This article is your definitive guide to understanding, enabling, and optimizing INAV for GPS-only altitude control. Whether you are building a budget 5-inch long-range quad or resurrecting an old F3 board, this guide will get you flying safely.
The parameter inav-use-gps-no-baro is a hidden gem in the INAV CLI (Command Line Interface). When set to ON , it forces the flight controller to and use the GPS altitude (GNSS ellipsoidal height) for all navigation functions. inav-use-gps-no-baro
But what happens when your flight controller doesn’t have a barometer (baro)? Or worse, what happens when your onboard baro is faulty, covered in mud, or giving wildly inaccurate altitude readings? This article is your definitive guide to understanding,
INAV typically relies on a barometer (like the MS5611) for precise altitude tracking because it detects small changes in atmospheric pressure more quickly and accurately than GPS. GPS altitude is often considered "geometric height" and is generally less precise, with vertical errors typically being twice as large as horizontal errors. When set to ON , it forces the
To get the best performance:
Before we dive into the details, let's understand why someone would want to use GPS without Baro in INAV. There are several reasons: