background image

field guide

  •For Timbuk2 ESCs with ROCK BOOST•

proper gear selection

4-2014

#55-1832P-1 Rev.5

Motor operating temperature is the 

ONLY

 

way to properly set vehicle gearing

The Motor and Speed Control should not exceed 

160°F MAX

 at any time during run

!

Change the gearing to avoid overheating!

DO NOT FREE-REV MOTOR

!

Free-running your brushless motor in a no-load condition can cause rotor failure 

& ESC transistor damage that will not be covered by the product’s warranty.

Because of the potential danger of overheating and ESC/motor damage and 

failure, you must start with 

VERY

 small pinion sizes and check the speed 

control and motor operating temperatures at multiple times throughout the 

initial runs after installation. This is the only way to ensure that you are not 

causing excessive heating.
If ESC & motor temperatures remain low & stable, you can slowly increase 

the pinion size while again monitoring the temperatures to determine the 

safe gearing for your vehicle, motor, and climate/track conditions. Because 

these variables can change or be modified, 

you MUST continually monitor 

ESC & motor temperatures

 to protect your electronics from damage.

This Brushless Electronic Speed Control (ESC) is factory loaded with 

programmable features. While this may seem overwhelming at first 

glance, this 

Field Guide

 is designed to keep with you out on the rocks to 

use as a quick-reference and help walk you through the programming 

of all of the speed control’s features.
Take the time to thoroughly read through this programming guide 

before  attempting  to  make  any  programming  adjustments  so  you 

fully understand the different ESC parameters, and how they can be 

used to fine tune your ESC’s feel and performance. Most importantly, 

enjoy all of the technical benefits and features the ESC has to offer.
Visit our web site for the most up to date information and to learn 

more about other Novak products and services.

w w w . t e a m n o v a k . c o m

trouble-shooting guide

Steering Channel Works But Motor Will Not Run

• Possible receiver damage––Check operation with a different receiver.

• Possible internal damage––Refer to ‘SERVICE PROCEDURES’ section.

• Check motor or motor connections.

• Check ESC is plugged into receiver’s throttle channel. Check signal harness wire sequence.

Receiver Glitches/Throttle Stutters During Acceleration

• Receiver or antenna too close to ESC, power wires, battery, or motor.

• Bad motor sensors, sensor harness, or connections––Check wiring, sensor harness, & 

connections, perform hall sensor test (Refer to ‘MOTOR HALL SENSOR TEST’ section).

• Low voltage to receiver––Try Novak Glitch Buster (#5626) on receiver to retain power.

• PowerCap damaged/missing––Replace PowerCap/Trans-Cap Module.

• Battery pack damaged or weak––Try a different battery pack.

• Motor magnet weak or overheated––Replace rotor (Refer to motor manufacturer’s website).

• Excessive current to motor—Use a milder motor or a smaller pinion gear.

• Untidy wires or signal and power wired bundled together. Input harness and servo 

wires should be bundled separately. Power wires should be as short as possible.

Motor and Steering Servo Do Not Work

• Check wires, receiver signal harness wiring & color sequence, radio system, crystals, 

battery/motor connectors, & battery pack.

• Possible receiver damage––Check operation with a different receiver.

• Possible internal damage––Refer to Service Procedures.

Motor Runs Backward

• Reverse motor rotation direction––Refer to ‘CUSTOM PROGRAMMING OPTIONS’ section.

• Improper One-Touch set up––Refer to ‘ONE-TOUCH PROGRAMMING’ section.

Speed Control Runs Excessively Hot

• Gear ratio too low––Increase gear ratio/Reduce pinion (refer to ‘PROPER GEAR SELECTION’).

• Motor is damaged––Try a different motor.

Model Runs Slowly/Slow Acceleration

• Gear ratio too high––Reduce gear ratio/Increase pinion (refer to ‘PROPER GEAR SELECTION’).

• Check battery & connectors––Check battery pack & connectors. Replace if needed.

• Incorrect transmitter/ESC adjustment––Refer to ‘TRANSMITTER ADJUSTMENTS’.

• PowerCap damaged/missing––Replace PowerCap or Power Trans-Cap Module.

ESC Is Melted Or Burnt/ESC Runs With Switch Off

• Internal damage––Refer to Service Procedures.

No Power to the BEC

• Check power wire connections to your battery, ESC and BEC unit.

• Check BEC input harness is plugged into receiver & ESC’s red wire is removed from harness.

• Be sure that the BEC unit switch is turned ON.

error/LED codes

• 

Blue status LED on solid at neutral

––Minimum Brake is set to value greater than 0%.

• 

Yellow status LED on solid at neutral

––Drag Brake is set to value greater than 0%.

• 

Red & Green status LEDs on solid

––Check input signal harness connections at ESC and 

receiver. Check input signal harness wiring sequence––Refer to 

STEP 3

.

• 

Red status LED on solid & Green LED blinking

––Check motor sensor harness connection. 

Possible internal motor damage.

• 

Blue & Green status LEDs both blinking.

 Misfire shut-down––return throttle to neutral 

position to regain motor control––check drive train for free operation.

• 

Blue & Red status LEDs blinking.

 Possible ESC thermal shut-down––Check gear ratio 

& free operation of drive train for possible overloading/ESC is being severely over-

loaded––allow system to cool & return throttle to neutral position to regain motor 

control. 

LEDs will continue to blink until system is cooled down.

• 

Blue & Yellow status LEDs blinking.

 Possible Motor thermal shut-down––Check gear 

ratio & free operation of drive train for possible overloading/Motor is being severely 

over-loaded––allow  system  to  cool  &  return  throttle  to  neutral  position  to  regain 

motor control. 

LEDs will continue to blink until system is cooled down.

• 

Blue & Green (Misfire Detection), Blue & Red (ESC Thermal Shut-Down), or Blue & 

Yellow (Motor Thermal Shut-Down) status LEDs blinking.

 ESC may have shut-down 

ESC’s neutral point is too far off

 to sense that transmitter throttle has been returned 

to neutral (Refer to ‘ONE-TOUCH’ & ‘TRANSMITTER ADJUSTMENTS’).

• 

Red & Yellow status LEDs toggling. 

LiPo/LiFe Cut-Off voltage reached. Recharge battery.

service procedures

Before sending your product in for service, review the Trouble-Shooting Guide. Product 

may appear to have failed when other problems exist. After reviewing instructions, if you 

feel that you require service, obtain the most current service options & pricing as follows:

WEB: 

Print out the 

PRODUCT SERVICE FORM

 from CUSTOMER SERVICE section of the web 

site. Fill out required information on form and return it with the product requiring service.
WARRANTY SERVICE: You MUST CLAIM WARRANTY on 

PRODUCT SERVICE FORM

 & include 

a valid cash register receipt with purchase date, dealer name, & phone# on it, or a previous 

service invoice. If warranty provisions have been voided, there will be service charges.

• ESCs returned without a serial number will not be serviced under warranty •

TRADE-IN PROGRAM: Novak offers a trade-in program for non-warranty items toward 

current and discontinued products. You can replace, exchange, or upgrade Novak products 

as listed within the trade-in program. Complete a Non-Warranty Service Form to be eligible.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Dealers/distributors aren’t authorized to replace products thought to be defective.

• If a hobby dealer returns your product for service, submit a completed 

PRODUCT 

SERVICE FORM

 to the dealer and make sure it is included with product.

• Novak R/C, Inc. does not make any internal electronic components (transistors, 

resistors, etc.) available for sale.

one-touch programming

esc parameters

motor hall sensor test

The following parameters are adjustable to help fine-tune the feel and 

response of the speed control to your liking:
1.  Rock Boost (1 of 2) .......................................................... OFF/ON
2.  Standard Drag Brake

--Settings 1-5

 (1 of 5) ....................... 0-100%

  Power Hill/Hold Brake

--Settings 6-10

 (1 of 5) ................... 40-90%

3.  Minimum Drive (1 of 10) ................................................... 0-15%
4.  Dead Band (1 of 5) ..............................................................2-8%
5.  Throttle Curve (1 of 2) .....................................Linear/Exponential
6.  Brake Frequency (1 of 10) .......................................1.67-13.7KHz
7.  Brake End Point (1 of 10) ...............................................10-100%
8.  Drive Frequency (1 of 10) ...............................................7-16KHz
9.  Motor Rotation (1 of 2) ................................................. CCW/CW

10. Voltage Cut-Off (1 of 3) ......................................... OFF-LiPo-LiFe

The Hall Sensor Test diagnostic feature in this ESC allows you to easily check the 

sensors in the brushless motor connected to it to determine if they are operating 

normally. This will help you pinpoint the cause of problems in your system, and 

hopefully  reduce  the  down  time  and  expenses  associated  with  sending  your 

product in for service when you can resolve the issue yourself.

To access this feature, simply follow these steps:

1.  Follow the steps in the ‘CUSTOM PROGRAMMING OPTIONS’ section to 

access the Hall Sensor Test option via the ESC’s SET button.

2.  Slowly  rotate  the  motor’s  output/pinion  shaft.

  If  motor  is  installed  in  a 

vehicle, slowly rotate the drive train so that the motor also rotates.

3.  The status LEDs on the speed control should cycle through illuminating 

the BLUE, YELLOW, and RED status LEDs.

If the BLUE, YELLOW, and RED LEDs light up one after another

 as the motor’s shaft 

is rotated, the Hall Sensors in the motor are operating normally.

If any one of the BLUE, YELLOW, or RED status LEDs do not light

 while rotating 

the motor’s shaft, there is a either a problem with the Sensor Harness Cable (or 

its connections either at the motor end or the ESC end) or with the actual Hall Effect 

Sensors in the motor’s timing section.
If your motor has a user-replaceable double-ended sensor harness, replace it with 

another one to determine if this is the problem. If, after replacing the harness, all 

3 of the LEDs still do not light up, it would appear that one of the motor’s sensors 

has been damaged--replace the timing section of your motor, or if your motor 

is not user-rebuildable, send it in the manufacturer for the appropriate service.

This speed control features Novak’s Smart-Stop Voltage Cut-Off Circuitry built-in, 

and when used properly will allow you to safely use LiPo and LiFe type batteries, 

without letting the cells drop below their critical safety voltage during operation.
The default setting in the speed control is that the Voltage Cut-Off is turned ON 

and is set to LiPo. If you are using NiMH or NiCd cells, you will need to switch 

the Voltage Cut-Off feature OFF. If you are using LiFe cells, you will need to switch 

the Voltage Cut-Off feature to the LiFe battery setting.

Note:  Whenever the speed control’s One-Touch Programming is 

performed, this setting will revert to the LiPo default setting.

DO NOT USE LiPo/LiFe BATTERIES WITH 

VOLTAGE CUT-OFF TURNED OFF 

Using a Non-Novak External BEC

To use a non-Novak BEC with this ESC, follow the BEC manufacturer’s instructions. 

Remove the RED wire from the plug plastic on the ESC’s receiver input signal 

harness. Turn ON the ESC’s power switch, then turn ON the BEC’s power switch. 

Using a Novak External BEC

Connect the Novak BEC’s main power input leads (heavier gauge silicone wires) to 

ESC’s Positive & Negative battery solder tabs (RED to Positive, BLACK to Negative).
Plug the BEC’s receiver power output lead into any open channel of your receiver.
Remove the RED wire from the plug plastic on the ESC’s receiver input signal 

harness--Insulate removed wire to avoid short circuits, as it is “live”.
Turn ON the ESC’s power switch, then turn ON the BEC’s power switch.
Turn the system’s power OFF in the reverse order--BEC then ESC.

voltage cut-off circuitry

external bec connection

temperature monitoring

This ESC  has a built-in diagnostic temperature monitoring feature that lets you 

quickly check the ESC’s operating temperature at any time.
While connected to a battery and powered ON, 

simply tap the ESC’s SET button 

and one of the on-board LED lights will flash 4 times

 to indicate the operating 

temperature of the speed control.

WHITE

 flashing LED = normal operating temp--

under 135°F (57°C)

.

BLUE

 flashing LED = medium operating temp--

136-147°F (58-64°C)

.

YELLOW

 flashing LED = hot operating temp--

148-167°F (65-75°C)

.

GREEN

 flashing LED = hotter operating temp--

168-194°F (76-90°C)

.

RED

 flashing LED = 

hottest

 operating temp--

195-215°F (91-102°C)

.

You are now pushing the ESC extremely hard and should be very careful 

to avoid overheating and possible thermal shut-down.

All LEDs

 flashing = DANGEROUS

 operating temp--

216-239°F (103-115°C). 

Your ESC is now about to thermally shut-down.

Reduce the pinion size/check drive train to avoid ESC 

overheating that could result in potential damage.

With the ESC connected to (at least) a charged battery pack, the receiver, 

and the brushless motor’s sensor harness:

1.  TURN ON THE TRANSMITTER’S POWER
2.  PRESS & HOLD ESC’S ONE-TOUCH/SET BUTTON
3.  TURN ON THE SPEED CONTROL’S POWER

 

With transmitter throttle at neutral, and still 

pressing the SET button

, slide the 

ESC’s 

ON/OFF switch

 to ON position

.

4.  CONTINUE HOLDING SET BUTTON UNTIL RED LED COMES ON
5.  RELEASE SET BUTTON AS SOON AS RED LED TURNS ON
6.  PULL TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO FULL-ON POSITION

 

Hold it there until the 

green status LED

 turns solid green

.

 

Note: Motor will not run during programming even if connected.

7.  PUSH TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO FULL-BRAKE/REVERSE

 

Hold it there until the 

green status LED

 blinks green

.

8.  RETURN TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO NEUTRAL

 

The 

red status LED

 will 

turn solid red

, indicating that the ESC is at neutral and 

that proper programming has been completed. Blue & yellow LEDs will also be on 

indicating Minimum Brake (blue) & Drag Brake (yellow) settings are at levels above 0%.

If transmitter settings are changed, the One-Touch Programming must be repeated.

If you experience any problems, turn off ESC and repeat One-Touch.

NOTE:  Whenever the One-Touch Programming set-up is performed, the 

speed control will automatically revert back to the factory-default settings.

With  the  higher  performance  of  brushless  systems,  undesirable  radio 

system  noise  may  occur  when  used  with  lower  quality  radio  systems. 

2.4GHz  radio  systems  are  the  best  to  use.  FM  radio  systems  are 

acceptable, as long as the system is high quality. AM radio systems are 

not recommended.

Good Quality Radio System Suggested

Transmitter adjustments may not be required to properly complete the 

One-Touch  programming  of  the  speed  control.  However,  should  you 

have any problems completing the 

ONE-TOUCH PROGRAMMING

, adjust 

the  settings  on  your  transmitter  as  listed  below,  then  repeat  the 

ONE-

TOUCH PROGRAMMING

 as described above.

THROTTLE CHANNEL ADJUSTMENTS

A.

 Set 

HIGH ATV

 

or

 

EPA

 

to 

100%

[amount of throw at full throttle]

B.

  Set 

LOW ATV

EPA

, or 

ATL

 

to 

100%

[amount of throw at full brakes]

C.

 Set 

EXPONENTIAL

 

to

 

zero

 setting.

  [throttle channel linearity]

D.

 Set 

THROTTLE CHANNEL REV. SWITCH

 

to 

either

 position.

E.

  Set 

THROTTLE CHANNEL TRIM

 

to

 

middle

 

setting.

 

[adjusts neutral position/increases or decreases coast brakes]

F.

  Set 

ELECTRONIC TRIGGER THROW ADJUSTMENT

 

to 

70% throttle

 and 

30% brake

 throw (or 7:3)–best for racing ESCs. Set to 50% throttle and 50% 

brake for full time use with reverse to get the best performance in reverse.

 

[adjusts trigger throw on electronic/digital pistol-grip transmitters]

G.

 Set 

MECHANICAL TRIGGER THROW ADJUSTMENT

 

to position with 

2/3 throttle

 and 

1/3 brake

 throw.

 

[adjusts trigger throw on mechanical/analog pistol-grip transmitters]

•NOT ALL TRANSMITTERS HAVE ALL OF THESE ADJUSTMENTS•

FM

AM

2.4 GHz

Do not use

OK to use

Best to use

transmitter adjustments

NOVAK R/C, INC.

19 Rancho Circle, Lake Forest, CA 92630

PHONE: (949) 916-6044  •  Monday-Thurday

Customer Service E-mail:  [email protected]

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