Version 1 vs Version 2 F_Series identification.
{% hint style="danger" %} If running the F Series ESC from a power supply that can not absorb current (when the F Series ESC is regen braking), this can cause damage to the unit. We recommend using a battery or bidirectional power supply to avoid this issue. {% endhint %} ### Wiring Diagram The following diagram outlines a typical multirotor setup using the APD PDB500 and the F-Series 120A ESC.  The following diagram illustrates the signal wiring between the ESC and the flight controller. For applications with PWM signal inputs, only the signal (S) and GND (-) connections are required. ESC Telemetry will output when the ESC is operated with DShot and requests are received. The reverse tabs will reverse the output motor direction, these can be solder bridged as required.  When wiring the 200F3, an extra pin is available on the input header. The Vcc pin is used for PWM receivers that do not have enough drive to supply current for the onboard OPTO isolator. In most setups, this is not required. As a minimum, the Signal input and GND pins are required.  ### Capacitor Mounting The included input capacitor should be installed on the ESC with the correct polarity. Recommended additional capacitors should be either Panasonic FM/FS series or Rubycon ZLJ series. The following image shows the recommended capacitor mounting on the F-Series 120F\[X] ESC. Further capacitors should be mounted close to the input terminals in setups where it is needed (high power, long input leads, etc). For example, in a 10S F5B application, we recommend 3 extra 330uF 50V capacitors. The 200F3\[X] has 3 capacitors mounted on the board, further capacitors are rarely required. \ \ Please keep the capacitor legs as short as possible (keeps the noise to a minimum). Avoid using low power irons to solder the capacitors, as this can result in cold solder joints leading to issues and/or failures in the future with your ESC. ![ESC capacitor mounting position and lead lengths on 120F3\[X\]](/files/-LsoNw_pWgSlZmCocP7U) Capacitor legs should be folded as follows, to reduce the overall length of the legs. Excess should be cut away. The polarity is important, positive is marked with a longer leg, negative with a grey stripe on the capacitor body.  ### Assembly Instructions For systems that utilise a wiring harness rather than an APD PDB, the following should be followed to ensure your system works as expected: * All ESC Power **GND** wires should be connected to a single 'Star' node (common **GND**) * The flight controller **GND** must also be connected to this node * Signal **GND** wires must be used, to provide signal integrity between the ESC and flight controller * Flight controller power must be supplied via a regulator that can sustain high noise environments or from a separate battery * Additional capacitors must be attached in the case that input leads are longer than 12 cm Keeping all input leads as short as possible will reduce noise and unexpected behaviour. Signal wires should be wired as a twisted pair along the corresponding signal **GND** wire. ## Powering Up Before powering on the F-Series ESC, be sure to check for cold solder joints. First-time power-ups should be performed with a low-voltage battery and a smoke stopper or a power supply set to 15V\@1A to reduce the risk of damage due to incorrect wiring. (You may need a higher current if your system includes electronics with high current draw such as a high powered video transmitter.) {% hint style="danger" %} Make sure input polarity is correct! Connecting the ESC incorrectly will damage the unit, and void any APD warranty. {% endhint %} ### End Points In order for your ESC to perform correctly when using a PWM input, make sure that the endpoints coming from the receiver are between 1000-1020 uS for the lower endpoint and 1980-2000 uS for the upper endpoint. {% hint style="warning" %} If the lower endpoint is above 1020 uS, the ESC will not arm. Similarly, if the receiver is outputting less than 1980 uS, you will not reach the full power range. {% endhint %} The ESC's can receive up to 500Hz PWM, with standard TTL 3.3V or 5V inputs. If the input voltage is less than 2.7V, the drive voltage of the receiver is not high enough and the ESC will not respond to signal inputs. # Advanced Setup Further details of the F-Series ESC setup including recommended prop/motor combination, tuning, firmware updates, and audible tones. ## Maintenance ### Check-Ups Regular checks and maintenance should be performed on the ESCs, especially after crashes. This includes: * Inspect for any broken or chipped components on both the top and bottom sides. * Power on using a smoke stopper or power supply to ensure electronics are not damaged or getting hot quickly. * The no-load current draw of the 120A ESC is 40mA. This can easily be checked by de-soldering the ESC from any PDB or wiring harness, and powering on using a 3S Li-Po or power supply. If the ESC draws less than 35mA or more than 45mA, there is a damaged component on the board. * Capacitors that are swelling or crushed should be replaced immediately. Excessive heat and high-current loads will reduce the capacitor's life. ### Protection Mechanisms The F-Series ESCs contain the following factory configured protection mechanisms to ensure maximum product lifetime: **Phase Current Limiting** The motor phase current is limited to the maximum burst rating for each F-Series ESC. These are as follows: * 40F3 ESC: **100A** Limit * 100F3 ESC: **180A** Limit * 120F3 ESC: **200A** Limit * 200F3 ESC: **300A** Limit **Over Temperature Protection** All ESCs are set to 110°C, at which point the maximum throttle is limited to a 50% duty cycle. **Over Voltage Protection** All ESCs will reduce regenerative braking response when a voltage rise is detected on the bus while braking. ## Motor and Prop Size Correct motor and propeller selection is very important to reduce the load on the ESC and to reduce motor saturation. Incompatible combinations can result in reduced overall performance, reduced system lifetimes due to excess heat and even ESCs burning out.\ \ If the prop and motor combination draw more than the ESC's nominal current rating at a static load, they are not recommended. For reference, a system running a 120F3 and a MAS 13x12x3 propeller should have the following motor Kv: | **Cell Count** | **Recommended Kv** | | -------------- | ------------------ | | 6S | 500-700Kv | | 8S | 400-600Kv | | 10S | 350-450Kv | | 12S | 300-400Kv | In order to use larger propellers, either the motor Kv or battery cell count should be reduced. ## Tuning For tuning the flight controller with BetaFlight, we recommend referencing the latest tuning guides available from BetaFlight as each version may have different requirements and/or incompatibility with previous values. **PID Tips (Only Valid for Betaflight 4.3)** D term will need to increase 50-100% Antigravity to half of default value #### Filters Tips **(Only Valid for Betaflight 4.3)** D term lowpass filters to half of default value RPM and Dynamic filter ranges reduce by half to 1/3 default values As always, reach out if there's any issues or questions, we try to respond as soon as we can. Contact options can be found under [Help](https://docs.powerdrives.net/products/help). # F Series Configuration Options This section of the guide outlines the various configurable elements of the F\_Series through the configuration tool, along with their default settings. {% hint style="warning" %} These configuration options are for units running F\_Series firmware 2.3.0 or later. {% endhint %} ## Mode Loads the configurator tool fields with the recommended settings for the desired drivetrain application. Two mode options exist, Normal mode and Reversible mode. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Normal {% endhint %} ## Motor Drive Settings Motor drive specific settings. ### Motor Direction The desired direction in which the motor should operate. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Normal {% endhint %} ### Motor Start Power The intensity of the initial voltage applied to the motor when spooling up from stand-still. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Normal {% endhint %} ### Timing Advance Increased timing advance can reduce ESC running temperatures for some motors. The recommended setting is auto. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Auto {% endhint %} ## Throttle Throttle specific settings. ### **Ramp Up/Down Settings** Acceleration and braking rates for the ESC, which are applied on every change of throttle input to the ESC. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: 50% for both {% endhint %} ### Deadzone Percentage Sets the middle dead zone when using reversible mode. Taken as a percentage of the endpoint range. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: 0% {% endhint %} ## ESC Limits Settings related to the limits of the ESC and responses. ### Bus Current Limit The upper current limit the ESC can reach on the input from the power supply. Configurable from 150 to 200 Amps, depending on the ESC model. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Maximum for the ESC model {% endhint %} ### Temperature Limit The temperature limit for the ESC as measured internally. Configurable to ranges from 70 to 120 degrees Celsius. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: 120 degrees C {% endhint %} ### Over-temperature Response The requested ESC response to an over-temperature event. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: 50% Throttle {% endhint %} ## Additional Settings Advanced settings for the ESC. ### Input Signal Type Set the current input signal type to be used by the ESC for throttle input. Affects telemetry output in certain scenarios. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Auto {% endhint %} ### DShot Baud Type Select the DShot rate to use, when using DShot as signal type. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Auto {% endhint %} ### Telemetry Enabled Toggle the output of telemetry on T pin. The telemetry output format will be dictated by the type setting. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Enabled {% endhint %} ### Telemetry Type Change the type of telemetry that is output by the T pin on the ESC. The options are: **DShot/Betaflight Telemetry**: Standard DShot telemetry format used by most flight controllers. Requires a DShot signal input to request the telemetry before it is transmitted. **PWM Telemetry**: Forces the output of the DShot telemetry format at 1Hz. Each transmission is terminated with 2 stop bytes, and has the following format:  **RPM Output**: Outputs a pulse for each complete electrical revolution of the motor. Pulses per minute indicate electrical RPM, which can be converted to mechanical RPM by dividing with the motors pole pairs. This can be used with Governor systems. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: DShot/Betaflight Telemetry {% endhint %} ### F5B Startup Improve initial starting rates for F5B use cases. Warning, this mode should not be used with large propellors as it may result in large current loads immediately on startup. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Disabled {% endhint %} ### Brake on Stop Toggles whether the ESC will forcefully brake the motor when a zero command is given (enabled), or allowing the motor to freewheel to a stop (disabled). {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Enabled {% endhint %} ### Motor Beep Tones Change the audible beeps from the motor, either completely off or specific selections. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: All Beep Tones {% endhint %} ### Auto Detect Endpoints Automatically set the endpoints that are used when the ESC is driven using a PWM input throttle signal. Disable and adjust manually if desired. {% hint style="info" %} Default setting is: Enabled {% endhint %} # Troubleshooting Tips for solving common issues seen with the F-Series setup. {% hint style="danger" %} If running the F Series ESC from a power supply that can not absorb current (when the F Series ESC is regen braking), this can cause damage to the unit. We recommend using a battery or bidirectional power supply to avoid this issue. {% endhint %} * **Turning on the ESC causes 6 beeps** There is an error with the signal connection. There is a throttle being applied to the ESC above the arming point (above 1020uS) and check that the throttle channel is not reversed. The ESC is disabled for your protection. * **ESC has a solid white light while being unresponsive** The ESC is waiting for valid signal input. Check the endpoints are correct and that the channels are not reversed. * **Not getting full input range to the motor** This can occur when using PWM input to the ESC, and the endpoints are misconfigured. Check that the upper endpoint is at least 1980uS and the lower endpoint is less than 1020uS. * **ESC has a solid white light and not connecting to the configuration tool** This usually indicates the ESC is running non-configuration firmware. Configuration firmware, also known as V2 firmware (all firmware revisions from 2.3.0 onwards) has a rapid blink when USB is connected. The firmware can be installed manually, and then configured as required. ## Tones Once the ESC is connected to a motor and powered on, the following sequences of tones give status and errors as they occur. The tones occur in either high or low beeps, with varying frequencies.
| Number of Tones | Repeat Frequency | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Tones | Repeat Frequency | Indication |
| 1 beep | 3 secs | Waiting for signal tone, lower pitch |
| 1 beep | 10 secs | Idle ESC tone, higher pitch |
| 1 beep | After commanding motor start | Stall Protection engaged tone |
| 2 beeps | 3 secs | Invalid signal tone |
| 3 beeps | 10 secs | Bad signal quality tone |
| 3 beeps | Only occurs once | Booting to config mode tone |
| 3 beeps | Only occurs once | DShot protocol tone |
| 3 beeps | 5 secs | Over-temperature tone |
| 4 beeps | Only occurs once | Bi-Directional DShot protocol tone |
| 5 beeps | Only occurs once | Proshot protocol tone |
| 5 beeps | Only occurs once | PWM protocol tone |
| 6 beeps | 3 secs | Non-Zero Signal on Start tone |