STM32F103R8T6
Brand: ST
STM32F103R8T6 is a ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller from STMicroelectronics, designed for drone flight controllers (Betaflight/Cleanflight/iNav), embedded systems, and industrial automation. Superb Automation supplies genuine STM32F103R8T6 with full traceability, competitive pricing, and fast global delivery — supporting prototype to production volumes for drone, robotics, and industrial customers worldwide.
Product Specifications
STM32F103R8T6 — ARM Cortex-M3 MCU for Drone Flight Controllers by STMicroelectronics
The STM32F103R8T6 is STMicroelectronics' medium-density mainstream line 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller, running at 72 MHz with 64 KB Flash and 20 KB SRAM. Packaged in a LQFP-64, it serves as the flight controller brain for open-source drone firmware — Betaflight, Cleanflight, iNav, and ArduPilot — across board designs from micro AIO whoops to full-size professional mapping UAVs. With 2× 12-bit (16 channels), 7-channel, and a comprehensive set of communication interfaces (USART, SPI, I²C, CAN, USB), it delivers a complete sensor-fusion and motor-control pipeline for the global drone ecosystem.
Part Number Decoded — Field by Field
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| STM32 | Product Family | STMicroelectronics 32-bit ARM-based MCU |
| F | Core Type | Foundation — general-purpose mainstream series (ARM Cortex-M3) |
| 103 | Sub-Family | Performance Line — 72 MHz, motor control capable, USB & CAN available |
| R | Pin Count | 64 pins (LQFP-64) |
| 8 | Flash Size | 64 KB |
| T | Package | LQFP (Low-profile Quad Flat Package) |
| 6 | Temperature Range | −40°C to +85°C (industrial) |
Quick Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | STMicroelectronics |
| Part Number | STM32F103R8T6 |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M3 |
| Max Clock | 72 MHz |
| Flash | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 20 KB |
| Package | LQFP-64 |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0V – 3.6V |
| Operating Temperature | −40°C to +85°C |
| GPIO | 51 |
| ADC | 2× 12-bit (16 channels) |
| Timers | 3× 16-bit GP, 1× 16-bit advanced (PWM), 2× watchdog, 1× SysTick |
| Communication | 3× USART, 2× SPI (18 Mbit/s), 2× I²C, 1× CAN 2.0B, 1× USB 2.0 Full Speed |
| DMA | 7-channel |
| Debug | SWD + JTAG |
Product Overview
The STM32F103R8T6 belongs to ST's STM32F1 Performance Line — the series that defined the ARM Cortex-M3 ecosystem in the maker, hobbyist, and professional drone communities. Its combination of 72 MHz processing, extensive communication peripherals, hardware PWM for motor control, and industrial temperature range makes it the natural choice for flight controllers spanning micro whoops to professional mapping UAVs.
With 64 KB Flash and 20 KB SRAM, the STM32F103R8T6 is ideal for standard Betaflight and Cleanflight drone flight controller builds. The LQFP-64 package provides 51 GPIO, the 7-channel DMA handles background IMU and serial transfers, and the advanced timer generates up to 6 hardware PWM channels for quadcopter and hexacopter motor configurations.
Key Features & Benefits
72 MHz ARM Cortex-M3 — 64-Pin Flight Controller Powerhouse
At 72 MHz with single-cycle multiply and hardware divide, the Cortex-M3 core delivers deterministic real-time control for drone flight stabilization. It sustains a 4 kHz gyroscope update rate with PID loops running on 4–6 motor axes — the practical performance ceiling for SPI-gyro-based flight controllers in the F103 class, without overclocking or migrating to F4 silicon.
64 KB Flash + 20 KB SRAM — Fits Betaflight, Cleanflight, and iNav Lite
64 KB of embedded Flash comfortably accommodates Betaflight, Cleanflight, and lightweight iNav configurations. The 20 KB SRAM handles the gyro/PID pipeline, serial protocol stacks, and OSD character buffering without external RAM.
Industrial Temperature −40°C to +85°C — Outdoor-Ready
The temperature suffix guarantees operation from −40°C to +85°C — essential for drones flying in cold high-altitude environments, agricultural UAVs operating in extreme heat, and industrial inspection platforms where reliability across thermal cycles is non-negotiable.
7-channel — Offloads IMU and Serial Transfers
The 7-channel offloads SPI gyro/accelerometer reads, USART telemetry streaming (CRSF, SmartPort, MSP), and I²C barometer/magnetometer polling from the CPU — freeing core cycles for the PID control loop and enabling lower-latency flight characteristics.
Advanced Timer with 6 Hardware PWM Channels — Quadcopter to Hexacopter
One 16-bit advanced-control timer with complementary outputs and dead-time insertion drives up to 6 independent PWM channels — directly supporting quadcopter (4 motors), hexacopter (6 motors), and servo-driven tricopter configurations using protocols from standard PWM through Oneshot125, Multishot, and DShot (bit-banged).
USB 2.0 Full Speed + CAN 2.0B — One Cable for Config, One Bus for Expansion
The on-chip USB 2.0 Full Speed peripheral eliminates external USB-UART ICs (e.g., CP2102, CH340G), reducing BOM cost and board complexity. The CAN 2.0B interface enables integration with UAVCAN/DroneCAN peripherals (GPS modules, airspeed sensors, ESC telemetry nodes) for modular, future-proof drone architectures.
Target Applications
Entry-Level & Mid-Range Drone Flight Controllers
The STM32F103R8T6 is a staple of open-source drone FCs in the 64-pin form factor — powering boards like the Omnibus F3, Matek F405 (F1-era), and SP Racing F3 derivatives. With 64 KB Flash and 20 KB SRAM, it runs Betaflight, Cleanflight, iNav, and lightweight ArduPilot builds with enough I/O for GPS, compass, barometer, OSD, and serial RX all connected simultaneously.
ArduPilot Minimal / Accessory Processor
The STM32F103R8T6 can run lightweight ArduPilot builds (ChibiOS) with carefully pruned feature sets — viable for basic fixed-wing stabilization, simple waypoint navigation, or as a dedicated sensor-fusion coprocessor feeding pre-processed attitude data to a companion computer over USART.
Sensor Hub & Companion Processor
As a dedicated sensor-fusion node, the STM32F103R8T6 offloads IMU (MPU6000/ICM-20602), barometer (BMP280/MS5611), magnetometer (QMC5883L), and GPS (UBlox NEO-M8) processing from a host application processor (Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, or STM32H7). It streams pre-filtered attitude quaternions and altitude data via USART or SPI at configurable rates up to 1 kHz.
Robotics Motor Controllers
The advanced PWM timer with up to 6 channels drives BLDC/ESC motor protocols (PWM, Oneshot125, Multishot, DShot) for small ground robots, gimbals, and pan-tilt systems. The CAN 2.0B interface enables integration into distributed robotic architectures.
Industrial Sensor & Actuator Nodes
In industrial environments, the STM32F103R8T6 serves as a low-cost Modbus RTU (RS-485) or CANopen slave node, bridging analog sensors (4–20 mA, 0–10V) and digital actuators to PLCs and SCADA systems. The −40°C to +85°C temperature range and 2.0V–3.6V supply suit unregulated industrial power rails.
F103 Series Variant Comparison
| Feature | STM32F103R8T6 | STM32F103RCT6 | STM32F103VCT6 | STM32F103VET6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | LQFP-64 | LQFP-64 | LQFP-100 | LQFP-100 |
| Flash | 64 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB | 512 KB |
| SRAM | 20 KB | 48 KB | 48 KB | 64 KB |
| GPIO | 51 | 51 | 80 | 80 |
| USART | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| SPI | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| FPU | No (Cortex-M3 — no hardware FPU) | |||
| Best For | Betaflight 4 kHz, entry-level FC | ArduPilot fixed-wing, iNav, Betaflight | Complex drone & industrial, iNav | Complex drone & industrial, iNav |
STM32F103 vs Competing Entry-Level Flight Controller MCUs
| Feature | STM32F103R8T6 (ST) | GD32F103C8T6 (GigaDevice) | AT32F403AC8T6 (Artery) | APM32F103C8T6 (Geehy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | ARM Cortex-M3 @ 72 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3 @ 108 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4F @ 240 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3 @ 96 MHz |
| Flash / SRAM | 64 KB / 20 KB | 64 KB / 20 KB | 64 KB / 96 KB | 64 KB / 20 KB |
| Package | LQFP-64 | LQFP-48 | LQFP-48 | LQFP-48 |
| FPU | No | No | Yes (single-precision) | No |
| Betaflight Support | F3 target (up to BF 4.0.x) | Unofficial (F3 port) | No (M4F arch diff) | No |
| Availability (Q3 2026) | Stable, 8–12 week lead | Good (domestic China) | Good | Good |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between STM32F103R8T6 and STM32F103RBT6?
The R8T6 has 64 KB Flash while the RBT6 has 128 KB Flash. Both share 20 KB SRAM and the LQFP-64 package with 51 GPIO. For Betaflight builds requiring OSD, Blackbox logging, or soft-serial features, the extra Flash on the RBT6 is recommended.
How do I flash firmware to the STM32F103R8T6?
Flash via Betaflight Configurator (or STM32CubeProgrammer) over USB DFU: (1) Assert BOOT0 high (connect to 3.3V or press BOOT button if present). (2) Connect USB — the MCU enters the ROM serial bootloader. (3) In Betaflight Configurator select "STM32F103" as target, load the .hex firmware, click "Flash Firmware." After flashing, return BOOT0 to GND and reconnect USB for normal COM-port operation. For production, SWD (ST-Link/V2) is faster and does not require BOOT0 manipulation.
Can the STM32F103R8T6 run Betaflight 4.4+?
No. Betaflight dropped official F3 target support after BF 4.0.x. The STM32F103 (Cortex-M3) is classified as an F3 target. For Betaflight 4.4+, an STM32F405/F411/F722/F745/H743 (F4 or F7 target) is required. The STM32F103R8T6 remains viable for legacy Betaflight 3.x/4.0.x builds and for Cleanflight/iNav F3 targets with feature limitations.
Is the STM32F103R8T6 affected by semiconductor shortages in 2026?
As of mid-2026, STM32F103 supply has normalized significantly versus the 2021–2023 crisis. Lead times are 8–12 weeks, and spot-market availability through Asia-based distributors is good. However, volume pricing remains elevated above pre-shortage levels. SUPERB Automation maintains relationships with multiple trusted and independent channels to secure competitive pricing and consistent delivery.
What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for the STM32F103R8T6?
Contact SUPERB Automation for a tailored quote. We support quantities from prototype tray (1–10 pcs) to full production volumes. Send your target quantity and delivery timeline — we provide competitive pricing with full traceability and batch-level QA documentation.
Ordering Information
| Orderable Part Number | Package | Packaging | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| STM32F103R8T6 | LQFP-64 | Tray (160 pcs/tray) | −40°C to +85°C |
| STM32F103R8T6TR | LQFP-64 | Tape & Reel (1,000 pcs/reel) | −40°C to +85°C |
Design Resources
- Datasheet: STM32F103x8/xB — Complete datasheet with pin definitions, electrical characteristics (I/O DC/AC parameters, current consumption, timing), and package mechanical drawings.
- Reference Manual (RM0008): STM32F1xx advanced ARM-based 32-bit MCUs — Full register-level documentation covering all peripherals (GPIO, timers, ADC, USART, SPI, I²C, CAN, USB, DMA, RCC, PWR).
- Betaflight GitHub:
betaflight/betaflight— Open-source flight controller firmware with STM32F103 (F3) target support (up to BF 4.0.x). - STM32CubeIDE: Free ST development environment with STM32CubeMX graphical pinout/clock configurator and built-in GCC toolchain.
- AN2586 Application Note: Getting started with STM32F10xxx hardware development — hardware design guidelines, PCB layout recommendations, and oscillator/decoupling requirements.
Request a Quote
SUPERB Automation supplies genuine STMicroelectronics STM32F103R8T6 MCUs with full traceability and batch-level QA documentation. Whether you need a single tray for prototype drone FC builds or pallet-level volumes for production, we source through verified channels with competitive lead times. Contact us with your target quantity, delivery date, and any special packaging or marking requirements — we'll respond with a detailed quotation within 24 hours.