5 GHz Drone Video, With An ESP32

With the ESP32 sequence of microcontrollers having had hidden software-defined radio (SDR) facility revealed, we’re now shifting on from the announcement into tasks making use of the discovering. [Twotoz] has one utilizing an ESP32-C5, to receive and demodulate analog FM video.

You may suppose that video is one thing which has largely gone away in 2026, with TV transmissions having made the swap greater than a decade in the past, and residential leisure home equipment having used HDMI for longer. But it’s nonetheless very fashionable within the international stage of drones nevertheless, the place it exists as 5 GHz FM transmission. There’s no digital cliff-edge to lose your image in case you fly into someplace with dangerous propagation of radio waves, and maybe extra importantly, it has an especially low latency. This receiver makes use of a Seeed Studio Xiao ESP32-C5 board with a easy resistor-ladder DAC to supply the video. It has a easy button channel interface, and a serial hyperlink for extra in-depth choices.

It’s good to see these tasks seem, particularly as this one’s 5 GHz and exhibits these chips work too with the hack. We’d have an interest to know whether or not the latency of the SDR impacts its usability although. You could also be to know this isn’t the first time we’ve seen an SDR do video.

Thanks [Ink] for the tip!