mspaterick
Member
What does opto mean when describing ESC's? What is the benefit?
opto ESC
- Thread starter mspaterick
- Start date
Hexacrafter
Manufacturer
Here is a quote from another source that I believe explains things:
OPTO is supposed to mean 'opto-coupled', where the throttle signal is coupled into the ESC via a light beam. The idea is that there is no direct electrical connection between the receiver and the business end of the ESC, therefore stopping electrical inteference from travelling down the wiring into the receiver.
However there quite a few 'OPTO' ESC's available that don't have an opto-coupler, and should really just be called 'No-BEC'. For most applications these work fine. If you have a 2.4GHz radio then interference won't be a problem, and if you connect an external UBEC to the motor battery then it bypasses the opto-coupler anyway.
OPTO is supposed to mean 'opto-coupled', where the throttle signal is coupled into the ESC via a light beam. The idea is that there is no direct electrical connection between the receiver and the business end of the ESC, therefore stopping electrical inteference from travelling down the wiring into the receiver.
However there quite a few 'OPTO' ESC's available that don't have an opto-coupler, and should really just be called 'No-BEC'. For most applications these work fine. If you have a 2.4GHz radio then interference won't be a problem, and if you connect an external UBEC to the motor battery then it bypasses the opto-coupler anyway.
gtranquilla
RadioActive
Here is a picture to help with the written description by Hexacrafter.
View attachment 21342
Note that Opto-coupler will only isolate signal noise.
ESC chips can also succumb to power supply ripple etc. (less likely on a DC bus fed by batteries but not impossible.
As an example, fast switching diodes or FETs can send noise back towards the power supply.
In the case of a Hex or Octo that could mean such noise could co-mingle at the power distribution board.
View attachment 21342
Note that Opto-coupler will only isolate signal noise.
ESC chips can also succumb to power supply ripple etc. (less likely on a DC bus fed by batteries but not impossible.
As an example, fast switching diodes or FETs can send noise back towards the power supply.
In the case of a Hex or Octo that could mean such noise could co-mingle at the power distribution board.
