller constantly monitors its position and decides how hard to correct any deviation from your stick input. P, I, and D are the three parameters that control this behavior.
kP (Proportional) – reacts to how far off the quad is right now. Big error means big correction. This is the primary response. Higher values make the quad feel locked in and responsive. Too high and it starts oscillating - overcorrecting, then overcorrecting the overcorrection. Too low and the quad feels sluggish and unresponsive.
kI (Integral) – notices small errors that keep adding up over time. Wind pushing you sideways? A slightly heavy motor arm? P ignores tiny persistent drift, but I does not. It slowly builds up force until the drift is gone. Too high and you get a slow wobble. Too low and the quad drifts mid-flip or struggles to hold a clean hover.
kD (Derivative) – watches how fast the error is changing and applies braking force before P overshoots. It provides anticipation. Without enough D, the quad blows past the target and bounces back. Too much D amplifies motor noise and vibration - your motors run hot and the quad sounds rough.
In short: P creates the response. D tames it. I cleans up what remains. You should almost always tune P first, add D to calm it down, then tweak I last.
Rate Settings
Acro Roll/Pitch Max Rate and Yaw Max Rate – these are not PID values. They set how many degrees per second the quad rotates at full stick deflection.
Reference points:
114 deg/s – very gentle, great for getting started
300–400 deg/s – cinematic flying
600–800 deg/s – freestyle
If your quad feels sluggish regardless of PID adjustments, these values are likely the reason. They do not affect tuning quality, only the speed ceiling - and this is particularly relevant when using gamepad joysticks.
PitchRollMaxForce (1200)
This is the maximum corrective force the controller is allowed to apply. If your PIDs request a correction harder than this value allows, it gets clipped. Leave this at default unless you have a specific reason to change it.
Why the Six Columns Have Different Numbers
Pitch, Roll, Yaw (rotation axes)- these are what you feel when you fly. They share nearly identical values in our default setup (0.9 / 0.09 / 0.07), which is expected since the quad is roughly symmetrical. Yaw sometimes requires slightly different tuning because yaw authority comes from differential motor speed rather than tilt, making it mechanically weaker.
Alt, Forward, Right (position axes) - these only matter when using gamepad joysticks and in modes that hold position or altitude (GPS hold, altitude hold). The values are an order of magnitude lower by design. Rotational corrections need to be fast and aggressive. Position corrections need to be smooth and gentle, or the quad bobs around unpredictably. The higher I value on altitude (0.04 vs 0.009 P) means the controller relies on slow, accumulating corrections to fight gravity drift rather than sharp reactive ones - ideal if you are just starting out.
Diagnosing Bad Tuning
Quad vibrates or oscillates at hover – P or D is too high
Quad feels soft, slow to respond – P is too low
Slow wobble, especially visible in hover or STAB mode – I is too high
Drifts in wind, won't hold angles cleanly – I is too low
Motors are hot after flying, quad sounds rough – D is too high
Bouncy, overshoots stick commands – D is too low
Recommended Tuning Order
Start with P. Increase it until oscillation begins, then back off approximately 20%.
Add D until overshoot calms down.
Adjust I last, and only if you observe drift.
This might take a few tries to get right, that is completely normal. Drop a comment below if you need help, we are always happy to help you!
Happy flying! ✈️