VESC
Last updated
Last updated
The is a fully open source hardware and software design for advanced FOC motor controllers. While it can be controlled using traditional PWM input, it also supports being connected over CAN bus using .
ESCs are connected to the CAN bus using the VESC CAN connector. Note that this is not the Pixhawk standard 4 pin JST GH connector. For more information, refer to the instructions. ESC order does not matter.
The preferred tool for motor enumeration is the . In addition to the normal motor configuration that you will have to setup in the VESC tool, you will also need to properly setup the app configuration. The recommended app setup is as follows:
App to use
No App
VESC ID
1,2,...
Can Status Message Mode
CAN_STATUS_1_2_3_4_5
CAN Baud Rate
CAN_BAUD_500K
CAN Mode
UAVCAN
UAVCAN ESC Index
0,1,...
VESC ID should have the same motor numbering as in PX4 convention, starting at 1 for top-right motor, 2 for bottom-left motor etc. However the UAVCAN ESC Index starts from 0, and as such it is always one index lower than the VESC ID. For example, in a quadcopter the bottom left motor will have VESC ID = 2 and UAVCAN ESC Index = 1.
Finally the CAN Baud Rate must match the value set in .
Connect the ESCs to the Pixhawk CAN bus. Power up the entire vehicle using a battery or power supply (not just the flight controller over USB) and enable the DroneCAN driver by setting the parameter to 3 to enable both dynamic node ID allocation and DroneCAN ESC output.
Assign motors to outputs using the configuration screen.
(project owner)