Weird glitches underway - troubleshooting suggestions

[Nuke Power]

I would just like to say that I have had similar issues with the micro esc aswell. I have one in my kilo and one in my type 7. I have been getting them ready for sea duty due to the warming weather so I was doing some bench testing. My type 7 will get hickups like the power is just stoping and the servos will go crazy while at full speed with no stick input. The Kilo exhibits the exact same issue. I removed the apcs in an attempt o limit the bec load and still no good. I have never had issues with their larger products just these little guys. It would be a shame if the only reason these 2 have never hit the water is because of bec issues.

[Slats]

I would just like to say that I have had similar issues with the micro esc aswell. I have one in my kilo and one in my type 7. I have been getting them ready for sea duty due to the warming weather so I was doing some bench testing. My type 7 will get hickups like the power is just stoping and the servos will go crazy while at full speed with no stick input. The Kilo exhibits the exact same issue. I removed the apcs in an attempt o limit the bec load and still no good. I have never had issues with their larger products just these little guys. It would be a shame if the only reason these 2 have never hit the water is because of bec issues.

Which micro ESC?
I plan to install the new 3A BEC and use the Mtroniks ESC with it's BEC off.
I really hope this fixes the problem - I am so over the pit lane - which is where I have been lately more than I can remember.

Its weird that some particular boats have issue - others using very similar equipment (servos) and indeed the same ESC with its on board BEC don't.

J

[Nuke Power]

the only other thing I want to test with the unit is placement. As is david has them siliconed to the bottom of the esc on both style sub drivers. I want to move the esc away from the servos and controller and see what happens. Only problem is I have to add a wire extention to do so since the wires were trimmed suring the install of the esc. I do have capacitors on the drive motors of both cylinders and have also tried using ferrites. Its hard to believe that these 9gram sub micro servos have that large of a power demand. I hope to fix it soon as the type 7 is due her maiden voyage.

[Slats]

But which ESC is it? (Type / brand)?

[Subculture]

I don't have a circuit diagram for the mtroniks esc's, but I would think that the regulator will still be used to supply a small current to the microcontroller used to switch the h-bridge. This is a very light load indeed, so unless the regulator is completely goosed, you shouldn't have anymore problems, at least not BEC related.

[Nuke Power]

they are both mtronics micro vipers

[Slats]

Try a separate BEC - they don't cost much.
J

[Nuke Power]

i might try that or another micro type esc with a larger bec.

[mtroniks]

Hi again John.

Sorry if my replies are rather haphazard, time is short & life is chaotic, like I've said, I might be wrong on the BEC issue, but that's my instinct on the glitching issue. I'd like to get hold of a glitching unit and give it some tests, see what I can see. Someone send me one!! Non-ideal though it may be, does the usage of a receiver batt pack (with ESC's BEC disconnected) always fix the problem?
Best regards, Steve.

[mtroniks]

There's always the possibility that BEC is NOT being overloaded, but is cutting out on over-temperature occasionally due to lack of airflow, wouldn't be surprising in a sub. Bond to hull? Ideal huge heatsink in such a vehicle. Just a quick thought. Cheers, Steve.

[mtroniks]

Well, that's interesting.

Another thing, I have on my desk a very much incomplete auto-leveller project. If you guys could give me a wish-list, I'd be really appreciative, will (eventually) sample a unit to best suggestors to evaluate.

Cheers, Steve.

[mtroniks]

Perfect sense. Ideal component, not low-drop of the type that we use in the ESCs but this is perhaps unimportant as most of your installs have a basic battery voltage somewhat higher than the 5v std ESC BEC level. One note, capacitors can sometimes be necassary on output of regulator IC, to prevent instability and all sorts of madness!

Switching regulators, the ideal in terms of minimising power dissipation and I have great respect for such things, we have a lot of involvment in switching power supplies, however electrical noise is a possibility in such systems. If it works, it works though, can't argue with that.

Steve.

[Nuke Power]

The unit is only powering a 180 can motor with an extremely small prop. I will try disconnecting the bec wire and connecting a rx battery. If not I will send one to you if you want to see them. As for bonding to the hull.... Probably not going to work. The hull is lexan plastic and not a very good conductor.

[Slats]

Steve,
As far as O/heating of the ESC concerned - the maximum current drain of the geared motor is 3 amps. Add to that where I drive - a lake- where I tend to drive very slowly so I don't loose site of the boat, I fail to see how the ESC would be heating up so much.

To recap summarise the problems I encountered:
Boat ran fine for 15 minutes - then
-Lost forward throttle only
-Still had full proportional control astern
-Still had ballast control
-Still had auto leveller working (although I did notice it was extra twitchy and a few days later it has died)
-Still had fail safe working
-Still had rudder, rear planes, and fwd planes servos working too.

One thing Steve that separates the vast majority of sub drivers to target speed boats is that submarines typically employ a gear box and the throttle is not typically stuck wide open much.

I'll happily send you the Viper Marine 15 I have back to test- why do I have this awful feeling that you won't find a fault? I should have probably bought the Sub ESC 10 instead right? Please PM your contact address. The bugger is I bought three Viper Marine 15's as I did not know at the time the Sub ESC 10 was around!!! Lamenting that choice as I understand from you Sub ESC10 has a more capable BEC than the Viper Marine's. Would love to send them all back and swap them / pay extra for the Sub ESC10s.

J

[Nuke Power]

I will say that I have used the sub esc 10 with great success. Just make sure you read the instructions thouroughly when setting them up in tandom.