Castle - Make A Special Edition Monster

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by BrianG

Seems like it would be easier to simply rob the brains from a MMM and make your own bullet-proof power PCB. With the exception of a couple of my "wish list" items, it looks like they all could be met with better FET hardware.

No brain robbing mr Zombie!

[VintageMA]

Patrick - I wouldn't feel offended if I were you. Having gone through school and gotten a degree in EE I know how hard some of this stuff can get. (And I still had no idea about some the stuff you just mentioned )

If anything I would take it as a compliment - people always want to take shots at the guys on top and try and knock him down.

Notice that MGM as well as others already have the stuff out there for ESCs that are good up to 8 and 10S, but still you are being given crap about not having one and when will you have one. I read that as everyone saying if you build it we will come.

[VintageMA]

Ohhhh..... And if you could - would you please make your pet project support 30S lipo, 3500A and have a high votage ignition coil somewhere in it so I can generate lightning bolts to blow other cars off the track......

[Pdelcast]

[QUOTE=VintageMA;180146a high votage ignition coil somewhere in it so I can generate lightning bolts to blow other cars off the track...... [/QUOTE]

Oh! Good idea. Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqRkEMfEtTo

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by BrianG

I agree with some of the sentiment here. An "elite" MMM would be nice, but the market would be so small that price would have to be really high to compensate.

But since we are talking "wishlist" here, I would like:

• 10s to 12s version.
  
  
• Opto (no BEC). I'll add my own.
  
  
• 200A capable. 200A is plenty for all but the most abusive systems. Maybe make the power PCBs potentially stackable for those few insane people who need 12S @ 400A. After all, who doesn't need almost 24HP in a vehicle.
  
  
• Retain the single layer power PCB. It's nice to have the heatsink on ALL FETs, not just a top layer. If stacking PCBs, use the HV series heatsinking method.
  
  
• Use a couple more caps for the setups that need it because of wire length. If the wires end up being short, that's ok, more caps won't hurt.
  
  
• NO FAN needed. But, for those who insist on using them, add some fan mounting threads to the heatsink, or an optional add-on fan mounting bracket.
  
  
• Taller heatsink. Might as well make use of the airflow inside our vehicles. I do like the current fin design itself, so keep that.
  
  
• Use a case that totally encloses the circuitry, but exposes the heatsink. Use o-rings or something around the wires/bullet connectors to help keep dirt out of the case.
  
  Or maybe even make the case out of aluminum kinda like the Quark 125B, and attach the heatsink to that. Make the bottom a plastic access panel to remove the guts if necessary. Changing heatsinks if desired would be a snap. Add mounting tabs for those who want to screw it down.
  
  And if the case is perfectly square, allow the bottom panel (where the mounting tabs are) to be rotated 90* to put the tabs where we need them.
  
  
• Retain the Castle Link programming method, but add the option of a programming card for those without laptops in the field. This would be a seperate order accessory. Or make the card included and the Castle Link cable the accessory - whatever.
  
  An added programming port (not using the throttle cable) would be nice, but only if it was a port in the case that had a cover (not another wire sticking out).
  
  
• Use bullet connectors for the wires. We can use matching bullets or solder our wires directly into the bullets as we see fit.
  
  
• Add a link cable to allow two ESCs to be used in Master/Slave mode for dual motor setups.
  
  
• Keep the exceptional customer support Castle is known for...

OK, well 200A and single layer FET board would be REALLY BIG. It would take about 108 FETs to do 200A reliably (same number of FETs as the Phoenix-110HV.) or about 2.5" square with 6x5mm FETs (about 6 sq in of board.)

What I'm working on now is the same footprint as the MMM -- but with 72 HV FETs (36 per side) and stackable. Would be good for about 130-150A in single layer, 225A or so in double layer using our newest FETs. (If we can drive that many of them without creating too many issues.)

Patrick

[DRIFT_BUGGY]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Oh, and by the way -- I started working on a larger MMM last weekend. Making it a pet "off the clock" project. My biggest issue right now is justifying the cost of tooling... but we'll see. :)

Patrick

A bigger MMM, could this be the Mamba Monster Max or Mamba Mega Monster

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by DRIFT_BUGGY

A bigger MMM, could this be the Mamba Monster Max or Mamba Mega Monster

I think the official name will be MMMM.

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

I think the official name will be MMMM.

or prehaps MX4

[JERRY2KONE]

Mega Momba Monster Maxx. Cool I want one. That bolt of electricity was pretty scary stuff. I had to watch that one like ten times. I just could not stop looking at that video. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[GriffinRU]

WTF am I doing here then?

Here's the deal -- take $7000.00 and bootstrap your own company in eight years to $11 million in sales and 50 employees in a niche market. THEN you can call me ignorant.

I do not know?
One day... and probably with less effort.
But I do have respect for what you done and still doing, but I am bummed that you treat me as an idiot with solder iron or amateur - whatever you call it.

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Yeah, good luck on that. First of all, the hardware isn't simple -- believe me, it's not just sticking some FETs and drivers on a board and wiring them together. Do you know what dV/dT induced turn-on is? Where it can happen? Do you know what current-induced shoot through is? Anyone can create a 10 or 20 amp MOSFET based controller -- but when you get over 100A and the induction voltages are HUGE -- that's when it becomes difficult. Believe me, I've been doing power design for over 20 years and everyone thinks it's easy UNTIL THEY TRY IT.
The first time you see a MOSFET turn on and destroy a controller, while the gate being held off by a driver, and no voltage on the gate, -- then you might know what I'm talking about.

And software -- there's six man-years of development time (and two patents) in the Mamba software. It's not really something that can be slapped together in a couple of weekends.

Oh, and by the way -- I started working on a larger MMM last weekend. Making it a pet "off the clock" project. My biggest issue right now is justifying the cost of tooling... but we'll see. :)

Patrick

Nice, when you were starting your carrier I was modeling fet's...dv/dt... :)
Yeah I am hearing that allot about software and not from you only, just 2 patents

At the end I was trying to give you a hand, while you slapped it. Sorry my friend now I do not care what you a planning to do, as long as you make them I can tweak and improve them. And who knows maybe one day I will open my own company, but as for now I have no plans to do that.

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by GriffinRU

I do not know?
One day... and probably with less effort.
But I do have respect for what you done and still doing, but I am bummed that you treat me as an idiot with solder iron or amateur - whatever you call it.



Nice, when you were starting your carrier I was modeling fet's...dv/dt... :)
Yeah I am hearing that allot about software and not from you only, just 2 patents

At the end I was trying to give you a hand, while you slapped it. Sorry my friend now I do not care what you a planning to do, as long as you make them I can tweak and improve them. And who knows maybe one day I will open my own company, but as for now I have no plans to do that.

Whatever. You started this by calling ME ignorant, not the other way around.


OK - timeout. You aren't a native English speaker... You do know that calling someone "ignorant" in American English is an EXTREMELY HARSH insult don't you? It is used in English in the same context as "moron" or "mongoloid"

[GriffinRU]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Whatever. You started this by calling ME ignorant, not the other way around.

So good luck making your own HV controller buddy.

As you noticed I was referring to CC, not YOU in person. And the reason for that is simple, you are the owner of the company and might not have time to read threads or posts from everyone and especially paying attention and getting too deep in details. You might have done that in the past, while now you have bigger responsibilities, therefore your employers must do their homework and provide you and your engineers with better feedback.
If you took it personally, than I am sorry for my English, I was aiming more towards them or flaws in that system.

And, thank you.

[Cain]

Patrick,

As the owner, I have a question concerning the first edition mamba monsters.

The first editions were shipped with hardwiring to the circuit board, though, as advertiseed at online and local retailers it shows plugs.

Since it voids the warranty if we do any soldering on the board, will Castle Creations do free wire replacement for these first run of ESCs since the later ones will have plugs as they were advertised?

Also, as the outages appear to be quite signficant enough to hold up any further delivery of MMMs, for those concerned about there unit, can they sign up for a replacement plan sort of like how other companies would require a credit card number, CC sends the new unit, you send the old unit back, and no charge is done to the credit card, that way people are not down about 1 - 2 weeks waiting for the units?

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by GriffinRU

As you noticed I was referring to CC, not YOU in person. And the reason for that is simple, you are the owner of the company and might not have time to read threads or posts from everyone and especially paying attention and getting too deep in details. You might have done that in the past, while now you have bigger responsibilities, therefore your employers must do their homework and provide you and your engineers with better feedback.
If you took it personally, than I am sorry for my English, I was aiming more towards them or flaws in that system.

And, thank you.

Ok, I'm sorry -- as I stated above, I think it was an American English misunderstanding.

Calling someone "ignorant" is an EXTREMELY HARSH insult where I come from. Similar to calling someone a "moron" or "mongoloid"

Also -- You state

Originally Posted by GriffinRU

You might have done that in the past, while now you have bigger responsibilities, therefore your employers must do their homework and provide you and your engineers with better feedback.

And again -- what am I doing here then? You state that I'm ignorant and deaf, and yet here I am, almost every day, reading all the posts in this forum.

And I read all the posts in the Ezone Castle Creations forum every day too.

So don't make assumptions about how much customer contact I have, and how much I listen to the customers. Because if you think I don't listen, you are wrong.

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by Cain

Patrick,

As the owner, I have a question concerning the first edition mamba monsters.

The first editions were shipped with hardwiring to the circuit board, though, as advertiseed at online and local retailers it shows plugs.

Since it voids the warranty if we do any soldering on the board, will Castle Creations do free wire replacement for these first run of ESCs since the later ones will have plugs as they were advertised?

Also, as the outages appear to be quite signficant enough to hold up any further delivery of MMMs, for those concerned about there unit, can they sign up for a replacement plan sort of like how other companies would require a credit card number, CC sends the new unit, you send the old unit back, and no charge is done to the credit card, that way people are not down about 1 - 2 weeks waiting for the units?

Cain,

We will do that, what we call an "advanced replacement" as soon as we have stock on the units. Right now we are holding on any more releases from production until we have the issue with the BEC resolved -- until that time we won't have any replacement stock.

About the wires- - I'm actually surprised you would want it changed -- it actually is more expensive for us to put wires on the controller than the plugs. . .

But, if you do want it changed, I'm sure we will exchange it, or update it with plugs.

Patrick