AX1500 Dual Channel Digital Motor Controller Quick Start Manual v1.9b, June 1, 2007 visit www.roboteq.com to download the latest revision of this manual ©Copyright 2003-2007 Roboteq, Inc.
SECTION 1 Important Safety Warnings Read this Section First The AX1500 is a high power electronics device. Serious damage, including fire, may occur to the unit, motors, wiring and batteries as a result of its misuse. Transistors may explode and require the use of safety glasses when operated in direct view. Please review the User’s Manual for added precautions prior to applying full battery or full load power.
SECTION 2 AX1500 Quick Start This section will give you the basic information needed to quickly install, setup and run your AX1500 controller in a minimal configuration.
AX1500 Quick Start The front side (shown in Figure 1) contains the Power/Status LED and the 15-pin connector to the R/C radio, joystick or microcomputer, as well as connections to optional switches and sensors. Connector to Receiver/Controls and sensors Power LED Status LED FIGURE 1. AX1500 Controller Front View At the back of the controller (shown in the figure below) are located all the terminals that must be connected to the batteries and the motors.
Connecting to the Batteries and Motors Connecting to the Batteries and Motors Connection to the batteries and motors is shown in the figure below and is done by connecting wires to the controller’s terminal strip. Motor2 Optional Diode Power switch + Fuse On - Off + - Optional Emergency Disconnect VMot M1M1+ PwrCtrl GND GND GND M2M2+ VMot Motor1 Controller 12V to 24V Motor Battery Notes: - The Battery Power connection are doubled in order to provide the maximum current to the controller.
AX1500 Quick Start Important Warning Do not rely on cutting power to the controller for it to turn off if the Power Control is left floating. If motors are spinning because the robot is pushed are pushed or because of inertia, they will act as generators and will turn the controller, possibly in an unsafe state. ALWAYS ground the Power Control wire to turn the controller Off and keep it Off. Important Warning The controller includes large capacitors.
Connecting the R/C Radio Connecting the R/C Radio Connect the R/C adapter cables to the controller on one side and to two or three channels on the R/C receiver on the other side. If present, the third channel is for activating the accessory outputs and is optional. When operating the controller in “Separate” mode, the wire labelled Ch1 controls Motor1, and the wire labelled Ch2 controls Motor2.
AX1500 Quick Start Powering On the Controller Important reminder: There is no On-Off switch on the controller. You must insert a switch on the controller’s power terminal as described in section“Connecting to the Batteries and Motors” on page 17. To power the controller, center the joystick and trims on the R/C transmitter. In Analog mode, center the command potentiomenter or joystick.Then turn on the switch that you have placed on the on the Power Control input.
Connecting the controller to your PC using Roborun Connecting the controller to your PC using Roborun Connecting the controller to your PC is not necessary for basic R/C operation.
AX1500 Quick Start The intuitive Graphical User Interface will let you view and change any of the controller’s parameters. The “Run” tab will present a number of buttons, dials and charts that are used for operating and monitoring the motors. Obtaining the Controller’s Software Revision Number One of the unique features of the AX1500 is the ability to easily update the controller’s operating software with new revisions downloaded from Roboteq’s web site at www.roboteq.com.
