RX4 ESC Manual
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
12
14
INTRODUCTION
QuickTune MODES
ATTACHING WIRES TO THE ESC:
1) RED is used for battery positive (+BATT) and “A” Phase of the
motor. BLACK is for battery negative (-BATT) and “C” Phase.
White is for “B” Phase.
2) Tin all the solder posts on the ESC. Apply solder to the iron tip,
press it to the top of the post and feed more solder to fill the cradle
in the post. This process should take no longer than 2-3 seconds
repeat for remaining posts.
3) To tin the wires, strip the insulation back 3/32”- 1/8” and touch
the iron tip to the exposed strands. Feed solder to the wire until it
is evenly coated. 2-3 seconds again.
4) Attach the tinned wire to the tinned ESC post by heating both,
bringing them together and heating again (Section 5). The solder
should flow in 2-3 seconds. If you have trouble, clean and tin the
solder tip and retry once the pieces have cooled.
ATTACHING WIRES TO THE MOTOR:
1) Be sure to connect your motor to your ESC with the proper
wiring order: A – A, B – B, C – C.
2) Using the same techniques described above, solder the wires to
your motor.
Tekin’s QuickTune
QuickTune
Controls - RX4 Fwd/Brk or Fwd/Brk/Rev
Input (#Cells) RX4 (2S-6S LiPo)
7.4V-22.2V
Motor Limits - RX4
Brushless
Brushed Fwd Mode
Brushed Fwd/Rev Mode
Varies by Voltage
No Limit
No Limit
Max Current
RX4
240 Amps per Phase
*Per Manufacturer Specs
Programmable BEC
RX4
6V-7.4V / 8Amp
Dimensions
1.6 x 2.0 x 1.4 In. (40.6 x 50.8 x
35.5mm)
Weight
2.65oz / 75.5g
ESC BATTERY
(B-) Black Wire (-) Negative
(B +) Red Wire (+) Positive
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
QUICKSTART
FAN INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
SOLDERING
Brushless Wiring
3) CONNECT ESC TO MOTOR
First, determine the type of motor you are using. SENSORED
motors require the sensor harness, SENSORLESS motors do not.
Wire as shown in Fig. 4 and the chart below.
SPEED CONTROL BRUSHLESS MOTOR
(A) Red Wire (A) Red
(B) White/Blue Wire (B) White/Blue
(C) Black Wire (C) Black
SPEED CONTROL BRUSHED MOTOR
(-) Black Wire (-) Negative
(+) Red Wire (+) Positive
RADIO CALIBRATION, CONT...
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the RX4 high
performance, waterproof Brushless/Brushed Electronic Speed
Control (ESC). The RX4 packs new and exciting
features on the already highly successful RX8 platform such as
a Programmable High Voltage BEC, HotWire access port that
doubles as the fan connector, and Datalogging capabilities.
Exclusively running the Tekin Dual Drive technology and a
HardBox weather-resistant design, the RX4 sets a new
benchmark in rock racing and scale crawling technology.
OWNER’S MANUAL
Waterproof HardBox Design
Sensored/Sensorless Compatible
D2 Brushless Drive Technology
Brushed/Brushless Compatible
QuickTune Digital Setup
HotWire & Datalogging Capability
High Voltage Programmable BEC
TT3833 - (2x) 25x25x7mm Fan RSX/RX4
PRESS MODE TO ACCESS:
LED1 - DRAG BRAKE
LED2 - BRAKE STRENGTH
LED3 - CURRENT LIMITER
LED4 - NEUTRAL WIDTH
LED5 - TIMING PROFILES
LED6 - MOTOR TYPE
LED7 - VOLTAGE CUTOFF
RADIO CALIBRATION
TEKIN RX4
PRESS INCR TO:
Adjust the feature currently
selected. Refer to the
QuickTune adjustments
table below (section 13) for
ranges of adjustment and
what they accomplish.
SPECIFICATIONS
For Motor Ratings at each input voltage, please refer to Section
22 on the reverse side.
WARNING: Exceeding product specifications or using equipment
outside of the specification ranges above automatically voids the
180-day manufacturer warranty. Any damage caused from misuse
or use of equipment outside of the specifications will be subject to
servicing and or replacement fees to be determined by the Tekin
Service Department. For further warranty information, please refer
to Section 26 or visit us on the web at www.teamtekin.com.
MODE RANGE DEFAULT
DRAG BRAKE (DB) 1-13 1 (No Drag)
BRAKE/REVERSE STRENGTH
(BS) —Brushless Mode Only
PUSH CONTROL ANTI DRAG
(PC)—Brushed Mode Only
1-13
1-13
4&5
1 (Off)
CURRENT LIMITER (LM) 1-13 13 (No Limiter)
NEUTRAL WIDTH (NW) 1-13 4&5
TIMING PROFILE (TP) 1-7 1 (No Timing)
MOTOR TYPE (MT) 1-7 3 (Brushless)
VOLTAGE CUTOFF (VC) 1-7 2 (6.4V)
LED1: DRAG BRAKE provides immediate braking
action in the neutral zone. This gently slows the car
down when you let off the trigger. Higher values increase the
degree of drag braking.
LED2 (IN BRUSHLESS MODE): REV/BRAKE
STRENGTH adjusts your maximum brake strength
and reverse speed when in brushless mode. Higher
values increase brake strength and increase reverse speed.
LED2 (BRUSHED MODE): PUSH CONTROL or ANTI-DRAG
overcomes the natural drag of a brushed motor when throttle
returns to neutral. Low values give you a short duration push,
higher values a longer duration push.
LED3: CURRENT LIMITER adjusts the initial power
delivered to the motor under acceleration. Low values
will decrease the initial power and give a softer feel to
the throttle. The highest value (13) gives full power
to the motor, no limiter is in effect. Ex: Current Limiter at 80
gives 80% power.
LED4: NEUTRAL WIDTH adjusts the dead band
around neutral. A low neutral width value will
provide more precise and quick trigger sensitivity
around neutral. Higher values decrease trigger sensitivity.
LED5: TIMING PROFILES are pre-programmed with
5 preset profiles and 2 Custom profiles. Setting 1-5
will apply the preset amount of Timing Advance for
that profile. The profiles are as below:
TP1: 0* Timing Advance
TP2: 20* Timing Advance / RPM Range 5443-20,016
TP3: 40* Timing Advance / RPM Range 5443-20,016
TP4: 60* Timing Advance / RPM Range 5443-20,016
TP5: 80* Timing Advance / RPM Range 5443-20,016
TP6: Custom 1 - Programmable via HotWire
TP7: Custom 2 - Programmable via HotWire
STEP 1:
Power the
transmitter and
your ESC on.
STEP 2:
Press and
hold MODE for 3
seconds.
LED BLINKING
CENTER
LED BLINKING
RIGHT
LED BLINKING
LEFT
STEP 3: STEP 4:
STEP 5:
Leave trigger centered
in Neutral.
WAIT FOR CHIME
Pull and hold full
throttle.
WAIT FOR CHIME
Push and hold full
brake.
WAIT FOR CHIME
Hint: If the ESC fails to recognize your full throttle signal, try
reversing the throttle channel in the transmitter system menu.
Wiring instructions on back side, Figs. 4. and 5.
FIGURE 2.
Hint: If the wire is too hot to hold 2” away from the solder joint, the
iron has been on for too long— stop, let everything cool and try
again. Excessive heat can damage the ESC.
Tips & Tricks
Placing the ESC in a vise (gently) provides a stable work area to
do a quality job ( Figure 2). The order for proper
soldering is:
Tin Posts
Tin Wires
Heat Posts
Heat Wires
Heat both and connect
1) Choose a location for the speed control that is protected from
debris and moving parts. Plan ahead with wire routing and try to
keep the motor leads about the same length. Motor leads should be
short, but not tight. Leave some slack in the wiring to account for
chassis flex and vibrations while driving.
2) Mock up your wire lengths for your planned ESC placement. It
is recommended to solder the leads before mounting the ESC in the
chassis.
3) Choose a wiring method for the motor and battery leads. Direct
wiring uses no plugs and provides the best connection between the
motor and the ESC. You can use Tekin 5.5mm Hi-Power bullet
connectors (TT3055, Fig 3.) for easy motor removal. Battery
connector choice is up to you; use the female plug on the battery
and the male on the ESC and double check the polarity.
4) To mount the ESC with double sided tape, clean the bottom with
rubbing alcohol. NEVER use any chemicals such as motor spray or
acetone as they will damage the plastic. You can also use the
provided 4-40 x 1/4” screws included with the ESC.
5) Secure the ON/OFF switch in a safe, accessible place away from
moving parts and debris.
Plan Speed Control Placement
NOTE: Before Radio Calibrating, ensure the ESC is hooked up
to the receiver in Channel 2 (CH2), a charged battery is properly
connected, and the transmitter is turned on and bound to your
receiver.
Refer to Section 10 below.
1) On your transmitter, set all trim adjustments to the middle,
throttle/brake EPAs and Dual Rate set to 100.
2) Press and hold MODE for 3-5 seconds or until the ESC gives a 4
chime confirmation. It is now in calibration mode and will start by
looking for the neutral signal first, while blinking the center (#4)
LED with a simultaneous “beep” with each blink.
3) Once neutral is found, the 4 chime confirmation will sound again
and the right (#7) LED will begin to blink, indicating the ESC is
looking for a full throttle signal. Pull and hold full throttle until you
hear the confirmation chime.
4) The ESC will then switch to the left (#1) LED and look for a full
brake/reverse signal. Push and hold full brake until you hear the
confirmation chime. After the confirmation, let go of the trigger and
the ESC will arm, go to neutral and actively show the onboard
temperature (Section 17 on reverse side).
Read through this manual and familiarize yourself with the terms,
error codes and general workings of the ESC. Keep this manual for
future reference.
1) The RX4 is intended for use in Rock Racer and Scale Crawlers.
2) Make sure the motor/battery are within recommended specs.
3) Check battery polarity; NO reverse polarity protection.
4) Check polarity and labeling of solder posts before soldering.
5) The RX4 is water resistant, however we recommend using
caution operating your vehicle in or around water. DO NOT
submerge the RX4 under water. Drive scale and do work!
After properly installing your ESC, follow these steps for a quick
setup:
1) With the ESC installed and properly wired, (Figs. 4 & 5)
connect the battery.
2) Turn the transmitter on FIRST, then the ESC.
3) Take note any codes that may be present. Refer to Section 18 on
reverse side for codes.
4) Set transmitter throttle trims to 0 and throttle EPAs to 100. You
can access these features in the system menu on the transmitter.
5) Perform a Radio Calibration, refer to Sections 9 & 10.
6) Factory default voltage cutoff is set for a 2S LiPo battery @
6.4V. Double check the battery you are using and adjust Voltage
Cutoff if needed.
WIRING INSTRUCTIONS
Brushed Wiring
5.5 mm
High
power
Connector
Part #
TT3055
(3 Pairs)
FIGURE 3.
SOLDERING CONT...
1) CONNECT ESC TO RECEIVER
Plug the ESC into the throttle (TH) channel of the receiver.
Channel 1: Servo
Channel 2: ESC
“REMEMBER: 1 to Turn, 2 to Burn”
2) CONNECT ESC TO BATTERY
Visually verify that the connector on the battery pack and the ESC
match the chart below then connect.
DO NOT CONNECT BATTERY INCORRECTLY TO ESC,
VERIFY THAT THE BATTERY POSITIVE WIRE WILL
CONNECT TO THE ESC POSITIVE WIRE BEFORE
CONNECTING!
FACTORY RESET
All Tekin ESCs have a built-in factory reset mode that resets all user
programmable settings to the default values. To activate, turn the
ESC on, then press/hold both the INCR and MODE buttons
simultaneously for 3-5 seconds. The LEDs will ramp up in sets of
three, confirming Factory Reset NOTE: Performing a Factory
Reset also resets all the radio calibration settings to their default
values. A radio calibration will need to be done.
FIGURE 1.
The RX4 comes with a 25mm x 25mm x 7mm 5V Brushless fan.
Should the fan need replacement, simply unplug the fan power
wires from the RX4, remove the 4 screws that secure the fan to the
shroud and slide the fan out of the shroud housing (Fig. 1).
*Fan always mounts
blowing down with the
sticker on the
bottom!
AIRFLOW DIRECTION