“Throttle-Tech” Users Manual
Copyright 2013 Tech-Aero Designs LLC
www.tech-aero.net
9
The transmitter throttle channel must be set to normal travel direction, i.e. higher throttle settings
are achieved with a wider (longer) throttle pulse width. Even if the ESC in use allows the reversal
of the throttle channel, you must assure that longer throttle pulse widths result in higher throttle
output from the ESC for Throttle-Tech to work properly.
Throttle-Tech is designed to work with ESC’s that are configured with fixed endpoints. When
setting up the ESC fixed endpoints, you must either temporarily bypass the entire Throttle-Tech
system with a direct receiver to ESC connection, or you may temporarily disconnect the LiPo Tap
to Throttle-Tech controller connector and leave the rest of the system connected to the receiver
and ESC. In either case, this assures that the ESC is getting exactly what the receiver is putting
out, without any ESC battery voltage compensation factor being applied to the throttle signal
while performing the procedure to set the fixed endpoints. Once the ESC endpoint settings are
established, fully reconnect the Throttle-Tech system for proper operation.
Please note that unless a valid voltage range from the ESC battery is sensed through the LiPo Tap
connection, Throttle-Tech will always pass through the exact pulse width being provided by the
receiver’s throttle channel. This feature assures that in the event of a battery anomaly in flight,
such as an under voltage condition, full command of the ESC / motor is still possible from the
transmitter. Throttle-Tech will
never
send a higher throttle setting pulse than it receives, and can
only apply voltage compensation to reduce the throttle setting to the ESC, based on the sensed
voltage at the LiPo Tap.
Advanced Throttle Configuration
By default, the Throttle-Tech system will apply its voltage compensating algorithm from a pulse
width of 1300
µ
s up to the full throttle setting. This minimum pulse width value for the
compensation algorithm is referred to as the Low Throttle Set Point, which is adjustable via the
FlexLink configuration software. It performs a smoothly integrated compensation function that
makes only minute adjustments down near the Low Throttle Set Point, with progressively larger
adjustments at higher throttle settings. The purpose of the Low Throttle Set Point is to provide a
very small range of throttle stick travel slightly above the ESC’s idle cutoff point that is purposely
uncompensated. This assures that from the start to finish of a flight, the idle cutoff response will
not vary as the battery voltage to the ESC diminishes. Similarly, ESC braking functions will be
unaffected when the Low Throttle Set Point is set to a value greater than where ESC braking
functions are initiated.
The aggressiveness of the voltage compensation function can be configured by adjusting the
Minimum Volts per Cell parameter. Higher configuration values result in a milder compensation
being applied, with the trade-off being that if set too high, the compensation algorithm will not
have effect as the battery voltage diminishes near the end of the flight. The Minimum Volts per
Cell configuration value should not be set so low as to limit top end motor power output to an
unsatisfactory level. Some simple experimentation with the parameter will allow an optimum
setting to be arrived at.
ESC’s that perform manipulation of the throttle curve should be set to a linear function. Selecting
other throttle curve functions at the ESC may not work satisfactorily in combination with the
