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[bigfella]

Hi All

This may have been asked before, so please forgive me if it has.

Is there a way of making your own ESC, given that the components seem to be available at most electronics shops and if you are good with a soldering iron?????

If so any ideas???

Regards David

[HS93 (RIP)]

For years it was very easy to do it but about five years ago the chip that was used to make them easy to do .its the chip that was in every servo for years ,Know one seemed to know at the time why they stooped making them . so to build a half decent one these days you have to be able to program a PICK , so most don't bother with scratch but buy kits that give good performance and a 20% saving on pre built I have built a lot of these   http://www.electronize.co.uk/fr15_series.htm   The advantage is that if you have an acedent with one you can fix it yourself.

Peter

[bigfella]

Thanks Peter I will look into those.

[malcolmfrary]

The hard bit was always the front end where the signal from the RX is converted into something the power output stage could use.  After the passing of the ZN409 chip, which needed about 14 components around it, I started using the circuit board from a servo to do the same job.  At the time, the complete servo cost less than the old chip.  My circuit consisted basically of a pair of opto isolators connected across where the servo motor used to be, feeding tow pairs of darlington transistors giving a handy 5 amp controller.  
When the present generation of sealed computer controlled ESCs became available, it was immediately apparent that a complete controller cost less than building one from parts bought at retail.
The alternative forhome building is a resistor type controller with power resistors connected to a wiper board worked by the speed control servo.  Again, for space, weight, bulk and cost, the equation leans heavily towards buying a ready-built device, even more so when you can get a discount as a mayhem member.

[Gee]

 

    ZN409 in stock.......
[email protected]

Cheers,
Gee

[FullLeatherJacket]

David
We've drifted away slightly from DIY speed controllers into the area of kits, which is very much an interest of mine.
I've just had a look at their website and Electronize don't seem to sell kits for the FR15 series - just the old 43 series. Unlike those units, all of ours are available in kit form; are microprocessor-controlled and have far fewer components for you to ruin!
We also give a 5% discount to Mayhem members. www.action-electronics.co.uk will find us............and if anyone is desperate for a ZN409 (e.g. for a repair job) I also have few of those chips left.
FLJ 

[HS93 (RIP)]

David
.
I've just had a look at their website and Electronize don't seem to sell kits for the FR15 series - just the old 43 series. Unlike those units, all of ours are available in kit form; are microprocessor-controlled and have far fewer components for you to ruin!
We also give a 5% discount to Mayhem members. www.action-electronics.co.uk will find us............and if anyone is desperate for a ZN409 (e.g. for a repair job) I also have few of those chips left.
FLJ 

 I dont think there is a need for this sort of thing.

Peter

[slewis]

I dont think there is a need for this sort of thing.

Any need for what sort of thing ? I take it that it is OK for you to advertise a company on this forum but FLJ isnt allowed as he owns the company ? Play nice all links are good links and its up to the masses to decide where they spend their hard earned .
Or do you think that he is slating the company you linked to ? I personally dont read it like that and is merely stating facts as he sees them .
Lets hear no more on this and please stick to the thread title and discuss DIY speed controllers please  :)

Shane

[bigH]

  Well said Shane,  Dave does seem to take every chance to put forward his company BUT his comments are to the point and merely place what he feels are relevant points so that we punters can make an informed choice and that is what the majority of us want.   Carry on Dave, some of your advice I ignore and some I am only too pleased to accept but I know that it is not there to sell so much as to inform us of other choices which perhaps we should know about.     bigH

[OMK]

...or perhaps HS93 didn't mean in that context at all. Maybe his 'that sort of thing' was merely a reference to the fact that the majority of modellers don't share the interest to build home-brew electronic stuff as much as they used to.
There are, however, still the minority who dabble with homemade RC stuff.
But to get back to the question in point, maybe Bigfella should be commended for at least wanting a stab at building his own gear. Because, even though we live in a throwaway world, it IS very possible to build your own ESCs from bog-standard components. The ubiquitous PICs and that old favourite, the ZN409, are, after all, nothing but a load of tup'penny transistors bunged together in one single package.
On the other hand, making such gadgets as compact and as affordable as store-bought goods is a challenge. But great fun. And this is where people like FLJ enter the equation, because his wares have somehow managed to attain the happy medium of keeping both sides happy. With his stuff you get compactness, reliability, affordability AND the fun of putting it all together yourself.

But...
You don't NEED to base a working speed controller around a microchip (or ANY chip, for that matter). Such a unit could be built from just a handful of off-the-shelf bits and bobs. But it sure would (does) look a real clunk'er. It boils down to personal preference... a real clunky-looking brute, or a gorgeous-looking kit-built job.

[slewis]

PMK  please believe me when I say that I only step in and moderate any threads when and only when I have received complaints about them . If it is as you quite rightly reason and say then I will of course remove my post .  :)

Shane

[bigfella]

Hi All

This is the type of thing I'm after, I don't mind if it is a kit or someone has a drawing or component list. As stated in another thread I have a lot of time on my hands and I like to tinker and being a former working musician having to make do with making my own stuff (leads and the like) I am pretty good with a soldering iron.

Keep them coming

Regards David

[OMK]

No need to remove anything, my man.
I think it was just one of those questions that easily throws the readers (us) off track.
Leastways, I don't think HS93 meant it to sound off'ish. But if I'm proved wrong, then go right ahead and do your stuff.

You're doing a fair job. Don't panic.

Bigfella:
Your enthusiasm is admirable. But where to start.
You obviously know the business end of a soldering iron, but where are you regarding basic electronics? Are you comfy/familiar with transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc?
If, as I suspect, that you're relatively new to this caper, then, as a suggestion, it might be best if you cut your teeth on a tried-and-tested kit first - as opposed to jumping in the deep end.
Again, this is where companies like AcTion-Electronics come to the rescue. Their kits are designed that Mr. Average constructor should have absolutely no problem with putting one together. All the hard work has already been taken care. That means that we - the end user - gets the joy and satisfaction of making something that we KNOW will work... first time, every time.

Still wanna build your own RC gear?
Good for you. All the help you'll ever need is right here, on this forum. But you'll be flogging a dead horse if, for instance, you're unsure of, say, the pin-outs of any particular transistor, or even basic Ohm's Law. Nope, I'm not trying to put you off -- just the opposite, in fact. There are some real smart electronic whizz-kids hanging out right here on Mayhem (and I mean REAL smart... unlike I).
But if you want to give electronics a whirl, then I'd wager it's a foregone conclusion they'll be only too happy to help you melt solder.

[OMK]

...and if anyone is desperate for a ZN409 (e.g. for a repair job) I also have few of those chips left.

You DO??!
In which case, can I request that you put one of those to one side for me, pse?
As soon as my bench is up and running again I'd like to do some more experiments with one of those babies.
Can I give you holler nearer the time?

Nearly forgot... How much would I owe?

[malcolmfrary]

Kits are a great way of getting a device that you want and learning the ins and outs of handling the components, with the satisfaction of knowing that "I built it".  Designing your own, or building from an old design, takes study and practice, which are no bad thing in themselves.  The old design might well call for components that are no longer available, either at all, or at a sensible price.  To produce a working example might involve the use of more than just basic test gear, especially if, as is normal (for me, anyway) the thing does not work entirely as expected.
Most of use ready-built off the shelf transmitters and receivers.  Not only are they cheaper to buy than make, but they look better, and we can be assured that not only will they work, they will work to an acceptable standard in that no-body else will be interfering with us, and vice-versa.
A google for "RC ESC" will, with a bit of persistence, lead to lots of designs hints and tips.
It is unlikely to be economical, but there is always the kudos that comes from saying "Yes, I made the controller myself", especially if it works well.  Best of luck and enjoy.

[Subculture]

There are tangible advantages to using a microcontroller (PIC, Atmel tiny etc.) instead of an analogue servo controller chip. Not least the fact that the latter generally provide a low frequency PWM of about 50 Hz, governed by the frequency pulse from the receiver. Microcontroller chips can function independently of the RC pulse, and hence give much finer control, leading to better torque and power.

I like dabbling with home build electronics, but when it comes to ESC's, I don't bother.

Andy

[HS93 (RIP)]

This site may give you some ideas on building ,


http://www.kleefeld.freeserve.co.uk/model/barry/pic01/rc_speed.htm

Peter

     there may be other sites with similar info

[BarryB]

Hi - Only just fallen over this thread.

Well, what did you do in the end?
Did you build?
Did my site help?
http://www.kleefeld.freeserve.co.uk/model/barry/pic01/rc_speed.htm

You may like to re-visit as I have now my latest design (#850a) which incorporates 2 EScs and a mixer all on the one PIC chip.
Saves buying 3 chips & saves loads of inter-wiring.

Barry

[bigfella]

Hi All

I have done nothing about an ESC as I have a few other problems with the project until I sort that out. Thanks for all the links I have them all on my favorites.

Regards David

[david.harrison]

Just my two cents (sorry, pence) worth. I'n my opinion, why bother with all the hassle of DIY ESCs'? They really are pretty much a commodity item now, with tons of manufacturers.  Besides which, designing and engineering a high performance ESC to be very reliable is not an easy task, why use up all that time? I briefly considered designing my own too and even with almost 50 years of electronics experience, I decided against it. There really are some excellent, inexpensive ESCs out there already where they have been properly engineered. There probably are also many that are not well engineered, so be sure to do your research before buying   :)

[malcolmfrary]

Another alternative is a PCB etching kit and some copper clad board.  You can make your own resistance/wiper board this way.
You do have to work out the resistance values and provide a servo to work it.  It will almost certainly be vastly more bulky than a modern ESC, and nothing like as smooth while only being marginally cheaper.  It is a sort of alternative, though.