Curtis PMC 1297 Manual
67
Preliminary on Verso page is set with right edge at 7 and 7/8,
and the top (as on the Recto page) at 1/4.
VEHICLE PERFORMANCE ADJUSTMENT
The 1297 controller is a very powerful vehicle control system. Its wide variety
of adjustable parameters allow many aspects of vehicle performance to be
optimized. This section provides explanations of what the major tuning param-
eters do and instructions on how to use these parameters to optimize the
performance of your vehicle. Traction system tuning is described first, followed
by hydraulic system tuning.
TRACTION TUNING: MAJOR
The tuning procedures should be conducted in the sequence given, because
successive steps build upon the ones before. It is important that the effect of
these programmable parameters be understood in order to take full advantage
of the 1297 controller’s powerful features. Please refer to the descriptions of the
applicable parameters in Section 3
A
if there is any question about what any of
them do.
Once a vehicle/motor/controller combination has been tuned, the pa-
rameter values can be made standard for that system or vehicle model. Any
changes in the motor, the vehicle drive system, or the controller will require
that the system be tuned again to provide optimum performance.
The 1297’s MultiMode™ feature allows the vehicle to be configured to
provide two distinct operating modes. Typically, Mode 1 is optimized for
precision maneuvering and Mode 2 for faster outdoor travel. If your vehicle is
intended to operate in two modes, some of the tuning procedures must be
performed twice—once for each mode.
Four major performance characteristics of the traction system are usually
tuned on a new vehicle:
➀
Tuning the throttle’s active range
➁
Tuning the controller to the motor
➂
Setting the vehicle’s unloaded top speed
Equalization of loaded and unloaded vehicle speed.
These four characteristics should be tuned in the order listed.
➀
Tuning the Throttle’s Active Range
Before attempting to optimize any specific vehicle performance characteristics,
it is important to ensure that the controller output is operating over its full
range. To do this, the throttle should be tuned using a 13XX programmer. The
procedures that follow will establish Throttle Deadband and Throttle Max
parameter values that correspond to the absolute full range of your particular
throttle mechanism. It is advisable to allow some buffer around the absolute full
5
5 — VEHICLE PERFORMANCE ADJUSTMENT
