BetaFPV is about to release a lightweight 1S AIO flight controller for the ArtLynk FPV system: the Matrix P1 1S AIO FC. With it, I managed to build one of the lightest digital Tiny Whoops I have tested so far. In this post, I’ll share the parts I used, how I built it, how much it weighs, and what I think of its performance so far.
It is worth pointing out that the Matrix P1 FC I have here is still in beta, so there might be some changes before the final version. Hopefully, it will become available soon.
Learn more about Tiny Whoops and check out my accessory recommendations here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
Parts: Where to Buy?
Matrix P1 1S AIO FC
Air Frame
Air Canopy
Air 0702 Racing Motors
HQ Ultralight 31mm 1.2×0.9×3 Triblade Props
Lava II 1S 320mAh LiHV battery
BetaFPV VR04 HD FPV Goggles
What is the Matrix P1 1S AIO FC?
This flight controller is basically based on the popular Matrix 1S 5in1 FC, but BetaFPV has replaced the analog VTX with an ArtLynk P1 air unit.
It is called “AIO” because this tiny board combines the flight controller, ESC, ExpressLRS receiver and P1 digital video transmitter on a single PCB.
The original Matrix FC (V2) weighs 5.59g.
With the Air camera weighing 1.90g, the complete analogue FC and camera setup comes to 7.49g.
The P1 Matrix board and camera combo weighs only 7.31g, which is actually lighter than that analog setup. That is extremely impressive for a digital FPV system.
Matrix P1 1S AIO FC Specifications
Flight Controller
MCU: STM32G473CEU6
Gyro: 3.2kHz
Blackbox memory: 16MB
Sensors: Voltage and current
BEC: 5V, max 3A
UARTs: UART 2, UART 3 for RX, UART 4 for HD VTX
ESC: 1S, 12A continuous
RX: Serial ELRS 2.4GHz
VTX: Onboard ArtLynk P1 Air Unit
USB port: SH1.0-4Pin
Motor connector: JST1.25, gold-plated
Battery connector: BT2.0
Mounting: 25.5 × 25.5mm
Board thickness: 1.0mm
Dimensions: 30.5 × 30.5mm
Claimed weight excluding antenna and camera: 4.60g
ESC
Input: 1S
Current: 12A continuous, 18A peak
Firmware: A_X_5_96KHz_V0.19.hex with Bluejay
Protocols: DShot300 and DShot600
Receiver
RX: Serial ExpressLRS 2.4GHz
Antenna: 31mm copper wire
Firmware target: BETAFPV 2.4G AIO V2 RX
Telemetry output power: <12dBm
Wi-Fi firmware flashing: Supported
VTX
VTX: P1 Air Unit
Frequency: 5.1–5.9GHz
Output power: 200mW
Video latency: around 60ms
Live-view quality: 1080p at 60fps
Camera
CMOS: 1/2.9-inch
Resolution: 200 DPI
FOV: 153°
Aspect ratio: 16:9
S/N ratio: 41.5dB
Port: DF36-15
Coaxial cable length: 50mm
Dimensions: 11.9 × 11.8 × 14.2mm
Claimed weight including cable: 1.34g
Here is the pinout diagram:
Build Process
This digital build was very easy to assemble. Everything is plug and play, so no soldering is required. It took me less than 20 minutes to put the whole thing together.
Installing the Motors
The Matrix AIO includes motor connectors.
For ultra light builds, direct soldering the motors is usually preferred because it saves a little weight and reduces electrical resistance.
However, motor plugs make building and repairs dramatically easier because no soldering is involved.
Also, I think using connectors makes sense in this build. At the moment, the ArtLynk system is mainly suited to more casual flying because of its relatively high latency. Pilots are less likely to be pushing aggressive racing or extreme freestyle where every fraction of a gram and every bit of electrical efficiency matters.
For now, the convenience of motor connectors is worth the small weight and resistance penalty.
Installing FC
Install the FC in the frame with the arrow pointing forward.
Then simply plug in the motors.
Mounting the Camera
The P1 camera does not have side screw mounts. That is common on tiny whoop cameras, but it means you need a canopy or camera holder specifically designed to grip the camera.
If you are using the same BetaFPV Air II canopy in the Air65 II, the P1 camera is similar in size to the C03 and Air cameras, so it fits without much trouble.
Installing the Canopy
Install the canopy over the FC. To bend the canopy without breaking it, use a air dryer to heat up the plastic first. I didn’t do a good job here and you can see the white crease in plastic on the top.
Mounting the Props
Install the props in the correct orientation.
How Much Does It Weigh?
My finished build weighs just 17.95g.
That makes it one of the lightest digital tiny whoops I have flown so far.
What is even more impressive is that I did not go out of my way to make it as light as possible. I simply used parts I already had rather than deliberately choosing the absolute lightest motors, props and hardware. That means there is still room to make this build even lighter.
On a 1S tiny whoop, even half a gram can make a noticeable difference in flight performance.
Less weight generally means:
- Better acceleration
- More agility
- Higher efficiency
- Longer flight time
- Less inertia in crashes
Performance
Fundamentally, the Matrix P1 works in similar way to the standalone P1 Air Unit I tested previously. BetaFPV has simply integrated it into this tiny flight controller board.
As I found before, Artlynk’s image quality is noticeably better than analog, with more detail and a sharper image. The main downside is latency. The system is around 60ms, which may sound acceptable on paper, but on a tiny whoop it can have a noticeable effect when flying aggressively.
Flying a tiny whoops in the house requires very fast and rapid reaction to stick inputs, particularly in tight indoor spaces, so extra video latency becomes much easier to notice than it might on a slower aircraft.
For an overview of how the ArtLynk FPV system performs, check out my previous review: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-artlynk/
As for this particular whoop build, I will add more details about how it flies later, including flight footage.
Conclusion: Who Is This AIO FC For?
Well, let me be completely honest here. If you are already invested in the Artlynk FPV system and want to build a tiny whoop, the Matrix P1 1S AIO FC is a very interesting option. However, if you are not already flying Artlynk, I would not necessarily treat this P1 tiny whoop as a reason on its own to jump into the ecosystem.
There are still quite a few areas BetaFPV needs to improve. For example, the firmware update process has been one of the biggest frustrations for me personally. BetaFPV is clearly making an effort to improve that, along with other parts of the system, but there is still some way to go before the overall experience feels as mature as more established FPV systems.
Right now, I think putting Artlynk P1 on tiny whoops makes the most sense for casual pilots who enjoy cruising and exploring relatively open environments while benefiting from a higher definition digital image. For that kind of relaxed flying, the 60ms latency may not bother you much once you get used to it.
However, if your focus is hardcore freestyle, racing or fast flying in tight indoor spaces, where reaction time is much more critical, you may prefer an FPV system with lower latency.
Still, it is pretty insane that BetaFPV has managed to squeeze the P1 Air Unit into such a tiny flight controller while keeping the overall weight and cost surprisingly close to an analogue setup.
The main challenge now is latency.
I am not even expecting analogue level latency. If BetaFPV could eventually bring it down to around 30ms (DJI’s and Walksnail latency level), while maintaining similar weight and image quality, I think the P1 system could become appealing not only to casual pilots, but also to much more serious freestyle flyers.
