[Solved] VESC Input to Motor Issue: Sensored vs. Sensorless

EDIT2: Found out that it was because I was configuring it for a sensored motor despite not hooking up the sensors.

EDIT: After more investigation, I seem to be having an overall input issue rather than one specific to the Wiiceiver (and have changed the subject to reflect this)

After looking at the realtime data with active sampling, it doesn't look like the battery current, power, or motor current go up at all during input from the throttle (The duty cycle does go up from -95% to 95%). However when I run the detection sample, it supplies them as expected.

I'm not able to drive the motor through the keyboard controls, but I see the light on the VESC turn on showing that it is receiving the duty cycle change when I give it input in both cases.

The release and full brake buttons on the right work as expected. (If I press release, I can move the motor freely, if I press full brake, the motor has resistance)

I must have missed a configuration somewhere..? Does anyone know what the issue might be?

I'm able to hook up my motors to the VESC and use the start detection button to spin the motors (it does the normal fast spin then slow spin).


However, when I go to the App Configuration tab, change the "App to Use" to PPM, go to the PPM section, and Select Control Mode - Current.

The display section shows the pulsewidth moving with the joystick input, but the motor doesn't seem to get any input.

Any suggestions? I feel like I must be missing something..

Here's my motor configuration settings.

Click to expand...

try uncheck "KB Ctrl" on the right hand side of "app configuration" tab

onloop said:

try uncheck "KB Ctrl" on the right hand side of "app configuration" tab

Click to expand...

Hmm.. I tried that and nothing changed. What is the KB Ctrl supposed to do?

Did you do a "write setup" and a "reboot" before trying?

The KB check enables the keyboard arrow keys as far as I know.

elkick said:

Did you do a "write setup" and a "reboot" before trying?

The KB check enables the keyboard arrow keys as far as I know.

Click to expand...

Yup, I wrote, rebooted, read and the settings stuck around, but still no motor spin on throttle. Although the pulsewidth display does show it going up on throttle.

I had the same issue before but can't recall how I solved it. Maybe this could help:
https://youtu.be/OtuofrQr3F8

elkick said:

I had the same issue before but can't recall how I solved it. Maybe this could help:
https://youtu.be/OtuofrQr3F8

Click to expand...

Aww I watched the video, but everything seemed in line with what I have been doing..

I tried the Wiiceiver with another ESC (an RC Car one) and it drove the motor just fine, so I must have something mis-configured with the VESC.

Did the pulsewidth do down to half (where it is supposed to be off) some time? If it didn't and safe start is active, it will prevent the motor from starting. Safe start will only let the motor start if the input throttle has been within the the region that corresponds to not driving the motor for some time.

Also, rather than using the wiiceiver, you should connect the nunchuk receiver directly to the i2c port of the VESC and use the nunchuk app. It will give a much better experience.

vedder said:

Did the pulsewidth do down to half (where it is supposed to be off) some time? If it didn't and safe start is active, it will prevent the motor from starting. Safe start will only let the motor start if the input throttle has been within the the region that corresponds to not driving the motor for some time.

Also, rather than using the wiiceiver, you should connect the nunchuk receiver directly to the i2c port of the VESC and use the nunchuk app. It will give a much better experience.

Click to expand...

Thanks Vedder for the response! I did not know that was the case, so I tried that on your suggestion, but that didn't seem to work either. I was planning to connect the nunchuk receiver directly to the i2c port of the VESC and use the nunchuk app as a next step after I confirmed it working in this normal function (in case I wanted to switch in the future)

Changed the subject title and added more information into the original message in order to reflect new findings on the issues.

It seems like it's an overall input issue since neither Wiiceiver nor keyboard cause the motor to move..

After alot of messing around and different configurations, I switched my motor configurations to use Sensorless (I realized that despite it being sensored, I was not hooking up the sensors to the VESC since the pin headers didn't match) and it works! Doh!

Thanks for the help guys! Hopefully this helps anyone else who might have an issue