How To Choose ESC For Racing Drones, Mini Quad and Quadcopters - Oscar Liang

2018. 02. 02.
How to choose ESC for Racing Drones, Mini Quad and Quadcopters - Oscar Liang
HOW TO CHOOSE ESC FOR RACING

DRONES, MINI QUAD AND
QUADCOPTERS
https://oscarliang.com/choose-esc-racing-drones/ 1/19
2018. 02. 02. How to choose ESC for Racing Drones, Mini Quad and Quadcopters - Oscar Liang
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In this article we will explain what an ESC is, and the factors that affect
your choices. We will look into some of the fundamental factors that
beginners should consider when buying ESC’s for a mini quad or racing
drone.
ESC stands for Electronic Speed Controller. As the name suggests,

they are there to control the speed of the motors. The ESC receives
throttle signal from the flight controller, and drives the brushless motor at
optimal speed by providing the appropriate level of electrical power.
Quality ESC’s ensure a reliable and smooth flight experience.
To find out what ESC options are out there, check out the mini quad parts
list.
Index of Content
Current Rating
Processor
Firmware
ESC Protocols
Active Braking and Hardware PWM
Size and Weight
Input Voltage
With or Without BEC
4in1 ESC
ESC Name Brands
ESC vs Thrust
Bootloader
Current Rating – Amperage

First thing to look at when choosing ESC is the current rating, which is
measured in Amps. Motors draw current when they spin, if you draw
more Amps than your ESC can handle, your ESC will start to overheat
and eventually fail. A catastrophic failure can even end up with your ESC
in flames! Three things that tend to increase your current draw and put
more stress on your ESC:
Higher motor KV
Larger motor size (stator width and height)
Heavier propellers (length and pitch)
There are 2 current ratings to an ESC: continuous and

burst. Continuous current rating indicates the maximum amount of
continuous current which the ESC can safely handle. As it is doubtful that
you will use maximum throttle for extended periods, even when racing,
ESC’s are usually designed to withstand a higher current for short
periods of time (e.g. 10 seconds) and this is the “burst” current rating.
Sometimes beginners confuse the current rating of an ESC as Amperage

that it would apply to the motor, but the opposite is actually the case. It is
the motors that draw current from the ESC’s, so the ESC must be rated
for the maximum Amps of the motor you are using. The fact is there is
no benefit to simply using larger ESC’s, e.g. if you replace your 20A
ESC’s with some 40A ESC’s you would actually see a drop in
performance as your quad will just be heavier.
How to find out about current draw

You can test the current draw of a motor yourself on a thrust stand, with
a power meter. Alternatively, there could be thrust test result available
online, that gives you the current draw of your choice of motor and
propeller combination. Some motor manufacturers even provide this data

on their product page.
For example, if you want to use FPVModel 2206 Motor with 5030
propellers on 4S LiPo, it draws 10A at 100% throttle (as shown in my
tests), therefore an ESC rated for 12 Amps should be more than enough.
If you intend to use 6045 props with this motor however, max current
draw could reach 20A, in which case it would be safer to use 20A ESC.
It doesn’t hurt to leave some margin for error, but there is no need to go
overboard. You can use 30A or even 40A ESC’s on something that only
draws 20A of current, but it’s overkill, adds weight and cost (because
bigger ESC are more expensive.
Thrust and Current draw are higher in static tests?

One thing to bear in mind is that most static thrust tests are very likely
to show both higher thrust and higher current than can be expected in
actual flight conditions. First of all, PID controllers in the FC always tend
to leave a little headroom to stabilize the copter, so you will never
actually see 100% throttle when in flight. Secondly, the motors won’t
need to work as hard when moving forward through “free”air, thus
drawing less current.
To verify this theory, I tested it with an OSD (on screen display) that
reports the total current draw at all times during the flight. In my test I
used DYS Storm 2207 2500KV with DAL Cyclones 5045×3 props. A
static thrust test of this motor shows about 30A of current draw at 100%
throttle. However in flight the highest sustained current is only about 22-
24A.
Besides everyone’s flight style is different, maybe you don’t push full
throttle very often, if so your overall current draw will be lower.
Firmware
SimonK and BLHeli
Two of the oldest ESC firmwares for multirotors are SimonK
and BLHeli. Originally these were both open source, developed and
maintained by RC hobbyists. In the old days, the firmware written by
manufacturers was not optimal, so hobbyists would tend to flash either
SimonK or BLHeli onto their ESC’s. Slowly this became the standard for
ESC firmware, and most ESC’s came either with BLHeli or
SimonK firmware pre-installed.
The majority of the users choose BLHeli because of its range of features
and user-friendly interface. For more detailed benefits of BLHeli and
SimonK firmware, here is a discussion comparing the two. Anyway, I
believe that SimonK has now become obsolete as it’s no longer being
updated, so flash BLHeli whenever you can.
BLHeli_S
BLHeli_S firmware is the 2nd generation of the BLHeli
firmware, developed specifically for ESC’s that have Busybee processors
with hardware PWM. It also has a much more simplified user interface.
Aikon SEFM 30A and DYS XS series are early adopters of the updated
BLHeli_S firmware.
BLHeli_32
The BLHeli_32 ESC firmware is the third and most recent generation of
BLHeli. It’s written specifically for 32-bit ESC’s and it has gone closed
source for this iteration. These more powerful processors allow for
smoother, more precise and reliable performance than previous ESC’s.
KISS ESC Firmware
The KISS ESC firmware is closed source and is exclusive to KISS ESC.
Processor
ATMEL and SILABS
There are three main families of processors (MCU or micro-controller
unit) you need to know about for RC Multicopters. Currently the majority
of multirotor ESC’s on the market use these processors: Atmel, Silabs
and ARM Cortex. The different MCU’s have different spec and features
that allow you to run different firmware.
ATMEL 8-bit based ESC’s are supported by both SimonK and

BLHeli ESC firmware
SILABS 8-bit based ESC can run BLHeli or BLHeli_S only
Atmel ARM Cortex 32-bit (More specifically STM32 F0) – can run
BLHeli_32
ATMEL 8-bit ESC’s used to be more common before the market began
to be dominated by SILABS. Silabs ESC’s tend to outperform 8-bit
ATMEL ESC’s with the exception of KISS ESC’s. Now in 2017 the Atmel
Arm Core MCU is becoming common on 32-bit ESC’s.
SILABS F330 and F39X

Within SiLabs based ESCs there are different processors that provide
different performance, for example the 2 main ones currently being F330
and F39X (F390 and F396).
F330 has a lower clock speed, and may have issues running high KV
motors. The F39X doesn’t have these problems, and also supports
Multishot ESC protocol and Oneshot42 perfectly. Two well known
examples are Littlebee 20A (F330) and DYS XM20A (F39X).
DYS XM20A – F390
Busybee (EFM8BB)
Busybee MCU are the upgrade to the F330 and F39X. BLHeli_S ESC’s
commonly runs
BusyBee1 – BB1 (EFM8BB10F8)

BusyBee2 – BB2 (EFM8BB21F16)
These are better because instead of using software PWM (pulse width
modulation), they have specific hardware that can generate a PWM
signal that is synced with the duty cycle of the processor, the result is
much smoother throttle response. They also support the latest D-Shot
ESC protocols. Examples of ESC’s that use these MCU’s would be the
Aikon SEFM 30A and DYS XS30A.
In a nutshell, the overall performance ratings from best to worst:
1. BB2
2. BB1
3. F39X
4. F330
5. Atmel-8-bit
Aikon SEFM 20A – BusyBee
8-bit and 32-bit

Many ESC’s are still using 8-bit processors (F330, F39X, Busybee etc),
but since 2016 some 32-bit STM32 based ESC’s started to emerge,
such as the KISS 24A Race Edition, the V-Good Firefly, and the Gemfan
Maverick. These powerful 32-bit processors unlock many new features
that were not possible with the limited processing power and capability of
the 8-bit MCU. Features such as the “ESC Telemetry” on the KISS 24A,
or “Change Rotation Direction at Start-up” on the Firefly – to mention just
a few.
Wraith32 32bit ESC
ESC Protocols
ESC protocols determine how fast the signals can be sent from FC to
ESC, which can have a big impact on your quadcopter’s performance.
The original (oldest) ESC protocol – standard PWM, has delay up to
2ms, while the currently fastest Multishot has reduced latency down to
only about 5-25uS.
Oneshot protocol principle
Here is a list of current protocols used on quadcopters, from oldest to

latest:
Standard PWM
Oneshot125
Oneshot42
Multishot
DShot (DShot150, DShot300, DShot600, DShot1200)
ProShot
Check out this post to learn about ESC firmware and protocols. Not
every ESC supports every protocol, make sure you check the
specifications before you buy.
Supports for Active Braking and

Hardware PWM
There are a few key features in an ESC that make them perform great
and are worth mentioning.
Damped Light, a.k.a. Active Braking – Greatly improves

responsiveness
Hardware PWM – Improves smoothness and
responsiveness, makes your quad noticeably quieter and slightly
more efficient. It also allows for more fine control
Dedicated gate driver – Cheaper ESCs use transistors to drive the
FET gates, but using a dedicated gate driver improves active
braking effectiveness
Size and Weight

Normally the size and weight of an ESC is proportional to the Amp rating.
ESC’s that are designed for mini quad have fairly standard dimensions
and weight these days, at around 4-6g each. It’s becoming challenging to
make ESC’s any smaller and lighter without sacrificing performance and
cooling. For racing you generally want to keep your quad as light as possible,
however the ESC is probably not the best place to look if you want to drop more
than a few grams.
Smaller ESC’s tend to heat up faster and they can be harder to cool
down, which leads to concerns of overheating with tiny ESC’s.
Input Voltage
Some ESC’s might support input voltages up to 6S, some might be up to
4S only. Make sure the ESC is compatible with the LiPo voltage you want
to use with your mini quad. Ensure you check what the voltage rating is
for your ESC’s, powering your ESC with excessively high voltage will fry
them, and possibly your motors as well.
Some ESC’s might support input voltages up to 6S, some might only
have a 4S maximum. Make sure the ESC is compatible with the LiPo
voltage you want to use with your mini quad. Ensure you check what the
voltage rating is for your ESC’s, powering your ESC with an excessively
high voltage will fry them, and possibly your motors as well.
With or Without BEC – Opto ESC

Some ESC’s come with a built-in BEC (battery eliminate circuit) that
outputs 5V (which you can use to power your flight controller, RX and
other components). Those that don’t have built-in BEC, are often referred
to as “Opto” ESCs by marketers and manufacturers, despite this claim

though, these ESC’s might not actually use opto-isolators.
An opto-isolator is an optical component that transfers signals using light.

It basically separates the high voltage circuit from the low voltage circuit,
and prevents rapidly changing voltages from damaging the ESC
electronics or interfering with the signals from the FC.
ESC’s that don’t have a BEC have the advantage of being lighter, smaller,
and less noisy (since the motor control circuitry is optically isolated from
the radio receiver and flight controller).
Without the 5V BEC however, your FC and RX will require a separate

power source. (Note: ESC’s without a BEC don’t have the “red” servo
wire, only the signal and ground wires)
ESC with BEC
ESC without BEC
Novice Question: Connecting ESC with Motor
I still remember when I started with quadcopters, I was staring at my

ESC and motor, wondering how to connect the 3 wires. I still get this
question occasionally from beginners.
Don’t worry about the order, simply hook up the three wires on one end
of the ESC to the three motor wires in any order you’d like. If the motor
spins the wrong direction, simply switch any two of the motor/ESC wires.
You can also change the rotation direction setting in BLHeliSuite (if you
are using this firmware). For KISS ESC users, there are 2 solder pads
you can bridge to reverse motor rotation.
BLHeli ESC Configurator

As you might be aware, BLHeliSuite only runs in Windows, but there is
good news for users of other operating systems. There is now a Chrome
APP called BLHeli Configurator you can use to flash and configure your
ESC’s, which will run on any OS as long as you have Google chrome
installed.
(works only with BLHeli and BLHeli_S ESC’s)
ESC Integrated Motors

We have seen motors with an ESC built into them such as the ZTW Black
Widow. While it seemed to be convenient and space-saving, it was
actually quite a controversial idea. In the case of either the motor or ESC
failing, both would need to be replaced, costing more in the long run.
Another issue with the motor and ESC in one is that neither can be
upgraded individually.
4in1 ESC
A convenient option is the 4-in-1 ESC, which is basically four ESC’s
integrated into one single board of the same size as an FC or PDB,
which you can stack together, cleaning up your wiring. However
damaging a single ESC means the retirement of the whole board. This is
a trade off between risk and convenience.
To combat this compromise, some manufacturers have released a design

using 4 separate ESC’s which join together to form a single board which
can be built into the stack, such as the Quadrant 4-in-1. A 4-in-1 ESC
also has benefits in terms of weight distribution on the aircraft, because
the mass is more centralized there is less moment of inertia to the mini
quad, which should improve responsiveness.
Name Brands of ESC

Popular, high performance and well-known ESC manufacturers for racing

drones (in alphabetic order):
Aikon
Armattan
Castle
DYS
EMAX
Favourite
FPVModel
Gemfan
KISS
Lumenier
Racerstar
Rotorgeek
Sunrise
TBS
T-Motor
Turnigy
Sorry if I missed anyone, please remind me in the comment.
ESC vs Thrust
Some ESC’s can generate more thrust than others with the same setup
(same motor, prop, voltage…). There can be a discrepancy of up to 20%
in thrust output between the most and least powerful ESC’s on the
market. However that does not indicate the quality of the ESC, which can
depend on many other factors: build quality, longevity, supported voltage
range, smoothness, electrical noise level, etc… It all depends on what
kind of flying you do.
Honestly all the latest ESC’s from the well known brands all have
excellent power and perform very similarly, you won’t go wrong to
choose among them.
Auto-Timing or Fixed-Timing?
The 2 different approaches to motor timin are auto timing and fixed
timing, which are traditionally used in KISS ESC and BLHeli ESC
respectively. They have some effect on performance and reliability of the
ESC and motor which we discuss in more detail in this article: Motor
Timing.
Bootloader
Back in the days when we had multiple different firmware options,
bootloader was an important aspect of flashing an ESC. Think of it as a
small program you need to install on the ESC, to let you load and access
it more easily.
Nowadays we don’t even need to know what bootloader is, since new
ESC’s always come with BLHeli firmware and BLHeli bootloader installed
already. Users don’t normally need to worry about it. However here is
some info for the curious.
Without the bootloader, you can only flash firmware or change ESC
config by connecting directly to the processor chip. You can also install
the bootloader while flashing firmware this way.
SimonK and BLHeli both have their own bootloaders. BLHeli bootloader
offers more features and flexibility, making firmware flashing
and configuration much easier. Initially we could flash firmware via the
signal lead, using 1-wire interface. More recently “passthrough” became
an option, which basically uses the flight controller as the programmer.
Which ESC to Recommend?

Please See our “Top 5 Best” articles to see which ESC we recommend
for mini quad.
Edit History
Jul 2016 – Article created
Aug 2017 – updated article with info about BLHeli_32 and 32-bit
processors; And thanks to Tom for some of the edits
Related
Review: KISS V2 FC & KISS Achieving Linear Throttle Review: Betaflight BLHeli_32
32A ESC Response - Motor Top End ESC - BetaBees
11th December 2017 Calibration 26th July 2017
In "Reviews and News" 19th May 2016 In "Reviews and News"
In "Tutorial"
Posted in Featured, Multicopter and tagged beginners, ESC, how to, mini quad on 23rd August 2017
[https://oscarliang.com/choose-esc-racing-drones/] . 5 Replies
5 thoughts on “How to choose ESC for Racing Drones, Mini Quad and
Quadcopters”
Aurobindo Sangiri
31st January 2018 at 5:46 am
KDE esc’s are also there used for bigger multi copters..
Matt
25th August 2017 at 10:43 pm
I built a quad using those emax bullet 30A esc’s and even though I was not overloading them
(roughly 108A total peak) I had 4 of them catch re. They were arm mounted (thankfully), and
one even caught re upon plug in, still in my hand. Needless to say the unburnt ones I have
will remain in the drawer….
On another note I have become such a huge fan of 4-in-1’s now. I wasn’t expecting as much
but they have all been super hardy (one of mine even went in the Paci c!) and y great. I am
slowly transitioning the ock over.
Harshit Pesala
15th February 2017 at 7:12 pm
Hello I have Racestar BR2212 1000kv motor, 4 of them . I’m confused which esc to buy.Can
anyone pls recommend? It would be a great help if you do so.
Casey
8th January 2017 at 12:46 am
Hello I am a beginner builder of a zmr250. First time build. I have ordered an open ight
cc3d fc. My question is, can i power my cc3d with my cc3d pbd via jumping through a 5v bec
o my pdb directly? Or should I just power fc via 20amp esc with built in 5v bec. I’m trying to
avoid the esc route due to weight and money saving.
Todd
13th May 2017 at 1:46 am
On that fob there should be a 5v output that you can use to power the cc3d. I have the mini
cc3d on my one and that is how I power mine. My other quad has the skyline acro and I have
to run a hot wire from the pdb up under it to a 5v in on that bc it don’t have pins like most
do, kinda makes it like the tower ones. Hope that helps
I only check blog comments once or twice a week, if you want a quick reply you can post
your question on this forum IntoFPV.com... You might get a faster response from me there
(multirotor related only).

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2018. 02. 02.

HOW TO CHOOSE ESC FOR RACING

 Facebook 188  Google  Twitter  Reddit

ESC stands for Electronic Speed Controller. As the name suggests,

Current Rating – Amperage

There are 2 current ratings to an ESC: continuous and

Sometimes beginners confuse the current rating of an ESC as Amperage

How to find out about current draw

propeller combination. Some motor manufacturers even provide this data

Thrust and Current draw are higher in static tests?

KISS ESC Firmware

ATMEL 8-bit based ESC’s are supported by both SimonK and

SILABS F330 and F39X

DYS XM20A – F390

BusyBee1 – BB1 (EFM8BB10F8)

In a nutshell, the overall performance ratings from best to worst:

Aikon SEFM 20A – BusyBee

8-bit and 32-bit

Wraith32 32bit ESC

Oneshot protocol principle

Here is a list of current protocols used on quadcopters, from oldest to

Supports for Active Braking and

Damped Light, a.k.a. Active Braking – Greatly improves

Size and Weight

With or Without BEC – Opto ESC

to as “Opto” ESCs by marketers and manufacturers, despite this claim

An opto-isolator is an optical component that transfers signals using light.

Without the 5V BEC however, your FC and RX will require a separate

ESC with BEC

ESC without BEC

Novice Question: Connecting ESC with Motor

I still remember when I started with quadcopters, I was staring at my

BLHeli ESC Configurator

(works only with BLHeli and BLHeli_S ESC’s)

ESC Integrated Motors

To combat this compromise, some manufacturers have released a design

Name Brands of ESC

Popular, high performance and well-known ESC manufacturers for racing

Sorry if I missed anyone, please remind me in the comment.

Which ESC to Recommend?

will remain in the drawer….

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