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24
Curtis 1212S Manual,
Rev. B
5 — INITIAL SETUP
5
INITIAL SETUP
Before operating the vehicle, carefully complete the following initial setup
procedures. If you find a problem during the checkout, refer to the diagnostics
and troubleshooting section (Section 7) for further information.
Before starting the setup procedures, jack the vehicle drive wheels up
off the ground so that they spin freely. Doublecheck all wiring to ensure
that it is consistent with the wiring guidelines presented in Section 2. Make
sure all connections are tight.
1
Begin the setup procedures
1
-a. Put the throttle in neutral, and open the forward/reverse switches.
1
-b. Turn on the controller and plug in the programming device. The
programmer should power up with an initial display. If it does not, check for
continuity in the keyswitch circuit and controller ground.
2
Throttle
Set the Throttle Type parameter (Program » Throttle » Type) to match the throttle
you are using; see page 14.
It is important to ensure that the controller output is operating over its
full range. The following tuning procedures will establish the Neutral Dead-
band and Throttle Max parameter values that correspond to the absolute full
range of your particular throttle mechanism. It is advisable to include some
buffer around the absolute full range of the throttle mechanism to allow for
throttle resistance variations over time and temperature as well as variations in
the tolerance of potentiometer values between individual throttle mechanisms.
Tuning the Neutral Deadband
Starting with the Neutral Deadband set to its default value, adjust this parameter
if necessary to provide a good balance. The deadband should be wide enough for
the throttle to reliably return to neutral when released, yet without an excessive
amount of travel in the “dead” zone before power is applied.
2
-a. If the throttle travels too far when starting out of neutral before the
brake disengages, decrease the Neutral Deadband value. If the brake sometimes
doesn’t engage when the throttle is returned to neutral, increase the Neutral
Deadband value. The default setting of 10% should work for most applications.
Tuning the Throttle Max
2
-b. Apply full throttle and observe the Throttle value. This value
should be 100%. If it is less than 100%, the Throttle Max value should be
decreased to get 100% throttle. After entering a smaller Throttle Max value
(Program » Throttle » Throttle Max), return to the Monitor menu and repeat
this step until the Throttle % value is 100% at maximum throttle position.