User Manual

With normal PWM input, ESCs and flight boards should be configured to match the expected
working range. If unmatched, the motors may not start until higher throttle signal is given, may
start “hot” even with a low throttle, may reach full power early, or may not reach full power. In
many cases, end-point calibration is not required unless the flight board outputs different ranges.
First, remove all propellers! Check to see if there are calibration steps documented for your flight
controller board. KK2 boards have a two-button procedure that performs automatical calibration.
With KK boards, the Yaw pot must be set to the minimum position in order to enable pass-through
mode from the receiver input to the ESC output, and the ESCs are then calibrated to the radio's
throttle throw. With the Naze32, try the console settings “set minthrottle=1064” and “set
maxthrottle=1864”. The same settings may be used for AutoQuad or other boards that allow the
endpoints to be specified.
If none of the above options are available, calibration may be performed manually. First, remove
all propellers! Disconnect the power to the ESCs. Connect the ESC PWM input directly to the
receiver's throttle channel, or to a servo tester.
Set the radio throttle or servo tester to the highest position, then connect power to the ESC. The
motor should produce a series of initialization beeps increasing in pitch, followed by another beep
matching the pitch of the last initialization beep. This indicates that the calibration mode has been
entered, and the pulse length has been learned.
Move the stick or knob to the lowest position. Two beeps of the same pitch should be emitted. This
indicates that the low pulse length has been learned. If the RC Car-style reversible mode has been
enabled (RC_PULS_NEUTRAL), move the stick or knob to the center, and wait for three beeps. This
indicates that the neutral (center) pulse length has been learned.
The ESC will then save the settings and exit calibration mode. If the input is still at the same
position, the ESC will arm (producing a higher pitched, long beep), and function normally.
NOTE: Throttle calibration is disabled to avoid accidental calibration if the ESC is reset by brown-
out during previous operation. If the power is not connected cleanly during the above steps, the
power-up may also be detected as a brown-out. If the rising beeps are not heard while attempting
to calibrate, disconnect the power for a few seconds, then try again.
Troubleshooting
To aid with troubleshooting, the AfroESC sports “ready” (green) and “error” (red) LEDs. During
power-up, the MOSFETs and drive circuitry are checked to ensure correct operation. During this
test, it may be unsafe to beep an error. If no beeps are heard from the motor, check to see if the
error LED is flashing, which should be visible through the heat-shrink. If so, count the number of
blinks between pauses and refer to the following list:
1 flash: Phase A stuck high
2 flashes: Phase B stuck high
4 flashes: Phase C stuck high
5 flashes: AIN0 (center neutral) stuck high
6 flashes: Phase A low-side drive fault
7 flashes: Phase B low-side drive fault
8 flashes: Phase C low-side drive fault
9 flashes: Phase A high-side drive fault
10 flashes: Phase B high-side drive fault
11 flashes: Phase C high-side drive fault
If no wiring fault or short is visible, one or more MOSFETs may have failed. The ESC must be
repaired or replaced. Otherwise, if the hardware check passes, the reason for reset is checked and