2020-10-30, 04:13 PM
The VESC hardware can handle perhaps 2-3x the current as my regular motor controllers for the heat dissipation. So a smaller custom version of VESC may be nice, but I also want my controllers to remain at 98-99% efficiency and not get very warm at all which is not really true of VESC if you put enough amps through it. VESC in brushed mode may very well be an option for hydraulic pumps for example, it's about the right size for that.
I don't really know of lower cost brush less controllers that are suitable. Whatever is used must be sensored because it is constantly starting and stopping. Most of the cheapest controllers are sensorless, do not measure currents. VESC seems like it can be adapted with user code because it has two analog inputs that could be used for rudder feedback and motor temperature. It has i2c that could be used for an angular shaft encoder (better than hall sensors) and the software supports this. So maybe a vesc with smaller capacitors and mosfets would work for tiller pilots, but it would end up costing more than the standard 4.12 clones for me to make it.
I don't really know of lower cost brush less controllers that are suitable. Whatever is used must be sensored because it is constantly starting and stopping. Most of the cheapest controllers are sensorless, do not measure currents. VESC seems like it can be adapted with user code because it has two analog inputs that could be used for rudder feedback and motor temperature. It has i2c that could be used for an angular shaft encoder (better than hall sensors) and the software supports this. So maybe a vesc with smaller capacitors and mosfets would work for tiller pilots, but it would end up costing more than the standard 4.12 clones for me to make it.