Open Source RoboticsRobots, software & field notes

Crazyflie

Based on published sources · Not tested by us ·

Overview

Small quadrotor development platform; this profile selects the brushed Crazyflie 2.1 hardware and distinguishes its firmware target from Brushless and Bolt variants. [S005] [S009]

This profile selects the brushed Crazyflie 2.1, not the 2.1+ or Brushless configuration. Its revision 3 datasheet specifies an STM32F405 application processor, nRF51822 radio and power controller, BMI088 motion sensor and BMP388 pressure sensor. The kit uses four 7 mm coreless motors; the fifth listed motor is a spare. These details identify the selected hardware rather than every member of the Crazyflie family. [S009]

Specifications

DetailDescription
TypeSmall quadrotor; selected brushed Crazyflie 2.1.
Reported by source [S009] · Checked 2026-10-01
Intended usersRobotics developers able to match aircraft, firmware target, radio and positioning setup
Editorial assessment [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01
AssemblyUpstream kit is described as solder-free assembly; propellers, motor mounts, battery and deck connectors must match the selected aircraft.
Reported by source [S009] · Checked 2026-10-01
CalibrationNot known
Operating systemLinux ARM cross-toolchain; macOS ARM cross-toolchain; Windows using WSL for build and native Windows client for flashing
Upstream build routes, not tested installations.
Reported by source [S005] · Checked 2026-10-01
Computer neededComputer with Crazyradio and client for the documented development/firmware workflow; mobile Bluetooth control is a separate reported option.
Reported by source [S005] [S009] · Checked 2026-10-01

3D preview

Preview not available yet. A model has not yet been prepared and approved for display on this page. This does not mean the project lacks CAD files; see Source files and licenses for the reviewed source availability.

Assembly and use

Firmware targets are model-specific

The preserved build guide uses cf2_defconfig for Crazyflie 2.0 and 2.1(+), cf21bl_defconfig for 2.1 Brushless and bolt_defconfig for Bolt. The platform documentation explains that supported device types can select different sensor drivers at runtime, while an unsupported hardware identifier causes the firmware to halt. A shared product name is therefore not enough to choose a binary. [S005] [S006]

The README separately says the 2017.06 release was the last with Crazyflie 1.0 support. Do not infer support for that older aircraft from the selected modern archive. [S001]

A source archive is only part of the development environment

The documented build needs an ARM toolchain and make, with recursive Git submodules for components including CMSIS, FreeRTOS, CMock, Unity and libdw1000. The preserved primary archive does not establish complete matching submodule payloads. The build guide also warns that spaces in the checkout path are unsupported. No compilation or unit tests from upstream were run here. [S005] [S007]

For radio flashing, the guide requires Crazyradio, its drivers and the Crazyflie client. Its Windows route builds under WSL but uses the client installed on Windows. The guide distinguishes discovery-based bootloader flashing from an address-specific route, warning that several aircraft in bootloader mode make discovery ambiguous. This is an upstream configuration requirement, not a flashing procedure verified by this review. [S005]

The selected aircraft has a second MCU for radio and power management. This review covers the main firmware archive and does not claim that every matching firmware component or external positioning setup has been preserved. A complete delivered cost also depends on the radio, host and selected decks, not just the aircraft kit. [S005] [S007] [S009]

Hardware documents and source rights have separate limits

The preserved hardware repository includes the 2.1 datasheet, a revision B schematic PDF and a component-placement PDF. Those help identify the design, but do not establish a complete editable PCB or mechanical manufacturing package in the selected 2.1 directory. Hardware-specific rights remain unresolved. [S009] [S010]

There is also a licensing inconsistency in the firmware snapshot: its README says LGPL-3.0, while LICENSE.txt contains GPL version 3 and the inspected stabilizer.c header explicitly grants GPL version 3. The profile records that conflict rather than assigning one unqualified license to the entire tree. Dependencies need their own notice review. [S001] [S003] [S007] [S008]

No kit assembly, firmware installation, radio test, positioning experiment or flight was performed. The entry supports choosing and preserving a configuration for further work; it does not validate flight performance or a complete reproduction. [S005] [S009] [S010]

Cost

No current, complete configuration-specific build cost has been established for this profile.

Source files and licenses

Available project sources support research coverage; complete build and commercial qualification remain separate.

LayerAvailability / license
mechanical designnot found · License not fully assessed
Dimensions and product illustrations documented, but complete matching editable mechanical design not established in selected 2.1 directory. [S009] [S010]
electronicsavailable · License not fully assessed
Schematic revision B and component-placement PDFs preserved. Complete editable PCB files and matching hardware rights not established. [S010]
firmwareavailable · License not fully assessed
Source available; README LGPL-3.0 conflicts with root GPLv3 text and stabilizer GPLv3 notice. Whole-tree licensing not normalized; individual components retain their terms. Separate radio/power firmware not reviewed. [S001] [S003] [S007] [S008]
softwareavailable · License not fully assessed
Build and test tooling in primary firmware archive; complete external client and dependency set not reviewed. Firmware license inconsistency remains. [S005] [S007] [S008]
documentationavailable · License not fully assessed
Repository documentation available; blanket licensing remains unresolved due inconsistent repository notices. [S001] [S003] [S005] [S006]

Selected conventional flight firmware development route requires no pretrained policy or dataset.

References

Links identify the documentation and revisions used in this profile. Access dates record when each source was retrieved.

  1. S001 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Upstream project overview
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · README.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  2. S002 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Repository revision and release metadata
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  3. S003 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Repository license
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · LICENSE.txt
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  4. S004 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Pinned repository artifact inventory
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 archive file inventory
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  5. S005 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie firmware docs/building-and-flashing/build.md
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 / docs/building-and-flashing/build.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  6. S006 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie firmware docs/userguides/platform.md
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 / docs/userguides/platform.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  7. S007 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie firmware .gitmodules
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 / .gitmodules
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  8. S008 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie firmware src/modules/src/stabilizer.c
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 / src/modules/src/stabilizer.c
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  9. S009 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie 2.1 datasheet revision 3
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 8207400d3e6090ea1dce2b22ddaa25243f718db1 / src/products/crazyflie-2_1/datasheet/index.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  10. S010 · bitcraze / project contributors
    Crazyflie 2.1 hardware file inventory
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · 8207400d3e6090ea1dce2b22ddaa25243f718db1 / selected archive inventory
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

Research and review details

Source research only; no installation, physical build or performance test performed. No affiliate links added.

Profile edited 2026-10-01 · Sources checked 2026-10-01 · Next review target 2026-10-31

Revision: 54f31e243a0b28b67efef5ba20dbb6d9890a5478 (release 2026.08). Combined hardware and software repository activity recorded 2026-08-20 [S002]

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.6.0-draft.1

Change history