A Profile is a set of performance-related configuration settings. PID values, Filter settings, Anti Gravity, Crash Recovery, and more. Currently, 3 Profiles are supported. The default Profile is profile 1 (`profile 0` in CLI).
Profiles offer another way to perform PID or Filter tuning (currently only Dterm filters). Say that Profile 1 can have default settings you can trust to get in the air and not damage your motors. But you want to try Dterm Bi-quad over PT1, increase P or decrease D values without sacrificing your day of flying. Profiles are perfect for this, edit any Profile when you're at the bench and select the profile when you're in the field. Quad not flying perfectly, merely change your profile back and continue flying.
Profiles can be selected using the GUI, CLI, OSD or stick combinations. Once selected, changes to settings can be made and saved to the active Profile. Also worth mentioning when selecting a Profile, that Profile will remain the active Profile even over power cycles.
Betaflight Configurator (GUI): In the PID Tuning Tab > Select a Profile using the drop-down menu. Once a profile is chosen, that profile is activated for current use. Any modifications made are saved when pressing Save button.
Stick combinations: When disarmed use the following stick commands to select a Profile. The status LED on your FC will flicker when changing the Profile.
A Rate Profile is a set of Rate related settings. These profiles store the settings for Rate Type, RC Rate, Super Rate, Expo for Pitch, Roll, & Yaw. Along with Throttle Expo and TPA settings.
Pre-BetaFlight 3.2 Profiles and Rate Profiles are coupled together. Each Profile had its own set of 3 Rate Profiles. Allowing up to 9 Rate Profiles all together.
Betaflight 3.2 broke this link, giving us independent Profiles and Rate Profiles. Selecting Rate Profiles are independent of Profiles now. Allowing only 3 Rate Profiles.
BetaFlight 3.3 > the number of Rate Profiles increased from 3 to 6 Rate Profiles.
Rate Profiles can be selected using a GUI, CLI, OSD, or AUX channel. Once selected (just like Profiles), changes to settings can be made and saved to the active Rate Profile. Also, when changing our Rate Profile that profile will remain the active Profile even over power cycles, except when using the AUX channel option. When BetaFlight boots the active profile is selected by the position of the AUX channel.
Betaflight Configurator (GUI): Click PID Tuning Tab > Select a Rate Profile using the drop-down menu. Once selected, any changes you make to your settings and click Save will be store to the selected Rate Profile. The action of selecting a Rate Profile also activates that rate profile for current use.
Aux Channel (In-flight Adjustments): Adjustments need to be configured first using the GUI. You must have an available AUX channel configured on your radio.
Enable Expert Mode in the Configurator > Click Adjustments
Click the slider for If enable. Select the AUX # channel to use.
For the Range, Select the whole Range from 900 to 2100. Select Rate Profile Selection from the drop-down menu. Via Channel is the same as the AUX channel used.
Currently creating a backup from the GUI only backs up the active Profile and Rate Profile. So the best way to see and backup all Profiles is to use CLI.