How RC ESCs work: The ESC or Electronic Speed Controller is an extremely important part of the RC vehicle, as it controls the speed and other features depending on what the vehicle is equipped with.

THE BASIC OPERATION

For Brushed motors, and vehicles that lack extra features, it is actually pretty simple. The receiver is sent a command from the remote, the receiver decodes that and sends it to the ESC, then the ESC commands the motor.

For brushless motors, the beginning is the same, but the way the ESC commands the motor is very different. Instead of just simply sending a "go" command, it has to manually control the motor. The ESC will power the coils inside the motor directly to attract the magnetic rotor, making the motor rotate. It must do this at the exact correct time for the motor to operate correctly. Brushless motors will have hall-effect sensors, which are directly connected to the ESC, telling the ESC where the motor is and what it's doing, this is necessary feedback for the ESC to make its next command.

This is not true for every motor as there are "sensor-less" motors. These must use a different type of ESC, the ESC uses feedback from the coils it's powering to make a decision on the next command. It could do this because as a magnet moves passed the coil, the coil will act differently, this is the feedback the ESC needs. Sensor-less motors were not popular as a lot of the first ones would have issues where the ESC sends the wrong command for a moment, sending the RC car backward, or not at all, the ESC would typically correct its mistake within less than a second. Although, because of this, motors with sensors became the best pick for RC enthusiasts.

All of these commands are being done by the Microprocessor, a tiny computer inside the ESC that decodes and sends commands.

ESCs for brushless motors also are equipped with a capacitor, it is typically not visible. The capacitor connects across the battery leads and filters out high-frequency noise, protecting the ESC.

STOPPING THE MOTOR

just says stop and it stops

TUNING AND TIMING

TUNING

Brushless ESCs typically have the ability to be reprogrammed or "tuned". Most ESCs can be tuned by a "set up" button on the ESC, pressing the button in a specific sequence will reprogram the ESC, this does not give you full customization though, for full tuning ability, you will need an EPB (External Programming Box) or tuner.

Manufacturers use different methods to program their ESCs, so one tuner will not do all of them. Some of these tuners have the ability to be plugged into a computer, for further tuning on there. Some advanced ESCs have Bluetooth capabilities so they can be tuned from a mobile smartphone.

See an example of an External Programming Box down below.

TIMING

RC cars, like real cars have timing that can be adjusted, although they are not similar in any way. You can tune an RC car to change the timing in which the current is switched through the coils. In brushed motors, the ESC would play no part, you had to physically move the contact point of the commutator on the motor in order to change the timing.

In a Brushless ESC it is possible to vary the timing electronically. This would happen in real time and was known as "Turbo advance" because it would give a large surge in power when it "cut in" almost giving it the feel of a turbo spooling up.

Most ESCs will feature a "Zero Timing" mode or "Blinky" mode, when in this mode, the ESC would blink, hence the name "Blinky Mode". The reason for this feature was for racing championships, if the ESC was blinking that means it is "legal" to race for stock racing.

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