diff --git a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.cpp b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.cpp
index c4a115d944..1167e71660 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::init()
 
     // power on spektrum port
     palSetLineMode(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN, PAL_MODE_OUTPUT_PUSHPULL);
-    palSetLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN);
+    SPEKTRUM_POWER(1);
 
     rcprotocol = AP_RCProtocol::get_instance();
 
@@ -217,8 +217,12 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::update()
             chEvtSignal(thread_ctx, EVENT_MASK(IOEVENT_PWM));
             last_failsafe_ms = now;
         }
+        // turn amber on
+        AMBER_SET(1);
     } else {
         last_failsafe_ms = now;
+        // turn amber off
+        AMBER_SET(0);
     }
 
     // update status page at 20Hz
@@ -262,14 +266,15 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::heater_update()
     if (!has_heater) {
         // use blue LED as heartbeat, run it 4x faster when override active
         if (now - last_blue_led_ms > (override_active?125:500)) {
-            palToggleLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER);
+            BLUE_TOGGLE();
             last_blue_led_ms = now;
         }
     } else if (reg_setup.heater_duty_cycle == 0 || (now - last_heater_ms > 3000UL)) {
-        palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER, 0);
+        // turn off the heater
+        HEATER_SET(0);
     } else {
         uint8_t cycle = ((now / 10UL) % 100U);
-        palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER, !(cycle >= reg_setup.heater_duty_cycle));
+        HEATER_SET(!(cycle >= reg_setup.heater_duty_cycle));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.h b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.h
index b28c4b9e1a..64766c8e5e 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/iofirmware.h
@@ -139,3 +139,10 @@ private:
     uint32_t last_failsafe_ms;
 };
 
+// GPIO macros
+#define HEATER_SET(on) palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER, !(on));
+#define BLUE_TOGGLE() palToggleLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER);
+#define AMBER_SET(on) palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_AMBER_LED, !(on));
+#define SPEKTRUM_POWER(on) palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN, on);
+#define SPEKTRUM_SET(on) palWriteLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_OUT, on);
+
diff --git a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/rc.cpp b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/rc.cpp
index fc42a3802e..7a75d6a373 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/rc.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/iofirmware/rc.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::rcin_serial_update(void)
         for (uint8_t i=0; i<n; i++) {
             rcprotocol->process_byte(b[i]);
         }
-        //palToggleLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_HEATER);
+        //BLUE_TOGGLE();
     }
 }
 
@@ -104,16 +104,16 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::dsm_bind_step(void)
     switch (dsm_bind_state) {
     case 1:
         palSetLineMode(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN, PAL_MODE_OUTPUT_PUSHPULL);
-        palClearLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN);
+        SPEKTRUM_POWER(0);
         palSetLineMode(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_OUT, PAL_MODE_OUTPUT_PUSHPULL);
-        palSetLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_OUT);
+        SPEKTRUM_SET(1);
         dsm_bind_state = 2;
         last_dsm_bind_ms = now;
         break;
 
     case 2:
         if (now - last_dsm_bind_ms >= 500) {
-            palSetLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_PWR_EN);
+            SPEKTRUM_POWER(1);
             dsm_bind_state = 3;
             last_dsm_bind_ms = now;
         }
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ void AP_IOMCU_FW::dsm_bind_step(void)
                 // the delay should be 120us, but we are running our
                 // clock at 1kHz, and 1ms works fine
                 delay_one_ms(now);
-                palClearLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_OUT);
+                SPEKTRUM_SET(0);
                 delay_one_ms(now);
-                palSetLine(HAL_GPIO_PIN_SPEKTRUM_OUT);
+                SPEKTRUM_SET(1);
             }
             last_dsm_bind_ms = now;
             dsm_bind_state = 4;