I-term windup

I-term windup is the unwanted buildup of the integral term when the quad can't follow a command — it causes overshoot and bounce-back once the error drops again.

Betaflight limits windup via mechanisms like i-term relax and i-term limits. In the log, windup shows as bounce-back after large, fast stick moves — visible in the step response that PIDoctor evaluates.

Related terms