Duration 20:10

RC Basics - Understanding Electronic Speed Controllers (ESC)

788 994 watched

0

7.3 K

Published 12 Oct 2017

Consider supporting the channel by visiting www.patreon.com/painless360 To see more videos on RC power systems visit - /playlist/PLYsWjANuAm4pIU07ta7glYIn-EBCof_4r To view the videos in the ‘Introduction to RC’ playlist visit - /playlist/PLYsWjANuAm4oWuE5ZDX4TAiHBv2i0Xl4m To view the video that covers shows throttle calibration routine - /watch/on4R25klpOOlR To view the video that covers how I flashed SimonK firmware - /watch/oVSj9DBd2Akdj In this video we cover the how an ESC works and what the main jobs of it are inside your model. We cover the standard settings that you will encounter in traditional firmwares, things like brake, advance, voltage cut-off, direction and timing. We cover a few of the standard firmware types like SimonK and BLHeli. We talk about what OneShot is. We then finish by discussing the various types of battery Eliminator Circuits (BEC/UBEC) found in ESCs (Linear, Switching/switched, Optio/Opto). You can see the ESC calibration video here – In this video you can find – - Introduction (0:02) - How do ESCs work? (2:29) - Firmware types and OneShot (9:18) - Why do we need to calibrate the throttle? (14:32) - Types of BEC (1605) - Summary (19:03) Thanks for watching please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. Happy flying!

Category

Show more

Tags

Electronic Speed Control

Radio-controlled Car (Ranked Item)

Remote Control (Invention)

Comments - 841

@

@Kistou137 years ago I became a dronemaniac about a year ago and, being a technicaly skilled engineer, I am surprised that every time I watch one of your videos, I learn something new and important! I have to admit...you replaced Netflix on my tablet when I go to bed! Great job and I am watching all and every one you post...often several times! ... 43
@

@OneHitSoDak3 years ago New to RC Flying, and this was an outstanding beginner's outlook on how ESC's work!! Thanks for taking the time to produce this. 3
@

@DutchRC9 years ago Usefull video sir! Comprehensive rundown of all important info on brushless ESC! :) 16
@

@thamagana9 years ago Your channel is one of the greatest ones of them all. Very in depth, yet broken down for simple minded folk such as myself. You're a great teacher! 27
@

@lokiamir50299 years ago Yet another great video Lee.
Thank you for what you are doing for the community buddy. Without people like you, excuse my french, I would be screwed.
Thank you. 3
@

@nathanstrong43594 years ago THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I had a Blackfoot about four hundred years ago and am wanting to get back into the hobby with rock crawling. This stuff is all new to me and easy to understand videos like yours are a life saver. Thank you so much! ... 2
@

@petwog9 years ago I have returned to RC (20 years of building/flying/crashing planes) after a 10 year lull and have explored multirotors. I have spent a pile of cash teaching myself how to build and crash but have managed to learn basic FPV. Your You Tube video channel is like the University of Modern Radio Control and should be a must for all old timers re-entering the hobby. Thanks so much for all you have taught me! ... 48
@

@farolina1236 years ago Mr. Lee you are a RC Guru for many of us......Thank you Sir.!!
@

@BWWGL95 years ago TOTALLY THE BEST, DEFINITION(S) OF ESC I HEARD ON THE TUBE ! AWESOME INFO, NO freaking overriding background music etc., Very Professional in my book! T H A N K S 3
@

@bekawe20119 years ago :) WOW! Best ESC explanation ever. Thank you ! A must see & understand for all newbies (me) :) 12
@

@craigwaterworth91238 years ago Thanks Lee , I'll have a swap around before ordering parts . Keep up the good work 👍🏻 2
@

@lloydprunier44159 years ago Thank you ! So much to learn and things are constantly changing or being updated. Nice to have some where to look to find details in layman's terms backed by real knowledge. 1
@

@Kistou137 years ago Forgot to mention, I started the build of a Hexacopter which I design for high payload and precision flying. Needless to say, your contribution to my project is incredible...I think I will print a small sticker with your logo and stick it some where on the final chef-d'oeuvre! ... 1
@

@rustykhan29198 years ago Thank you for the great information given on esc`s. Very helpful. Getting ready to setup an a10.
@

@Mrinfoone8 years ago You opened up my eyes and thanks for the in sights. Great tutorial and info. 2
@

@B0M0A0K8 years ago Love your videos. Clear and easy to understand. Very Nice work!
@

@lemmonsinmyeyes8 years ago I am working on project using RC motors and ESCs and this was the single most useful video I watched in 2 days of research! THANK YOU!
@

@leohicker44628 years ago great vid!!! saving me a lot of trouble upgrading my racing quad! 1
@

@johntisbury6 years ago Very helpful and very well explained - thank you. 1
@

@mirage3rd6 years ago Thanks for helping all of us newbies. All your videos are clear, to the point and without the a noxious background music present on too many.
...and, by the way, for people who grew up with 2-stroke engines and 27MHz radios, there’s a LOT to be learned... ...
@

@Mrkindleify9 years ago Painless, I've watched so many of your videos, and in terms of explaining things I think you're THE best that I've seen! Keep up the good work! Tom 1
@

@bradleyscott1797 years ago You're helping me tons thanks for all the great info.
@

@Jimbo-in-Thailand7 years ago Learned a bunch. Thanks! Putting together an FMS PT-17 and know almost nothing about today's RC radio tech, especially electric powered, so trying to get up to speed. Used to love flying gas/nitro planes using now-extinct FM radios. Was always worried someone would accidentally turn on 'my' channel 42 and crash my beloved plane. Glad that old tech finally slithered into the tar pits. Gotta say that today's RC tech is freakin' extraordinary!
Cheers from Thailand! ... 1
@

@Fjernsyntv9 years ago Brilliant. Best educational quad to-do videos on youtube. Keep on publishing, and more builds. Thanks! 5
@

@philt83225 years ago A very informative video and well explained, many thanks.
@

@imemyself28206 years ago Being a newcomer to this hobby trying to wrap your head around all the theory takes a f***ing university degree. At some point - usually around here with ESCs and BECs - smoke is coming from your brain and your hair is catching fire but you can't put it out, because your eyes are pointing in different directions. But dont worry, it's all fun and games until you realize everything you watched and read was made back in 2012 and everything's changed since. Yay! ... 5
@

@rbsox08 years ago Excellent video... not to technical but just the right amount of information to answer the most asked questions... Well done!
@

@robertmulligan76778 years ago Super instruction... as a newbee I find your info clear and concise and so helpful, thank you!
@

@azztopia3 years ago watching this 2021, and still i have learned so much! your channel is worth gold! ^^ 2
@

@rblitek9 years ago I am new to RC and these videos are making it a lot easier to understand. Thank you for making then and please keep them coming.
@

@user-yu3uj7cc3u2 months ago Brilliant exposition of ESC control and brushless motors, not into RC, just needed to understand how to regulate a motor - thanks
@

@zenobikraweznicklast year This is very informative and helped me A LOT ! Thank you!
@

@bigbattenberg7 years ago You have a great channel. I recently picked up the hobby again after a long hiatus (since teenage years). Now I will finally finish my Tamiya Gepard (with custom gearbox), together with my son! I am so much realizing how much we were in the dark back in the era before Internet and Youtube! By the way, I now work for one of the leading manufacturers of small DC drive systems, so I have a much more professional angle towards the hobby. Still a lot of fun! ...
@

@SailorDaniel8 years ago Think I found my new favorite youtube channel... Your helping make a hobby that seemed exclusively technical, overwhelming, and not accessible to anyone not working for NASA..., into a doable, fun, and educational hobby that will open up whole new areas of knowledge and interest for many people including me. Particularly in today's world,That is as commendable and needed as much as any charity or good deed could be. Good on ya and Thanks :) ...
@

@alhodge40517 years ago very informative on a fundamental level...thanks
@

@AndreasGartmyr9 years ago Really great video, thanks! I have a question. I have linear escs. Do I have to connect all four 5v to the cc3d or can I just connect one and use the others for lights and stuff? Are there any benefits in connecting them all to the cc3d? Thanks again! ... 1
@

@potpot86205 years ago Awesome explanation hope you can post the actual happening on that diagram 👏🏼
@

@chuckingfoot8 years ago thank you so much. Very nicely explained.
@

@rtoebak768 years ago So the eachine 250 racer has opto simonk esc,s. It has his own bottom plate for pdb. The flightcontroller gets 5 volt from the pdb. In my case of the not turning left front motor that actually works and esc. Can i take the signal wire and plug it directly in the flightcontroller? It would be a waste of course of the pdb , but i want to know if the pdb is the cause of the issue i am having. Could i hook it up like this to see if it wil turn? Bypassing the pdb? Or will i be blowing something up. Ordered a new pdb board but if that does not work maybe its the flightcontroller. And i have to order that to. For configuring the esc,s in cleanflight the sounds go crazy all over the place. Not standard 2 beeps. The motor stutters. ... 1
@

@luismelchorvillarroel28028 years ago Thank you for your excellent videos and descriptions,the best videos I have seen so far on internet .regards
@

@paulmcmahon17749 years ago HI YOUR VIDEOS ARE GREAT .i JUST GOT INTO qUADS AND YOUR VIDEOS ARE THE BEST!
i HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THEM AND IAM A OLD TIMER BE VERY CLEAR AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND,
THANKS.
@

@mydroneaddiction42049 years ago Great video and explains ESC very well.. congrats
@

@superclips54677 years ago What a great explanation very good channel 👍👍👍
@

@johnscicluna3300last year Great information for us newbies , thanks
@

@bluelobster567 years ago nice. very clear explanation, I learned a lot.
👍👍 from 2017, lok 1
@

@FishinBob3 years ago Great video. This discussion is still valuable today for beginning RC wannabees.
@

@alanporter64719 years ago Hello, thank you for yet another excellent video. Even though I have used them for years, it clarified my understanding of ESC's, especially the significance of SimonK. I do believe there is one thing that you could add to this video which I still don't quite understand. That is the difference between 'Rapid' and standard ESC's. In Open Pilot, one has to choose the type of ESC (as shown your very well done CC3D videos). Can any ESC be a rapid ESC? Are they special? Are they something we should aim for? Can a firmware change make a standard ESC rapid? Everything else about ESC's you have explained so clearly. Just a thought. ... 1
@

@adamsational7 years ago THANKyou for providing a timeline index :) 1
@

@OzhanKurkcu009 months ago Thanks! Your Video Post are very informative...
@

@consciousmeandu9 years ago thank you so much for a very helpful video! happy new year!
@

@paulanderson32005 years ago thankyou for turorial learning
@

@su-kittang25633 years ago good lecture for beginner, like me. Thank you very much
@

@parjacpar30778 years ago Thanks for another great video . . Your video was just what I needed to know as could not find another video with all the information that you provided
@

@1pacooooo8 years ago Hi! Great video and great explanation!
I’m currently building a quadcopter using an APM 2.8 and maybe you could help me solve some questions I have. I have LD Power ESC’s with NO BEC’s. Does that mean that to power the APM I should leave the JP1 INSIDE to power the whole APM with the 5V the power module provides and leave the power cables from all of the ESC’s connected? In that case, will those 5V the power module provide be enough to power the whole APM or could I have voltage shortage problems, or over voltage problems coming from adding the power module voltage and the ESC voltage (with no BEC the ESC’s should not be powering the APM at all, wright?)?
Thanks in advance! ... 2
@

@tgbz33018 years ago Thanks for the great video!
Any idea why I would need to calibrate every time I change batteries? 2
@

@Behringer7659 years ago You gained a subscriber, great videos!
@

@wayneleroy63822 years ago Thank you for stating that these "brushless DC motors" are actually 3-phase motors (synchronous 3-phase specifically). I'm both an RC pilot and an electrical engineer so the "DC motor" false identification has always sort of annoyed me. I speculate that half of the hobbyists don't know and care. But the other half wants to learn and understand. Giving them the accurate information reduces confusion . Thank you 👍 ...
@

@toddy25197 years ago I'm a bit unclear on the OPTO ESC's. I was planning to use my OPTOs for motor only and using a separate 6V batt to power my servos etc. Do I need to use a separate BEC or can I just plug the 6V battery pack into my receiver BATT slot?
Thanks for these videos, I subscribed. ...
@

@strixaluco33246 years ago Is it possible for brush esc to block other channes on reciever? If not, why does this accure?
I used 10A IZushed Reverse 1
@

@bigbattenberg7 years ago Together with a colleague, I am looking to drive my tank with two BLDC (outrunner) motors (one for each track). We may use an Arduino to make a "digital differential", like some of the Tamiya DMD controllers. We're still in the early stages so I'm now exploring the current state of technology of RC, which your channel is proving to be of great benefit. On my channel there is an animation of the "Cletrac" differential, which is a very nice mechanical concept, although hardly suitable for RC. ...
@

@hectorz78607 years ago Hello Painless and thank you for the very informative video on ESCs.
I do have a question. I have some 30Amp ESCs, Simonk, and are rated to run on 3S batteries. Can these ESCs run using 4S batteries? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks. ...
@

@sidikridwan7 years ago nice explanation, i have questions do we need one bec for each esc ? and is the function of bec just to powering the flight controller ? thanks
@

@williamgunter51997 years ago I want to get the complete step by step procedure in setting up my Flysky FS CT6B to control a Sabertooth motor driver for 2 wheelchair motors. After I purchased the Flysky system I discovered not everything I needed to make it work was contained in the box. I became aware that I needed a separate power source for the receiver. Then I became further confused with ESCs & BECs. I'm talking about connections, current requirements, etc. My Sabertooth driver is dual 32 amps.... This all new to me. ...
@

@Kyle900t6 years ago Hey, thanks for the great vid. I'm looking for an ESC to connect a 24v 2.2amp DC brusless motor to a PWM controler. I can't seem to find a suitible ESC. Most are rated for much lower voltage. Am I missing something?
Cheers! ...
@

@timlazenby44308 years ago Hey man great video tutorial very easy to understand, so thanks. I'm thinking of building copter but with a difference, I want to build one with 3 lift motors and two propulsion motors. So in otherwords 3 motors in the y axis and 2 in the x axis. I'm just getting up to speed with ESC etc and wanted to know in principal would it be possible to control this set up and how one wuld go about wiring it? All help gratefully received ...
@

@danielluna28557 years ago Great video! I was thinking on using an ESC to control a cordless drill motor, but this motors only have 2 cables, what can I do? Do I just ignore one cable and use the remaining ones?
@

@efarrugia19 years ago Another great tutorial, thanks!
I have read in a couple of places that Switched BECs provide a less clean supply when compared to Linear ... which may cause interference when powering FPV equipment. Do you agree?
@

@littlewrenhen5 years ago Very good video, schooling a thirty year electrician.
@

@ig20876 years ago very educational. Best ESC explanation. My quadcopter got lost and was found a month later upside down in a puddle of water with battery missing. I cleaned it and dried it out and checked to make sure all the motors still turned freely by hand. After installing a new battery, i tried to fly it and it lifted off and hovered at 4 ft or so as usual but as soon as I tried to move it to the left, it drifted away and wouldn’t come back. I had to run after it to stop it. Could a bad ESC cause this drifting away issue? ...
@

@kevbarry64576 years ago Which way up are the 3 wires on the connection from the ESC to the Naza Mv2 main controller? My new speed controllers have Black Red and White wires to the connector. My old ESC's had Brown Red and Orange with the brown uppermost. ...
@

@Toro-Tor9 years ago Hello Mr. Painless360, I've got some Optio ESCs (emax 40A) and trying to understand how to setup.@ you say something about an "incoming rail". What do you mean? I just cut all the red wires from the ESCs to the flight-controler and then power only one of them on the side into the flight-controller from a seperate ubec, right?
Thanks for the effort you're making with these videos, much appreciated. ...
@

@shahi97755 years ago I used 30A ESC and a 3S lipo battery in my quadcopter. After arming the motors a strange beeping sound(1 beep) was coming from the esc s and the motor did not run when I turned on throttle. What should I do? Can you help me in this case? I'm using sp racing f3 flight controller and using i-bus connection. Actually I couldn't calibrate 4 escs at a same time with i-bus connection. Do I need to calibrate esc individually?
And do I need esc calibration every time after first calibration? ... 1
@

@camilojlab6 years ago Hi. It is possible to use racer ESC to run big motors like an Emax MT3515 650kv? There are some big ESC that are 40 amps and this little ones that have 40 amps too but in a tiny and weightless formfactor, can I run them without any damage with those big motors? I try to find this on internet but never find something. Thank you! ...
@

@danwedrat27836 years ago Wow this is so useful! Just in the middle of building a scratch build wing and having clicking noises and warm motor, using a traditional esc type. Looks like the timing is my issue?
@

@dwayner25186 years ago Fantastic explanation, thank you for taking the time out to make this vid!
One question I have is, what type of ESC should I use when using a standard 12v automotive lead acid battery as a power supply? I want to run an EDF using manual control for speed/thrust adjustment so I figured a servo tester connected to an appropriate ESC should do the job as I can use the manual mode potentiometer to control the speed but what about the battery type? Is this going to be an issue? ...
@

@jonjvilla86729 years ago Have received my skyfun todaty with a 25Amp linear esc bec but i have no idea how can I use a separated batery in order to control telemetry in one side with its own Bec and the motor and throtle in the other ... do you guys have a video showing how to use 2 separated batts for tha5? Thank you ;) ...
@

@ma5hin3163 years ago I absolutely love watching your knowledge and videos...I'm building a 6s plane and have a tone of room...can I run a Castle Creations Mamba X surface esc (BEC 5.5v-8v... was putting in my Kraken)...my problem is with the braking within the esc...can I just run it no reverse, no braking? I don't want to ruin a $350 plane and have it fail. ...
@

@avocatious64025 years ago Nice video. Thanks. Btw, you sound like Jack Frags
@

@germinationwide4life8 years ago Great video! How can I tell if an ESC is going out? My quadcopter drifts to the left and forward after flying for a bit. Also, the front left motor doesn't seem to have the brake control working . Usually if I flick the props with my finger they don't spin while connected to the esc's. The front left one now spins freely when connected to the esc. ...
@

@diggydice90416 years ago So I know of 3-phase motors from commercial A/C work where I swapped electric leads to change the
direction o f spinning but can you likewise change the propeller backwards to essentially do the same
thing or are the propellers notched in a way that they'll only work in 1 direction? And I imagine some manufacturers can be swapped & others have their own, "Notched Groove" to make sure the propeller
turns the right way? I'm trying to get a basic set of, "Wants/Needs" put together for my flying.
Ultimately I want one Transmitter(easiest/user friendly) & it needs to have several, "Flight Controllers"
it can support/handshake with? Once I can establish this main issue I can have any number of other
components fall into place. My mind is whipping along...... ...
@

@jonienglish32319 years ago good explanation
how about making a video on 1 reciever controlling 2 esc
@

@lc_xo25999 years ago Hey there awesome video, really clear explanation. I was wondering however about the fact that you have to switch any two wires for two of the escs and keep the other two straight. Does it matter which motor is crossed and which isn't, for example should the straight wires be for the clockwise motors and the crossed for the anticlockwise? ...