DMC60C Hardware Reference Manual

The DMC60C is an electronic speed controller designed for driving brushed DC motors. It utilizes synchronous rectification to efficiently produce a variable output voltage controlled by a PWM input signal. This makes the DMC60C ideal for use in robotics applications, including FIRST Robotics Competition.

The DMC60C's black and red wires, labeled GND and V+ on the housing, respectively, are used to carry input power from a chosen power source to the DMC60C. The black wire is to be connected to the ground or negative terminal of the power source. The red wire is to be connected to the positive terminal of the power source. When powering the DMC60C via a Power Distribution Panel (PDP), this typically means that the DMC60C's red wire should be connected to the PDP's red terminal and the DMC60C's black wire should be connected to the PDP's black terminal.

The DMC60C does not feature output short protection, and as such, shorting the output leads can result in catastrophic failure. Therefore it is recommended that a 40 Amp breaker (or fuse) be placed in line with the DMC60C's positive input lead (red wire).

The DMC60C does NOT include input reverse polarity protection. Reversing the polarity of the inputs may result in permanent damage to the DMC60C.

The DMC60C's green and white wires, labeled M- and M+ on the housing, respectively, are used to carry a control signal from the DMC60C to a connected motor. The green wire is to be connected to the negative lead of the motor. The white wire is to be connected to the positive lead of the motor. The stall current associated with the motor may be very high. Therefore it is recommended that these connections be made through crimped connectors or by soldering the leads directly together.

If the DMC60C output leads are not long enough to reach the motor then they may be extended. It is recommended that 12 AWG (or thicker) stranded wire be used and that the wires be soldered directly together.

The DMC60C continually measures the positive pulse width of the PWM Input Signal applied to the PWM Vable and maps it to an output voltage, or duty cycle. By default, a positive pulse width of 1.0 milliseconds corresponds to 100% duty cycle in the reverse direction (current flow from M- to M+), a positive pulse width of 2.0 milliseconds corresponds to 100% duty cycle in the forward direction (current flow from M+ to M-), and a positive pulse width of 1.5 milliseconds (+/- 4%) corresponds to neutral. When a neutral pulse width is detected, the present Brake/Coast setting is applied to the output. The DMC60C expects the PWM Input Signal to have an input period between 2.9 and 100 milliseconds. The allows te update rate to be as high as 344 Hz or as low as 10 Hz.

The DMC60C's PWM Input Cable features a 0.1“ pitch 3-pin female header that is compatible with most RC / PWM Servo Controllers, allowing the DMC60C to be readily wired directly to those devices. The PWM Input cable consists of two wires, the PWM Signal wire (yellow), and the PWM Ground wire (green).

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The DMC60C’s aluminum case is electrically isolated and may be mounted directly to a robot using zip-ties or #8-32 screws. The case may become hot after pro-longed use in high current applications. For optimum performance it is recommended that the DMC60C be mounted in a location that allows airflow over the top of the case and around both sides of the case.