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Novak Brushless Speed Control: Impact Track Guide (55-1730P-1 Rev.2) User Manual

Impact track guide, Proper gear selection, Transmitter adjustments

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NOT ALL TRANSMITTERS HA

VE THESE ADJUSTMENTS

impact track guide

proper gear selection

4-2013

#55-1730P-1 Rev.2

Motor operating temperature is the ONLY

way to properly set vehicle gearing

The Motor and Speed Control should not exceed

160°F MAX at any time during run

!

Change the gearing to avoid overheating!

DO NOT FREE-REV MOTOR

!

Free-running your brushless motor in a no-load condition can cause rotor failure

& ESC transistor damage that will not be covered by the product’s warranty.

Because of the potential danger of overheating, ESC/motor damage & failure,

you must start with VERY small pinion sizes and check ESC & motor

temperatures at multiple times throughout the initial runs. This is the only

way to ensure that you are not causing excessive heating.
If ESC & motor temperatures remain low & stable, you can slowly increase

the pinion size while again monitoring the temperatures to determine the

safe gearing for your vehicle, motor, and climate/track conditions. Because

these variables can change or be modified,

you MUST continually monitor

ESC & motor temperatures to protect your electronics from damage.

P5

Transmitter adjustments may not be needed to operate this ESC, however,

if you have any problems with

ONE-TOUCH PROGRAMMING, adjust the

transmitter as follows and repeat the

ONE-TOUCH PROGRAMMING step.

THROTTLE CHANNEL ADJUSTMENTS
A.
Set HIGH ATV

or

EPA

to 100% setting. [amount of throw at full throttle]

B. Set LOW ATV, EPA, or ATL

to 100% setting. [amount of throw at full brakes]

C. Set EXPONENTIAL

to

zero setting.

[throttle channel linearity]

D. Set THROTTLE CHANNEL REV. SWITCH

to either position.

E. Set THROTTLE CHANNEL TRIM

to

middle

setting.

[adjusts neutral position/increases or decreases coast brakes]

F. Set ELECTRONIC TRIGGER THROW ADJUSTMENT

to 50% throttle and

50% brake throw–best for reversible ESCs.

[adjusts trigger throw electronic/digital pistol-grip transmitters]

G. Set MECHANICAL TRIGGER THROW ADJUSTMENT

to position with 1/2

throttle and 1/2 brake throw.

transmitter adjustments

With the ESC connected to (at least) a charged battery pack, the receiver, and the

brushless motor’s sensor harness:

1. TURN ON THE TRANSMITTER’S POWER
2. PRESS & HOLD ESC’S ONE-TOUCH/SET BUTTON
3. TURN ON THE SPEED CONTROL’S POWER

With transmitter throttle at neutral, and still pressing the SET button, slide the

ESC’s ON/OFF switch

to ON position.

4. CONTINUE HOLDING SET BUTTON UNTIL RED LED COMES ON
5. RELEASE SET BUTTON AS SOON AS LED TURNS RED
6. PULL TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO FULL-ON POSITION

Hold it there until the green status LED

turns solid green.

Note: Motor will not run during programming even if connected.

7. PUSH TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO FULL-BRAKE/REVERSE

Hold it there until the green status LED

blinks green.

8. RETURN TRANSMITTER THROTTLE TO NEUTRAL

The red status LED will

turn solid red, indicating that speed control is at neutral and

that proper programming has been completed. White LED may also be on and blinking,

indicating that Dynamic Timing Advance is OFF and the timing is set to a level of 0%.

If transmitter settings are changed, the One-Touch Programming must be repeated.

If you experience any problems, turn off ESC and repeat One-Touch.

NOTE: The speed control will NOT revert back to the factory-default settings when the

One-Touch Programming is performed. Refer to ‘Data Reset’ in Custom Programming.

The Impact Racing Brushless ESC (Novak

part number #1730) is factory loaded with

numerous programmable features. While

this may seem overwhelming at first glance,

this

Impact Track Guide was designed to

keep with you at the track to use as a quick-

reference and help walk you through the

explanations and programming of all of the

speed control’s features.
Take the time to thoroughly read through this programming guide before

operation to fully understand the different ESC parameters, and how they

can be used to fine tune your ESC’s feel and performance. Most importantly,

enjoy all of the technical benefits and features the Impact ESC has to offer.
Visit our web site for the most up to date information and to learn more

about other Novak products and services.

trouble-shooting guide

Steering Channel Works But Motor Will Not Run

• Possible receiver damage––Check operation with a different receiver.
• Possible internal damage––Refer to ‘SERVICE PROCEDURES’ section.
• Check motor or motor connections.
• Make sure ESC is plugged into the throttle channel of receiver. Check wiring color

sequence of receiver signal harness (Refer to

STEP 1).

Receiver Glitches/Throttle Stutters During Acceleration

• Receiver or antenna too close to ESC, power wires, battery, or motor.
• Bad motor sensors, sensor harness, or connections––Check wiring, sensor harness, &

connections, perform hall sensor test (Refer to ‘MOTOR HALL SENSOR TEST’ section).

• Low voltage to receiver––Try Novak Glitch Buster capacitor on receiver to help retain

power during high current draw situations (Novak accessory #5626).

• PowerCap damaged/missing––Replace PowerCap.
• Battery pack damaged or weak––Try a different battery pack.
• Motor magnet weak or overheated––Replace rotor (Refer to motor manufacturer’s website).
• Excessive current to motor—Use a milder motor or a smaller pinion gear.
• Untidy wires or signal and power wired bundled together. Input harness and servo

wires should be bundled separately. Power wires should be as short as possible.

Motor and Steering Servo Do Not Work

• Check wires, receiver signal harness wiring & color sequence, radio system, crystals,

battery/motor connectors, & battery pack.

• Possible receiver damage––Check operation with a different receiver.
• Possible internal damage––Refer to Service Procedures.

Motor Runs Backward

• Improper One-Touch set up––Refer to ‘ONE-TOUCH PROGRAMMING’ section.

Timing Does Not Operate Properly

• Improper gearing––Refer to ‘PROPER GEAR SELECTION’ section.
• Timing not turned ON––Refer to ‘CUSTOM PROGRAMMING’ section.
• Timing Set Points set incorrectly––RPM values may be set incorrectly. Refer to

‘CUSTOM PROGRAMMING’ section.

Speed Control Runs Excessively Hot

• Electronic motor timing set too high––reduce timing level setting in ESC.
• Gear ratio too low––Increase gear ratio/Reduce pinion (refer to ‘PROPER GEAR SELECTION’).
• Motor is damaged––Try a different motor.

Model Runs Slowly/Slow Acceleration

• Gear ratio too high––Reduce gear ratio/Increase pinion (refer to ‘PROPER GEAR SELECTION’).
• Check battery & connectors––Check battery pack & connectors. Replace if needed.
• Incorrect transmitter/ESC adjustment––Refer to ‘TRANSMITTER ADJUSTMENTS’.
• PowerCap damaged/missing––Replace PowerCap.

ESC Is Melted Or Burnt/ESC Runs With Switch Off

• Internal damage––Refer to Service Procedures.

No Power to the BEC

• Check power wire connections to your battery, ESC and BEC unit.
• Check that the input harness from the BEC is plugged into the receiver correctly

and the red wire from the ESC’s input harness is removed.

• Be sure that the BEC unit switch is turned ON.

error codes

Red & Green status LEDs on solid––Check input signal harness connections at ESC

and receiver. Check input signal harness wiring sequence––Refer to

STEP 1.

Red status LED on solid & Green LED blinking––Check motor sensor harness

connection. Possible internal motor damage.

Blue & Green status LEDs both blinking. Possible ESC shut-down due to locked

rotor detection––return throttle to neutral position to regain motor control––check

vehicle’s drive train for free operation.

Blue & Red status LEDs blinking. Possible ESC thermal shut-down––Check gear ratio

& free operation of drive train for possible overloading/ESC is being severely over-

loaded––allow system to cool & return throttle to neutral position to regain motor

control.

LEDs will continue to blink until system is cooled down.

Blue & Green (Locked Rotor Detection), or Blue & Red (ESC Thermal Shut-Down)

status LEDs blinking. ESC may have shut-down & ESC’s neutral point is too far off

to sense that transmitter throttle has been returned to neutral (Refer to ‘ONE-TOUCH’

& ‘TRANSMITTER ADJUSTMENTS’).

White status LED blinking. ESC timing is turned OFF. ESC is operating normal.

Red & Yellow status LEDs toggling. LiPo Safety Cut-Off voltage reached. Remove

and charge/replace battery pack.

Check Novak’s web site for additional information.

thermal protection circuitry

P8

To conform to ROAR’s Sportsman Class racing rules and help race organizers

monitor driver compliance in non-timing race classes, we have included a

feature in this speed control that indicates when the ESC has its electronic

motor timing advancement feature de-activated.
At all times when the speed control is powered on and the Dynamic Motor

Timing is turned OFF (electronic motor timing advancement is set to zero), the

ESC’s white status LED will flash during normal operation.

Due to the nature of timing advance speed controls, motor tolerances &

settings, vehicle performance, and track conditions, it has become virtually

impossible to provide installation and operation recommendations that

will allow you to use these speed controls and motors at their highest

performance levels without the potential for unwanted damage.
You must, use extreme caution when setting up these electronics and

carefully test your application to avoid overloading and overheating

either the speed control or the motor. These are racing electronics used

in racing conditions, and therefore damage as the result of excessive

overheating will not be covered under the product’s factory warranty.

Electronic motor timing advancement can generate extrememly high speeds and

result in an uncontrollable vehicle. Use caution when operating vehicle and do not

operate around other people or in an unsafe manner to avoid injuries or damage.

one-touch programming

timing esc warning

esc parameters

motor hall sensor test

timing indicator led

1. Throttle Profile (1 of 5) .................................................................... 1-5
2. Drag Brake (1 of 10) .................................................................. 0-30%
3. Minimum Brake (1 of 10) .......................................................... 0-30%
4. Brake Frequency (1 of 10) .................................................1.6-10.0KHz
5. Timing Level--10’s (1 of 4 adjustments of 10°) ...............................10-40°
6. Timing Level--1’s (1 of 9 adjustments of 1°) .......................................1-9°
7. Timing Start RPM (1 of 10 in 4 ranges) ........................ 1500-18500 RPM
8. Timing Final RPM (1 of 10 in 4 ranges) ........................ 4000-29000 RPM
9. Timing RPM Range (1 of 4 tables of 10) ...................... 1500-29000 RPM
10. Drive Frequency (1 of 10) ........................................................8-36KHz
11. Dead Band (1 of 5) ...................................................................... 2-8%
12. Minimum Drive (1 of 10) .......................................................... 0-15%
13. ESC Reversing Functionality .................................................... OFF/ON
14. Voltage Cut-Off Circuitry ........................................................OFF/LiPo
15. Dynamic Timing Advance ....................................................... OFF/ON

The Hall Sensor Test diagnostic feature in this ESC allows you to easily check

the sensors in the brushless motor connected to the ESC to determine if they

are operating normally. This will help you pinpoint the cause of problems in

your system, and hopefully reduce the down time and expenses associated with

sending your product in for service when you can resolve the issue yourself.
To access this feature, simply follow these steps:
1. Follow the steps in the ‘CUSTOM PROGRAMMING OPTIONS’ section

to access the Hall Sensor Test option via the ESC’s SET button.

2. Slowly rotate the motor’s output/pinion shaft. If motor is installed in

a vehicle, slowly rotate the drive train so that the motor also rotates.

3. The status LEDs on the speed control should cycle through illuminating

the BLUE, YELLOW, and RED status LEDs.

If the BLUE, YELLOW, and RED LEDs light up one after another as the motor’s

shaft is rotated, the Hall Sensors in the motor are operating normally.
If any one of the BLUE, YELLOW, or RED status LEDs do not light while rotating

the motor’s shaft, there is a either a problem with the Sensor Harness Cable

(or its connections either at the motor end or the ESC end) or with the actual

Hall Effect Sensors in the motor’s timing section.
If your motor has a user-replaceable double-ended sensor harness, replace

it with another one to determine if this is this source of the problem. If, after

replacing the harness, all three of the LEDs still do not light up, it would

appear that one of the sensors inside the motor has been damaged--replace

the timing section of your motor, or if your motor is not user-rebuildable,

send it in the manufacturer for the appropriate service.

This ESC features Novak’s Smart-Stop Voltage Cut-Off Circuitry built-in, and

when used properly will allow you to safely use 2S LiPo (Lithium Polymer)

batteries, without letting the battery’s cells drop below their critical safety

voltage which causes internal damage. ESC does NOT cut off 1S packs.
The default in the ESC is LiPo voltage cut-off is turned

ON. If using NiMH or

NiCd cells, you will need to switch this feature off.

Note: The speed control will NOT revert to the LiPo ON default

setting when the One-Touch Programming is performed.

DO NOT USE LiPo BATTERIES WITH VOLTAGE CUT-OFF TURNED OFF

voltage cut-off circuitry

www.teamnovak.com

temperature monitoring

With the higher performance of brushless systems, undesirable radio system

noise may occur when used with lower quality radio systems. 2.4GHz radio

systems are the best to use. FM radio systems are acceptable, as long as

the system is high quality. AM radio systems are NOT recommended.

Best to use

2.4 GHz

OK to use

FM

Do not use

AM

GOOD QUALITY RADIO SYSTEM SUGGESTED

This speed control has a built-in diagnostic temperature monitoring feature

that lets you quickly check the ESC’s operating temperature at any time.
While connected to a battery and powered ON,

simply tap the ESC’s SET

button and one of the on-board LED lights will flash 4 times to indicate the

operating temperature of the speed control.

WHITE flashing LED = normal operating temp--

under 135°F (57°C).

BLUE flashing LED = medium operating temp--

136-147°F (58-64°C).

YELLOW flashing LED = hot operating temp--

148-167°F (65-75°C).

GREEN flashing LED = hotter operating temp--

168-194°F (76-90°C).

RED flashing LED =

hottest operating temp--195-215°F (91-102°C).

You are now pushing the ESC extremely hard and should be very

careful to avoid overheating and possible thermal shut-down.

All LEDs flashing = DANGEROUS operating temp--

216-239°F (103-115°C).

Your ESC is now about to thermally shut-down.

---Reduce the pinion size to avoid overheating and potential ESC damage---

This ESC’s temperature overload protection will turn off the Dynamic Timing

Advance feature and limit the power to the motor in an attempt to prevent

thermal overloading of the ESC. While this feature can not guarantee the

survival of the ESC when subjected to conditions that produce excessive heating

of the electronics, it does provide you a tool to help avoid extensive damage.

If you notice a significant decrease in performance of your brushless

system during a run, immediately check the ESC & motor temperatures.

Reduce gearing or ESC timing settings to lower temperatures!

Note:

The thermal protection circuitry can be triggered by heavy BEC loading

from high-power servos. An external BEC or receiver pack can solve this problem

and allow the thermal protection to provide maximum security for the ESC!