Hello All, I am close to finishing my custom ROV build, and decided to utilize BLHeli32 35A 2-6S ESCs for now, I am running the latest 32.7.0.0 BLHeliSuite and 32.6.4 firmware (due to limited funding was not able to afford to use BlueESCs for now). My question is with the 32 firmware the bidirectional options are now ‘bidirectional 3D | bidirectional 3D rev | bidirectional soft | bidirectional soft rev’, which option do you feel would best be suited. For now I choose bidirectional soft, thoughts?
Additionally any suggestions for any other parameters? This is what I just configured them with:
Unfortunately I believe the latest BR config was parameters prior to the recent BLHeli additions of the 4 bidirectional options, and haven’t gotten it into the water yet so was curious about which maybe the best option to start out trying.
Bidirectional soft seems cool…motors pull the most amps on startup, usually double the amps than with normal load, props moving water worst of all. So a soft start in reverse and forward would pull the least amps.
I would still try and connect the ESC’s heatsinks to the outside water somehow, for the best cooling. I have bigger ESC’s with custom curved heatsinks that are pressed against the inner curve of my aluminum WTC.
Thanks Darrell, I appreciate the input. Running an acrylic enclosure to start with, so hopefully they won’t run to hot, definitely will have to keep an eye them now. Great idea on utilizing the aluminum as heatsink cooling, is an idea worth looking into for sure.
Back a few years…when i saw the OpenROV acrylic enclosure imploded on one of thier early tests, i knew i needed to go with an aluminum enclosure on my design.
I bought 8" ID aluminum pipe (cheaper than tubing) with 3/8" wall from onlinemetals.com and had a company in California make me custom (blow-molded) 8" acrylic hemispheres with a minimum wall thickness of 1/2" at the apex. https://plastic-domes-spheres.com/
When i told them what i was using it for they quoted me a price of $140ea., which i thought was Very fair for custom work.
8" might seem huge, but i wanted (2) 7-dof manipulators and active bouyancy control, and i always tend to build bigger rather than smaller anyway. My ESC’s are in 2 seperate 4"dia WTC’s either side of my main 8" WTC. That way if an ESC gets hot or burns up it doesn’t affect the much more delicate electronics in the main WTC.
Wow Darrell, you already making my mind take off with the next evolution I can take this. Moving the ESC’s into side piping, which frees space in the main, and if i went aluminum I could even move power in line with the main. This is what I enjoy so much with making connections, getting inspired and the fun of seeing what can be accomplished. Myself I build robotics for cave exploration and extreme environments where no human has been or can reach, I can’t wait to be able to see my latest ROV hit the water and already mentally building out the next.