Flashpoint
Junior Member
First post and thanks in advance for any help.
I'm relatively new to RC and I'm building my first quadcopter. I bought this package from HK: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor...wer_module_Telemetry_Radio_915Mhz_XT_60_.html I know this might look like an ambitious project for a beginner but I've been flying quads for a few months now and I really want to get into autonomous flight and to understand how everything works. I chose the Turnigy SK450 to "model" my build after and bought the same frame, motors and props from HK, so really it's the same quad just with an APM based FC instead of the KK2. Right now I'm trying to take this one step at a time. I've got the physical build done except for the minim osd and telemetry radios that I will install later, I'm going to try and get in the air with just the FC (w/GPS) to start. I'd be very appreciative for any advice on the below:
I bought OPTO ESCs (that as I understand it do not have BECs) since this package comes with a BEC/Power Module to power the FC. I removed the jumper on the FC so the power lines (red wires) from the ESCs are isolated from the power supplied by the power module. I also could have removed those lines from the ESCs but they shouldn't have any voltage on them anyway since they are OPTO ESCs. So the outputs from the FC should provide signal (white wires) to the ESCs which will then power the motors using their direct battery connections. Does all this sound correct?
Can someone explain exactly what an ESC does? In other words, does it just act like a big transistor and use a PWM signal from the FC to directly modulate the power from the battery to the motor, or is it getting some other (analog?) kind of signal from the FC and creating the appropriate modulation internally? How does one calibrate and/or flash their ESCs? I really need a tutorial on ESCs!! Anyone got a good link?
Thanks!
I'm relatively new to RC and I'm building my first quadcopter. I bought this package from HK: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor...wer_module_Telemetry_Radio_915Mhz_XT_60_.html I know this might look like an ambitious project for a beginner but I've been flying quads for a few months now and I really want to get into autonomous flight and to understand how everything works. I chose the Turnigy SK450 to "model" my build after and bought the same frame, motors and props from HK, so really it's the same quad just with an APM based FC instead of the KK2. Right now I'm trying to take this one step at a time. I've got the physical build done except for the minim osd and telemetry radios that I will install later, I'm going to try and get in the air with just the FC (w/GPS) to start. I'd be very appreciative for any advice on the below:
I bought OPTO ESCs (that as I understand it do not have BECs) since this package comes with a BEC/Power Module to power the FC. I removed the jumper on the FC so the power lines (red wires) from the ESCs are isolated from the power supplied by the power module. I also could have removed those lines from the ESCs but they shouldn't have any voltage on them anyway since they are OPTO ESCs. So the outputs from the FC should provide signal (white wires) to the ESCs which will then power the motors using their direct battery connections. Does all this sound correct?
Can someone explain exactly what an ESC does? In other words, does it just act like a big transistor and use a PWM signal from the FC to directly modulate the power from the battery to the motor, or is it getting some other (analog?) kind of signal from the FC and creating the appropriate modulation internally? How does one calibrate and/or flash their ESCs? I really need a tutorial on ESCs!! Anyone got a good link?
Thanks!
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