Castle Creations Pixie-20 Manual

Pixie-20™
Castle Creations
By
Sub Micro Digital Motor Control
Features of the Pixie-20™:
1.0
• Microprocessor controlled
• Low Resistance (.0025 ohms)
• High rate (2800 Hz) switching (PWM)
• 20 Amps continuous current (with proper air flow)
• High Output Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC)
provides power to receiver and servos - eliminates
separate receiver battery up to 10 cells
• Five to seven cells with up to three micro servos
• Up to eight cells with two micro servos.
• Eighteen cells MAX with BEC disabled.
• Audible signal confirms system is armed
• Self Calibrating - adjusts to any transmitter
• Auto Motor Cutoff at 4.7V with Reset
• Safe "power on" arming program ensures motor will
not accidentally turn on
• Low torque "soft start" prevents damage to fragile
gearboxes
• Auto shut down when signal is lost or radio
interference becomes severe
• Rugged surface mount construction
2.0 Wiring Your Pixie-20™:
Tools required:
Wire cutters Wire strippers (optional)
Soldering Iron (25-40 watts - Do not use a soldering "gun")
Parts required:
Solder (rosin core "electronic" solder - do not use acid core "plumbers" solder)
Battery connector
2.1 Servo Ratings with BEC Enabled
Servo Type 5-7 cells
Standard (micro) servos 3
High Torque servos 2 Not Recommended
2.2 Adding the Battery Connector
The battery connector is attached to the left side of the controller (looking down at the heat sink/label).
Cut the wires to the length you require on the battery side. Strip off of the wire insulation to expose
just enough wire to attach the battery connector. (Note: if you do not have a pair of wire strippers,
you can use a modeling knife to carefully cut through the insulation around the wire. Then the
insulation should easily pull off the wire.) Attach the battery connector to the wires ENSURING
THAT THE POLARITY (red wire to battery red wire, black wire to battery black wire) IS
CORRECT, following the instructions for the battery connector.
Pixie-20™ User Guide
This document, Pixie-20™ software, and Pixie-20™ PCB layout are all Copyright  2001 by Patrick del Castillo
8 cells 9-10 cells
2 Not Recommended
Not Recommended
Page 1 of 2
2.3 Attaching the Motor Leads
The motor is connected to the right side of the controller (looking down at the heat sink/label). Cut the
wires to the length you require on the motor side. Strip the wire insulation to expose just enough wire
to solder the wires to the motor terminals. (Note: If you do not have a pair of wire strippers, you can
use a modeling knife to carefully cut through the insulation around the wire. Then the insulation
should easily pull off the wire). There should be a '+' symbol or a RED DOT on the end of your
motor which indicates which terminal must be connected to the RED wire. Connect the other terminal
to the black wire. A fuse (5-15 amps) may be connected inline in either the black or red power wire.
A fuse is recommended for the safest operation. DO NOT PLACE A FUSE IN THE CIRCUIT
BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND SPEED CONTROL. YOU COULD LOSE CONTROL
OF THE MODEL.
Align the wires carefully and solder to the motor terminals. Ensure that all connections (battery and
motor) are correctly polarized.
IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU MUST BE SURE THAT ALL CONNECTIONS ARE CORRECT
WHEN CONNECTING THE SPEED CONTROL. Incorrectly connecting the speed control could
cause permanent damage to the controller.
Battery Connector Pixie-20™
Pixie-20™
←Batt Motor→
Fig 1: System power wiring diagram
2.4 Connecting the Receiver
AirTronics systems require a minor change to the wiring in the receiver connector supplied with the
speed controller. Reverse the red (power) and brown (ground) wires in the connector plug so that the
plug is orange/brown/red. Use a knife blade to lift the retention tabs on the connector plug to remove
the red and brown wires. Insert the wires back into the plug and press down the retention tab.
Connect the receiver lead (the three color, twisted wires with a connector on the end) to the throttle
channel on your receiver (usually channel 3). Do not connect a battery to the receiver, as the Pixie-
20™ will supply power to the receiver and servos through the receiver connector. If you are using ten
or more cells, you will need to use a separate receiver battery. See the section 4.0 (under the heading
BEC) for instructions on disabling the BEC to use a separate receiver battery.
Rev 1-dated 10/23/01
Fuse* Motor
* Suggested 5-15 Amp (If installed)