Castle all models Drivers guide

driver’s ed guide

Instruction manual for all Castle Creations

Car and Truck Brushless Power Systems

WARNING:

removing your pinion gear for your own safety and the safety of those around you before
performing calibration and programming functions with this system. Please keep your hands, hair,
pets, fuzzy purple shorts and garden gnomes clear from the gear train and wheels of an armed
high performance system.

This is an extremely powerful brushless motor system. We strongly recommend

Rubber tires wil l “grow” to extreme size on a high speed vehicle.
it up to full thro ttle. Tire failures at speed can cause serious injury! Make sure your tires are securely glued
to the rims and check them often!

Always disconnect the batter y from the ESC when you are finished using your vehicle. The switch on the ESC
controls the power that is delivered to the receiver and servos. The controller will always draw current
when it i s connected to the battery and wi ll completely discharge batteries if they are connec ted for long
durations. This may cause failure of your batteries.

Your Cast le ESC is programmed to sound a tone every thirty seconds to remind you that it is sti ll powered. It
will also sound a warning tone every five seconds when it is powered but receiving no radio signal.

DO NOT

hold the vehicle in the air and run

QUICK START GUIDE

1. Solder a high quality battery connector to the ESC.

2. Mount the ESC and motor into the car.

3. Plug in the 3 motor wires to the 3 motor wires on the ESC.

4. Plug in the ESC Rx lead to CH2 on your receiver.

5. Make sure the ESC’s switch is off.

6. Plug in a battery.

7. Holding full throttle on your transmitter, turn the switch ON.
A. After a few seconds you’ll hear multiple tones and the red LED will come on.
B. Now hold full brake and after a few seconds you’ll hear multiple tones and the yellow LED
will come on.
C. Now relax to neutral and after a few seconds you’ll hear multiple tones and ALL the LEDs
will light up.
D. A few seconds later the ESC will arm with a double tone and you’re ready to go!

CONTENTS

Usage Warning ............................2

Quick Start Guide ........................3

Introduction ............................. 6

Connections .............................. 8

o

Brushless Motor Wiring .............. 8

o

Brushed Motor Wiring ................ 10

Radio Connection .......................12

4

ESC Setup ................................13

How To Calibrate The ESC ............... 14

Castle Link Set-up ......................17

To Use Castle Link ..................... 18

Manual Programming ................... 20

o

1 . Brake/Reverse Type ............... 22

o

2 . Brake Amount ..................... 23

o

3. Reverse Amount .................. 24

o

4. Punch/Traction Control .......... 25

o

5. Drag Brake ....................... 27

o

6 . Dead Band ........................ 28

o

7. Cutoff Voltage ................... 29

o

8. Motor Timing ...................... 32

o

9. Motor Type ........................ 34

Troubleshooting ........................ 37

Technical Support ...................... 40

Contact & Warranty Info. ............. 40

Programming Reference ............... 42

5

EASY TO USE, SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO WIN EVERYTHING

Castle controllers are extremely simple to set up and optimize for your application. Most
user s ma y si m p l y pl u g th e contro l l e r into th e i r mo to r, ra d i o an d ba tt er y an d ru n it im m e d i ate ly.

Advanced users may wish to access the incredible tuning features using their Windows based
PC and the Castle Link interface (USB cable sold separately on all controllers, Castle Link
chip included with the Mamba Monster and Mamba Max Pro). With the Castle Link software, you
can tune the ESC exactly with point and click with ease! Note: Any mini USB cable will work with
the Castle Link – you do not have to buy a “Castle” specific USB cable.

Please make sure to read this manual completely to get the most from your Castle ESC.

A Word About Batteries And Connectors

As with any extremely high powered electric power system, the primary limitations to ultimate

6

vehicle performance are the batteries and connectors. Use the best batteries and connectors

that you can find. The better the batteries, the more punch you’ll have!

Hint: Look for the

batteries with the lowest resistance, not necessarily the coolest labels.

Top-of-the-line cells aren’t required for this system to operate normally, but the best cells
will certainly allow your Castle system to put more power to the ground!

Poor quality battery connectors can be a roadblock to performance. Avoid the common “white
plastic” connectors commonly seen on many battery packs. A fast brushless setup will draw
many times the power that these connectors can safely handle. Invest in connector sets made
for high powered electric systems such as our CC Bullets or Deans Ultra plugs.

Power Wiring

Your Castle ESC has motor connectors on the motor wires and the battery input wires are bare.
You must add the connector of your choice to the battery leads. We recommend a connector
rated for 40-100amps, such as CC Bullets, Deans Ultra or Astro Flight Zero Loss.

7

Proper polarity is essential here!
Make absolutely sure positive (+)
connects to positive (+), and negative
(-) connects to negative (-) when
you plug in your battery! If reverse
polarity is applied to your ESC from
the battery, it

WILL

damage your ESC.

This WILL NOT be covered under
warranty!

CONNECTIONS

Brushless Motor Wiring

(See Figure 1: Brushless Motor Setup)
For brushless motor connection, the

8

BRUSHLESS MOTOR

WIRING DIAGRAM

Steering

Servo

Use a high quality

connector only

(not included)

Steering

Servo
in CH1

Receiver

Castle ESC

in CH2

Connect

to throttle

channel

Figure 1: Brushless Motor Setup

Battery

Pack

CASTLE ESC

Brushless

Brushless

Motor

Motor

Connect

controller

and motor

using

supplied

connectors

On/Off
Switch

three wires from the ESC to the motor have no polarity. Connect the red, white and black motor
wires to the three wires coming from the motor. If you are using a motor other than a Castle
Creations CM36 motor, you may need to either solder on matching male bullet plugs to your
motor, or solder the ESC wires directly to the motor wires.

If you choose to direct solder or to shorten the motor wires, you may do so on the Castle
Creations CM36 and Monster motors only.

DO NOT CUT

any part of the wire length from any
other motor, regardless of brand or type. In most cases, only the last 1/4 inch or so of
most motor wires is able to be soldered . If they are clipped shorter you may not be able to
solder the remaining portion of the wire and the motor will not run properly, if at all. If the
motor is supplied with connectors you do not want to use, simply unsolder the original motor
connectors from the wires - do not cut them off.

There is no polarity on the three ESC-to-motor wires, so do not worry about how you connect
them initially. You may find it necessary to swap two wires if the motor runs in reverse. This

9

will be explained below.

Brushed Motor Wiring

Reversing Brushed Motor Mode:
(See Figure 2: Reversing Brushed
Motor Setup) Use this mode if you
wish to use reverse. Use only the red
and black motor wires from the ESC. In
most applications, the red wire from
the ESC will connect to the red wire
(or

positive +

motor, and the black wire to the black
wire (or
the motor. The white motor wire is not
used. After calibration, (explained

10

side hood) on your

negative -

side hood) of

REVERSING

BRUSHED MOTOR

WIRING DIAGRAM

Steering

Servo
in CH1

Receiver

Castle ESC

in CH2

Use a high quality

connector only

(not included)

to throttle

Steering

Servo

Figure 2: Reversing Brushed Motor Setup

Connect

channel

Battery

Pack

CASTLE ESC

Red ESC

motor wire

to Motor

White motor

wire not used

Brushed

Motor

(+)

Black ESC

motor wire

to Motor (-

On/Off
Switch

)

HIGH POWER

BRUSHED MOTOR

WIRING DIAGRAM

Use a high quality

Steering

Servo
in CH1

Receiver

Castle ESC

in CH2

connector only

(not included)

Steering

Servo

Connect to

throttle

channel

Battery

Pack

Figure 3: High Power Brushed Motor Setup

(+)

Battery

to

(+)

Motor

Motor

Tab
(+)

CASTLE ESC

Brushed

Motor

All ESC
motor wires
to Motor

(

On/Off
Switch

below) you may need to swap the two motor
wires to get the wheels to spin in the
right direction.

High Power Brushed Motor Mode:

Motor

Tab

(See Figure 3: High Power Brushed Motor

-

(

)

Setup) Connect all three of the ESC motor
wires to the negative (-) side of the motor.
You can either use a “Y” harness from the
ESC battery input positive wire to connect

)

-

to both the battery and the positive side
of the motor, or use a single wire from the
positive ESC input to the positive battery
pole and then continue to the positive (+)
side of the motor.

11

RADIO CONNECTION

Your Castle ESC plugs into the throttle channel of your receiver. This is usually channel 2.
Your Castle ESC provides 5 volts to the receiver to power the receiver and the steering servo.
No separate receiver battery is needed to power the radio system.

Castle ESC receiver plugs are made to be used with any receiver, so you will need to make sure
the polarity is correct. The signal wire is orange, the positive wire is red, and the negative
is brown. Some radio systems use white for signal, red for positive and black for negative
color scheme. Check your receiver documentation for correct connection polarity if it’s not
marked. (Most receivers use negative to the outside of the case and signal towards the inside
of the case.)

12

ESC SETUP

ESC/Radio Calibration

Individual transmitter’s signals for neutral, full and full brake vary. You must calibrate your
Castle ESC so that it will operate most effectively with your transmitter. Anytime the ESC is
powered up with a new transmitter, or with different throttle channel settings, it will need to
be calibrated to “know” what the transmitter’s throttle settings are. It will also need to be
calibrated after updating with new software via Castle Link.

If you are using a Futaba or Futaba OEM brand transmitter, you will
need to set the transmitter’s throttle channel direction to the
REVERSE (Rev) position. This is either an external micro switch on the
transmitter or an option available within the computer programming of
the transmitter’s throttle channel.

13

Please start by zeroing out any throttle trim that you may have set in your transmitter.

Don’t plug in th e battery yet!

the ESC are correct. Check the on/off switch of the Castle ESC to make sure that it is in the
OFF position (“ON” is marked in small letters on one side).

Make sure that the ba tter y polarity and input polarity on

We recommend removing your pinion gear before calibration as a safety
precaution!

How to Calibrate the ESC

STEP 1 : Start with the transmitter ON and the ESC switched OFF and not connected to the
ba tter y.

STEP 2 : Plug a battery into your Castle ESC.

14

STEP 3 : Hold full throttle on the transmitter and turn the ESC’s switch ON. Keep holding full

throttle on the transmitter. If all your connections are correct, you will hear one multi-toned
initiali zation “ring” from the motor (all tones are played by the ESC vibrating the motor).

STEP 4 : After a second or two, the green LED on the ESC will blink rapidly and the motor will
“ring” 4 times rapidly in a row (accepting the full throttle endpoint). After the green LED
flashes and tones, the ESC will bli nk the red LED. At this point the full throttle endpoint has
been set within the ESC and now it’s looking for the full brake endpoint (red LED blinking).

STEP 5 : Move the throttle trigger to the full brake position and hold full brake. After a
few seconds, the ESC will flash the red LED and ring 4 times rapidly (accepting full brake
endpoint).

STEP 6 : After accepting the full brake endpoint the ESC will then blink the yellow LED. Now
relax the trigger to the neutral position. The ESC will now ring 4 times and flash the yellow
LED rapidly to accept the neutral position.

15

After accepting the neutral position, the ESC will ring twice and flash ALL the LEDs. This is
the arming tone and LED indication that the ESC IS NOW ARMED and the car will respond to
throttle inputs from your transmitter.

From this point on, when you connect batteries and turn the switch on, the ESC will give the
initiali zation tone and flash after a battery is plugged in and the switch is turned on, and
the arming tone will ring a second or two later. If the ESC is programmed for the Auto-Lipo
setting, it will beep the number of cells in your Lipo pack between the initialization tones and
the arming tones. After the arming tone plays, the ESC is ACTIVE and will respond to throttle
application.

If you have problems calibrating your transmitter with the Castle ESC, please see the
troubleshooting guide on page 37 for more tips. Once you are calibrated and armed, do one
last check before going out and experiencing the Castle brushless difference. Slowly advance
the throttle and check the rotation direction of the motor and the color of the LEDs on the

16

ESC. If the motor is spinning in the right direction and the GREEN LED is blinking green, then
you are ready for a test run before going into the settings of the ESC. If the ESC shows the
green LED with throttle, but the wheels spin in the wrong direction, you’ll need to switch any
two of the motor wires (example: switch from red to red and black to black to red to black
and black to red).

CASTLE LINK SET-UP

Your Mamba Max is Castle Link compatible, but requires
a USB cable to connect.

Other Castle products may be linked with the optional
Castle Link USB adapter (sold separately on all
controllers, Castle Link chip is included with the
Mamba Monster and Mamba Max Pro).

17

The Castle Link software will give you access
to a whole new world of tuning options. You
may use Castle Link to tune your throttle curve
and brake curve, set your drag brake feel, and
use the incredible PUNCH CONTROL to keep the
front end of your car on the ground with all
the power you have at your command. As new
features become available, you can install them
in your Castle ESC for “real time” updates! All
of this is free and ensures your Castle ESC will
be the best that it can be.

TO USE CASTLE LINK

Mamba Max users will need to purchase a USB
cable and download the Castle Link program

18

Screen shot o f the basic
sett ings page of the
Cast le Link software for
the Mamb a Max

The bra ke and throttle
response cur ves are fully
manipulatable

from our website. Connect the large end of the USB

CASTLE LINK CONNECTIONS

cable to your PC, Connect the small end of the USB
cable to the side of your Mamba Max ESC and enjoy the
Castle Creations difference.

All other Castle Car ESC’s wi ll require the Castle Link
USB adapter and USB cable (sold separately, the Mamba
Monster and Mamba Max Pro include the USB adapter).
Connect the ESC to the USB Link vi a the throttle cable.

Castle ESCs may also be manually programmed using
your transmitter and receiver. Manual programming may
not provide access to all of the Castle ESC’s features.

MANUAL PROGRAMMING

USB cable connects
your PC directly to

USB

Mamba Max for tuning
via Castle Link software

CASTLE

LINK

CASTLE ESC

Castle Link USB adapter connects your
Castle ESC to a USB cable for tuning
via Castle Link software
on your Windows PC

19

Follow these steps to change settings on your Castle ESC without a computer.

Remove your pinion gear before calibration and manual programming as a safety precaution!
STEP 1 : Start with the transmitter ON and the ESC switched OFF and not connected to the
ba tter y.

STEP 2 : Plug a battery into the ESC. Hold full throttle on the transmitter and turn the ESC
switch ON. After a few seconds you will get the four rings in a row signaling full throttle
calibration. Keep on holding full throttle. After a few more seconds, you will hear another
four rings in a row. After the second group of four rings, relax the throttle to neutral. If
you have successfully entered programming mode, the ESC wi ll beep twice, pause, and repeat
the two beeps.

STEP 3 : The pro gramming sequen ce is always presented in sequent ial order and always start s
with the first setting (Reverse Lockout) within the first section (Reverse Type). The first

20

beep(s) signifies which section of the programming you are in and the second beep(s) signifies
which setting is waiting for a “yes” or “no” answer.

As you go sequentially through the options, you will need to answer “yes” by holding full
throttle, or answer “no” by holding full brake until the ESC accepts your answer by beeping
rapidly. Once an answer has been accepted, relax the throttle back to neutral for the next
question. After a “no” answer is accepted, the ESC wi ll then present you with the next option
in that section. After a “yes” answer is accepted, the ESC knows you aren’t interested in any
other option in that section, so it skips to the first option in the next section.

SETTINGS & EXPLANATIONS

The Castle ESC is extremely flexible and may be “tuned” like any other part of your car or
truck. The following section explains all the settings available to you via manual programming
and what each one does to change the reactions of the ESC in order to tune it to your specific
preferences. More settings are available via Castle Link.

21

1. Brake/Reverse Type

Sets whether reverse is enabled or not, and exactly how it can be accessed.

Setting 1 : Reverse Lockout (Default)
This setting allows the use of reverse only after the ESC senses two seconds of neutral
throttle. Use it for race practice sessions and bashing, but check with your race director to
see if this setting is allowed for actual racing.

Setting 2 : Forward/Brake Only
Use this setting for actual sanctioned racing events. Reverse cannot be accessed under any
circumstances with this setting.

Setting 3 : Forward/Brake/Reverse
Reverse or forward is accessible at any time after the ESC brakes to zero motor RPM (if the

22

vehicle is moving).

2. Brake Amount

Sets what percentage of available braking power is applied with full brake.

Setting 1 : 25% Power
Allows only 25% of avai lable braking power at full brake.

Setting 2 : 50% Power (Default)
Allows only 50% of avai lable braking power at full brake.

Setting 3 : 75% Power
Allows 75% of avai lable braking power at full brake.
Setting 4 : 100% Power
Allows all available braking power at full brake.

3. Reverse Amount

23

Sets how much power will be applied in the reverse direction, if reverse is enabled.

Setting 1 : 25% Power
Allows only 25% power in reverse.

Setting 2 : 50% Power (Default)
Allows only 50% power in reverse.

Setting 3 : 75% Power
Allows only 75% power in reverse.

Setting 4 : 100% Power
Allows 100% power in reverse.

4. Punch/ Traction Control

24

This setting controls how fast the throttle position within the ESC can be changed over
time. This smoothes high power starts and limits punch somewhat. As explained previously,
acceleration is a matter of battery capability, but you may not want 100% of what the battery
can deliver in every situation.

This setting is crucial to drag racing as it can be used as a “traction control” to match
traction conditions.

The lower the setting, the less throttle change limiting there is. For pure burnout and wheelie
action, use a very low setting or the disabled setting. For softer acceleration or for a low­grip surface, raise it up to a higher setting.
Don’t be afraid to use these settings! It may be fun to watch your car do back flips, but sooner
or later you are going to want to be able to drive it under some semblance of control.
This is

THE

setting to put you back into control.

25

Setting 1 : High
Very limited acceleration. Good for 2WD vehicles on hard dirt, or for general bashing when
you want to be gentle on the transmission.

Setting 2 : Medium
Medium acceleration limiting. Good for 2WD vehicles on soft dirt, and 4WD vehicles on hard
dirt.

Setting 3 : Low
Light acceleration limiting. Good for 4WD vehicles on soft dirt.

Setting 4 : Lowest
Very light acceleration limiting. Good for most situations including 4WD vehicles on dirt and
asphalt, and 2WD vehicles on asphalt.

26

Setting 5 : Disabled (Default)
Acceleration is only limited by battery ability. This setting is good for 4WD sedans on carpet,
high traction drag racing, or bashing where unlimited wheelie power is desired.

5. Drag Brake

Sets the amount of drag brake applied at neutral throttle to simulate the slight braking
effect of a neutral brushed motor whi le coasting.

Setting 1 : Drag Brake OFF (Default)
Vehicle will coast with almost no resistance from the motor at neutral throttle.

Setting 2 : Drag Brake 10%
Low amount of braking effect from the motor at neutral throttle.

Setting 3 : Drag Brake 20%

27

More braking effect from the motor at neutral throttle.

Setting 4 : Drag Brake 30%
Fairly high braking effect from the motor at neutral throttle.

Setting 5 : Drag Brake 40%
High braking effect from the motor at neutral throttle.

6. Dead Band (NEW!)

You may adjust the neutral throttle “width” of the controller with this setting. Smaller
values make the controller enter forward or brake/reverse with a smaller movement of your
throttle trigger for finer control. Be careful, some transmitters offer better resolution
than others, if your ESC wi ll not respond to “Neutral” throttle, make this setting larger.

28

Setting 1 : Large - 0.15 0 0 ms

Setting 2 : Normal - 0.100 0 ms (Default)

Setting 3 : Small - 0.075 0 ms

Setting 4 : Very Small - 0 .05 00 ms

Setting 5 : Smallest - 0 .02 50 ms

7. Cutoff Voltage

Sets the voltage at which the ESC lowers or removes power to the motor in order to either
keep the battery at a safe minimum voltage (Lithium Polymer cells) or the radio system working
reliably (NiCad/NiMH cells).

Setting 1 : None
Does not cut off or limit the motor due to low voltage. Do not use with any Lithium Polymer
packs!
Applications: Any racing or bashing situation with 6-8 cell NiCad or NiMH packs.

29

Use this setting ONLY with NiCad or NiMH packs. With continued driving, the radio system
may eventually cease to deliver pulses to the servo and ESC, and the vehicle will not be
under control.

You will irreversibly damage Lithium Polymer packs with this setting!

Setting 2 : Auto-Lipo (Default)
This setting automatically detects the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in. It will
automatically set the cut-off to 3.2 volts per cell. It will beep the number of cells in your
Lipo pack between the initialization tones and the arming tones on initial power up the
controller.

Setting 3 : 5v
Cuts off/limits the motor speed/acceleration when the pack gets down to 5 volts. A good

30

setting for racing or bashing in any vehicle using 8-12 NiMH or NiCad packs.

Setting 4 : 6v
Cuts off/limits acceleration when the pack gets down to 6 volts.

A MUST USE setting for 2 cell (7.4v) Lithium Polymer packs. You will
irreversibly damage your packs using a lower cutoff voltage!

Setting 5 : 9v
Cuts off/limits acceleration when the pack gets down to 9 volts.

A MUST USE setting for 3 cell (11.1v) Lithium Polymer packs. You will
irreversibly damage your packs using a lower cutoff voltage!

31

Setting 6 : 12v
Cuts off/limits acceleration when the pack gets down to 12 volts.

A MUST USE setting for 4 cell (14.8v) Lithium Polymer packs. You will
irreversibly damage your packs using a lower cutoff voltage! Use of a
4 cell LiPo pack is covered under warranty ONLY on Monster Max ESCs.

8. Motor Timing

Advancing the timing on an electric motor can have varying effects. Lowering the timing
advance wi ll reduce the amp draw, increase runtime, reduce motor/battery temperature, and
may slightly reduce top speed and punch. Raising the timing advance will increase amp draw,
decrease runtime, increase motor/battery temperature, and may slightly increase top speed
and punch.

If you are after maximum top speed, it’s better to “gear up” to get it rather than advance the

32

timing too far.

For brushed motors, always keep this setting on NORMAL and use the end bell of the motor to
“tweak” it to max RPM per the motor’s instructions.

Setting 1 : Lowest
A maximum efficiency setting giving long runtimes and cooler motor temps. Very useful with
high Kv (low turn) motors to increase motor life and reduce motor/battery temperatures.

Setting 2 : Normal (Default)
The best mix of speed, punch, and efficiency for all motors.

Setting 3 : Highest
Increases amp draw, reduces runtimes, increases motor/battery temperatures, and may

33

increase top speed/punch slightly.

Use with care, and monitor motor and battery temps often! DO NOT use any
setting above “normal” with 6000Kv or higher motors.

9. Motor Type

This setting sets which type of motor you will be using with the Castle ESC. The ESC may be

damaged if this setting does not match the motor type/hook-up method in the car, and
this damage is not covered under warranty.

Setting 1 : Brushless (Default)
(See Figure 1: Brushless Motor Setup on page 8) Uses all three of the ESC motor wires
connected to all three of the brushless motor wires. If the motor spins the wrong way with
forward throttle, swap any two of the wires to get the correct direction.

34

Setting 2 : Brushed Reversing
(See Figure 2: Reversing Brushed Motor Setup on page 10) Uses the Red and Black ESC motor
wires to connect to the (+) and (-) side of the brushed motor. If the motor spins in the wrong
direction with forward throttle, reverse the
motor wires for correct motor direction.

Setting 3 : Brushed High Power
(See Figure 3: High Power Brushed Motor
Setup on page 11) Connect all three of the
ESC motor wires to the negative (-) side of
the motor. You can either use a “Y” harness
from the ESC battery input positive wire to
connect to both the battery and the positive
side of the motor, or use a single wire from

35

the positive ESC input to the positive battery pole and then continue to the positive (+) side
of the motor.

36

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you’re still having difficulties with your Castle ESC after trying the suggestions offered
here, please contact Castle Creations technical support at the e-mail or phone number in the
next section.

Problem: My Castle ESC may or may not arm, but it will not calibrate to
my transmitter.

Solution: Most calibration issues can be solved by changing settings on the transmitter. Make
sure you hav e bo th your throttle and brake endp oin ts (calle d EPA or ATV on your radio) on th e
throttle channel out to between 100 to 120%. Make sure if you have a Futaba or Futaba made
transmitter to have the throttle channel set to the reversed position.

37

Problem: My ESC calibrates for the full throttle and full brake positions
but won’t calibrate to the neutral throttle position (yellow LED keeps
flashing).

Solution: Try moving the throttle trim one way, then the other (usually towards the throttle
side is best). If your transmitter has a 50/50 and 70/30 setting for the throttle, set it for
50/50 and retry calibration. Also, if you have changed the dead band to a narrower band you
may want to try going back to the “normal” setting.

Problem : M y v e h i c le a c ts l ike it h a s “ t ur bo lag” (poo r a c c e l e r a t i on/p u n c h
for the first few feet or yards, and then it “kicks in”).

Solution: Make sure you’re using high quality batteries and a battery connector capable of
high amp flow (40-100 amps). This behavior is very typical of a battery pack that is having

38

difficulty providing the power your vehicle/system requires for top performance.

Use copper bars to connect cells rather than welded tabs. Copper bars have a much lower
resistance.

Problem: My battery pack is plugged into the ESC and nothing is working

- no steering and no throttle.

Solution: Make sure the ESC’s receiver plug is plugged into channel 2 on the receiver, and that
it’s plugged in with the correct orientation. Double check your solder connections on the
battery plug, and make sure the battery is showing good voltage.

Look for more troubleshooting tips on the Castle Creations website at:

www.castlecreations.com/support/faq.html

39

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

You may contact our world class technical support department 24/7 via e-mail, or from 9am to
5pm Central time Monday through Friday.

E-mail: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

CONTACT & WARRANTY INFO

Your Castle ESC is warranted for one (1) year from date of purchase to be free from manufacturing
and component defects. This warranty does not cover damages caused to your motor or
controller from abuse. Abuse includes, but is not limited to, the following: incorrect wiring,
over voltage, overloading, improper gearing, improper motor selection, incorrect controller
settings, insufficient batteries or connectors. If you have any questions, comments, or wish
to return your Castle ESC for warranty or non-warranty repair or replacement, please contact

40

Castle Creations, Inc.

Castle Creations, Inc.

540 North Rogers Road, Olathe, Kansas 66062 USA

www.castlecreations.com

Phone: [phone]

41

CASTLE CAR ESC PROGRAMMING REFERENCE

1: Brake/Reverse Type

Option 1 : Reverse Lockout (D)*
Option 2 : Forward/Brake Only
Option 3 : Forward/Brake/Reverse

2: Brake Amount

Option 1 : 25%
Option 2 : 50% (D)*
Option 3 : 75%
Option 4 : 100%

3: Reverse Amount

Option 1 : 25%
Option 2 : 50% (D)*
Option 3 : 75%
Option 4 : 100%

4: Punch Control

Option 1 : High
Option 2 : Medium
Option 3 : Low
Option 4 : Lowest
Option 5 : Disabled (D)*

5: Drag Brake

Option 1 : Disabled (D)*
Option 2 : 10%
Option 3 : 20%
Option 4 : 30%
Option 5 : 40%

6. Throttle Dead Band

Setting 1 : Large - 0.1500 ms
Setting 2 : Normal - 0.1000 ms (D)*
Setting 3 : Small - 0.0750 ms
Setting 4 : Very Small - 0.0500 ms
Setting 5 : Smallest - 0.0250 ms

7: Voltage Cutoff

Option 1 : None
Option 2: Auto-Lipo (D)*
Option 3 : 5
Option 4 : 6
Option 5 : 9
Option 6 : 12

8: Motor Timing

Option 1 : Lowest
Option 2 : Normal (D)*
Option 3 : Highest

9: Motor Type

Option 1 : Brushless (D)*
Option 2 : Brushed Reversing
Option 3 : Brushed High Power

*Denotes Default Setting

Revisio n date - 01/2011 P/N: 095 -0012-00 © 2011 Castle Cre ations , Inc.