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Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)

Introduction
• An electronic speed controller (ESC) is an
electronic circuit whose main purpose is to
vary the speed of an electric motor and it's
direction.
• An ESC can be a separate unit which lumps
into the throttle receiver control channel or
united into the receiver itself, as is the
situation in most R/C aerial vehicles.
FUNCTION
• The basic function of ESC is to change the amount
of power to the electric motor from the battery
based upon the location of the throttle stick.
• Current speed controllers differ the power to the
motor by fast switching the power ON and OFF.
Here, MOSFET Transistor is used as a switch
 instead of a mechanical device, and the amount at
which it is switched is about 2000 times a second.
So, the power to the motor is diverse by changing
the amount of ON time, against off time in a
specified cycle. 
Earlier ESC’s
• The basic function of ESC is to change the amount of
power to the electric motor from the Li-Po battery
based upon the location of the throttle stick.
• This technique works reasonably at full throttle as the
battery is associated straight to the motor, though at
part throttle situations the flow of current through the
resistor producing power to be lost in the form of
heat.
• As a model, UAV will use most of its time at the
portion of the throttle. This is not a very practical
means of power control.
Current ESC’s
• Current speed controllers differ the power to
the motor by fast switching the power ON and
OFF. Here, 
MOSFET Transistor is used as a switch instead
of a mechanical device, and the amount at
which it is switched is about 2000 times a
second. So, the power to the motor is diverse
by changing the amount of ON time, against
off time in a specified cycle.
MOSFET
• The MOSFET controls the electrical current
flowing between one contact known as source
and another known as drain by applying
electrical voltage at a third terminal known as
the Gate by modifying the electrical voltage
applied at the Gate a conducting channel can
be made to appear or disappear allowing the
device to be switched off for on.
ESC
Simple Circuit Diagram Explanation
• Every ESC has 3 parts: Input, Output, Signal.
• Input is used to provide input voltage, every ESC has a limited
input range. Like 2S-3S (7.4V – 12V) or 3S to 4S (12V – 16V)
before using or connecting input voltage its better you check
what its operating range is.
• Output is used to provide output signals to motor. If you are
using a brushless ESC then it would be used to control
brushless motors and if its brushed ESC then it would be used
to control a brushed motor. Very important point to notice is
MAX A capacity of the ESC and the motor’s max A
consumption.
• If your motor consumes a 15A then its better to use a ESC
which can provide 15A or more (its better to have a good
extra buffer). Any bigger value ESC you can use but not lower.
Another important point to note when you choose an ESC is
its max capacity. Every ESC is categorized on its A rating.
• 6A-10A
10A-15A
150A – 20/25A
and then 30A the most commonly used and most
recommended.
Classification
• Brushed motor ESC
– With BEC
• Linear BEC
• Switched BEC
• Optio BEC
• None
– Without BEC
• Brushless motor ESC
– With BEC
• Linear BEC
• Switched BEC
• Optio BEC
• None
– Without BEC
Components
• Micro-controller
– a step-down (“buck”) converter 
– gate driver control and fault handling unit
– timing and control logic unit
• MOSFET
• Voltage Regulator unit
Working principle
• Processors that operate at 25 MIPS: 25 million
instructions per second.
• Microcontroller is used to provide the continuous
energy to the motor by select the appropriate
switches (one switch for maximum and other is
ground)
– Continuous energy in the coil is changing frequently with
respect to the throttle input
– Speed of the moor has been controlled with the help of
the duration of switch connection.
• Duration is inversely proportional to speed of the motor
Connection
Motor Position Detection Circuitry
• There are two main ways to go about this:
– Sensored (Hall Effect ) and
– Sensorless (Back EMF)
SPEED CONTROL FEATURES
Brake
• A brake forces the motor to stop turning once the speed
control stops delivering power. Electric motors become
generators when being driven by their output shaft (for
example, by a wind-milling propeller). The more load
you put on a generator, the harder it is to turn. A speed
control brake simply places a load (a low resistance)
across the motor terminals, making it difficult for the
motor to turn. This is generally sufficient to stop it
completely. If a folding propeller is being used, this will
allow it to fold. If a fixed propeller is being used, it will
produce less drag than if it were spinning.
Soft Start
• This term describes both speed controls and a
special kind of on/off-only motor switch. In both
cases, it indicates that the control will go from off
to full throttle slowly (for example, over the
course of one second) instead of instantly. This is
very important if using a gearbox or folding
propeller, since an instant start can strip gear
teeth, or shear propeller hinge pins. Some speed
controls let you adjust the soft start time interval.
Digital or Microprocessor
• Until fairly recently, the majority of speed controls were
analog, meaning they worked with voltages and pulse
widths, and had dedicated circuitry to perform each of
their functions. Most modern speed controls are digital.
These controls use a microprocessor to measure the
incoming pulse with from the radio, and to generate the
pulses to the MOSFETs. Digital designs have the
advantage of being adjustment free, and of being able
to provide sophisticated safety features. For example,
most digital controls will refuse to turn on until the
throttle stick has been moved completely to off first.
Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC)
• In small planes, it is advantageous to eliminate the
weight of a receiver battery. Many speed controls
provide a BEC feature that provides power to the
receiver and servos from the motor battery. There is
still a great deal of debate as to whether this is safe,
primarily due to the danger of electrical noise getting
into the receiver and causing reduced radio range. The
other danger of course is that the motor battery could
run down to the point that the BEC cannot provide
power to the receiver. BEC is very popular with the
electric pylon racing crowd, where the planes never get
very far away, and land immediately after the race.
Automatic Cut-Off

• This feature is generally used with a BEC, so


that the motor will shut down before the
battery is depleted, thus reserving some
power for the radio.
Optical Isolation
• To reduce the possibility of the speed control
interfering with the radio receiver, some controls
use an opto isolator chip. This is basically an LED
(light emitting diode) and phototransistor
encased in plastic. The signal from the receiver
drives the LED, which optically transfers the
signal to the rest of the speed control. There is no
electrical connection between the receiver and
the main part of the speed control. Obviously,
this eliminates the possibility of providing a BEC.
Selecting a Speed Control

• Selecting a speed control is a matter of determining the


conditions under which it must operate, and then
choosing one with specifications that fit those
conditions and your budget. The parameters to consider
are:
• number of cells
• expected current draw
• space available
• weight limits
• need for a BEC
• need for a brake
• other desired features
• It is the motor that drives the choice of the ESC, every motor has some specs, one of which
is: 'max. Amps'. Say your motor has a 'max. amp.' value of 15A: this means that your motor
will absorb 15A when your throttle stick is at maximum. You will want an ESC which capable
of delivering at least 25% more of that value, which would bring you to get a 20A ESC.
• It is always safer to use a bigger ESC, there is no danger whatsoever in using an over
capable ESC, the only limit is the weight your plane can carry.
• Be super careful to solder the battery plug the correct way, you will almost always have to
solder a plug yourself, which is good so you can match your batteries, but is bad because
you could get it wrong. Check twice before you power it up.
• Swap two of the three wires to reverse the motor direction, there is no polarity here, and
no wrong way of plugging the motor, so power it up, and if the propeller/fan/rotor spins the
wrong way swap two of the wires. I like to mark them with heat shrink tubes of different
colours after I determined which wire goes where.
• ESCs need ventilation, usually they get warm, or even hot, so a good airflow is always good.
• Separate ESC and receiver, the first produces radio interferences so you want to keep them
as far away from each other as possible.
• It is always better to extend motor wires rather than battery wires, the pulses we discussed
before can generate spikes of current which will kill your ESC overtime, more info here
• Always check your ESC can manage the input voltage, it is written on the specs, you don't
want to connect a 6S LiPo to an ESC rated up to 3S, or chances are you'll see some smoke
THANK YOU

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