Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
12-03-2008, 11:19 PM
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Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
I noticed the other day that Tower Hobbies is listing an "Ice" version of the Phoenix brushless controllers. I went to Castle's web site to get more information and could find nothing. They have a media kit which "includes everything you ever wanted to know about the Phoenix Ice Brushless Controllers" but there's nothing but pictures. I want to know more than what they might look like. Is anything known about these things?
12-08-2008, 07:38 PM
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12-08-2008, 08:05 PM
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RE: Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
I came across a reply from Castle on another forum. From what I remember, the upshot is that the Ice series are expected to be released 1st qtr. of 2009 and they'll have some data logging capability and a switching BEC.
Is the BEC on the present day Phoenix controllers a non-switching, linear circuit? That seems so 1975.
Is the BEC on the present day Phoenix controllers a non-switching, linear circuit? That seems so 1975.
12-13-2008, 10:21 PM
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RE: Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
I can't find anything on Castle's site that says it has a switching BEC. The FAQ for the Phoenix controllers has this to say about the BEC-
"The BEC converts the excess voltage from the power battery down to 5 volts by turning the excess voltage into heat. The higher the power battery voltage is, the more heat the BEC needs to dissipate. Making sure there is airflow over the BEC, which is on the LED side of the controller, helps with BEC heat dissipation and is important to BEC operation. The BEC is thermally protected and will shut down, then immediately come back on without being damaged, if the servo load is too much."
Sounds like a linear regulator to me...
"The BEC converts the excess voltage from the power battery down to 5 volts by turning the excess voltage into heat. The higher the power battery voltage is, the more heat the BEC needs to dissipate. Making sure there is airflow over the BEC, which is on the LED side of the controller, helps with BEC heat dissipation and is important to BEC operation. The BEC is thermally protected and will shut down, then immediately come back on without being damaged, if the servo load is too much."
Sounds like a linear regulator to me...
12-14-2008, 02:15 PM
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RE: Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
I'm pretty sure it is linear in the normal Castle ESC's - their UBEC is switching, and we assume these ICE versions will be switching.
12-16-2008, 02:52 AM
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RE: Phoenix Ice - What's going on with Castle?
Original (still current) CC Phoenix ESCs BEC circuits are not switching type. The new ICE series will be switching type.
They have not made up their minds if the new internal BEC for ICE series ESCs will be adjustable using Castle link (just like their UBEC) or not. If not adjustable then they were thinking of setting them fixed at 5.5V
They were off of the ICE project for a little while due to other projects but they are back on it full swing.
Here are a couple of links:
http://www.castlespecialprojects.com...oenix_ice.html {In this link after csp replace the - with _ } RCU problem.
See picture, shows switching type written on ESC, also see upper right for data logging feature of some degree (not sure with conjunction with something else or not).
See chart, it says current sensing measured onboard.
Or find it by starting with http://www.castlespecialprojects.com , then controllers, 25V, ICE.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=936398
Long ago, CC a tech told me that they were initially going to change the Phoenix 45A, 60A, and 80A with new 50A, 75A, 100A and then later on change the higher and lower rated ESCs....not sure what their future plans are now.
By the way, the new ICE 50A ESC is going to be good for up to 6S unlike the 45A which operated the motor at 4S max.
Gryphon
They have not made up their minds if the new internal BEC for ICE series ESCs will be adjustable using Castle link (just like their UBEC) or not. If not adjustable then they were thinking of setting them fixed at 5.5V
They were off of the ICE project for a little while due to other projects but they are back on it full swing.
Here are a couple of links:
http://www.castlespecialprojects.com...oenix_ice.html {In this link after csp replace the - with _ } RCU problem.
See picture, shows switching type written on ESC, also see upper right for data logging feature of some degree (not sure with conjunction with something else or not).
See chart, it says current sensing measured onboard.
Or find it by starting with http://www.castlespecialprojects.com , then controllers, 25V, ICE.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=936398
Long ago, CC a tech told me that they were initially going to change the Phoenix 45A, 60A, and 80A with new 50A, 75A, 100A and then later on change the higher and lower rated ESCs....not sure what their future plans are now.
By the way, the new ICE 50A ESC is going to be good for up to 6S unlike the 45A which operated the motor at 4S max.
Gryphon
