# C5VRX-5 project turns ESP32-C5 into a 5.8 GHz FPV receiver

> **Key takeaway:** The C5VRX-5 project uses the built-in Wi-Fi radio of an ESP32-C5 to demodulate analog 5.8 GHz FPV video signals.

**Published:** 2026-10-22T13:46:46+00:00 
**Source:** Hackster.io News 
**Category:** open-hardware 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/c5vrx-5-project-turns-esp32-c5-into-a-58-ghz-fpv-receiver.html 

## Summary
The open source C5VRX-5 project enables a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C5 to function as a 5.8 GHz analog FPV receiver. Instead of using specialized radio hardware, it repurposes the chip's Wi-Fi radio and uses custom firmware to recover video. The system outputs a composite video signal compatible with PAL or NTSC via a simple passive 6-bit DAC made of resistors.

## Technical implementation of C5VRX-5
- Uses the **ESP32-C5** built-in Wi-Fi radio for signal reception and demodulation.
- Samples the radio's ADC at **40 million samples per second** via a CPU-independent pipeline.
- Employs the **U85Q** demodulation algorithm with an untrained 32-phase tracker.
- Features **Direct Gain V6** for automatic gain adjustment and **AFC** for carrier centering.
- Generates video output using a **passive 6-bit DAC** constructed from six resistors connected to GPIO pins D4 through D9.
- Supports **48 channels** and is compatible with PAL and NTSC standards.

## Why it matters
This project demonstrates how repurposing existing Wi-Fi hardware can provide low-cost alternatives for specialized analog video reception in the FPV drone community.