Electronic Systems

I am just wondering how the electronic systems in general are laid out and connected to each other (speed controller, receiver, motors ext). Also where to buy the pieces needed to build the electronic systems in Ireland or online

Hey Josh! It's surprisingly simple once you know how it all works, and if you want a video to help you out then Robowars Australia on YouTube has some very helpful videos. Generally speaking, it goes a little like this:

Battery - Removable Link - Fuse - Safety Light- Speed Controllers - Battery

Your Speed Controllers have then got a separate set of wires that plug into the motors and into the receiver. There's a few really important things to note about ESC's though, namely their ampage, their BEC/UBEC and whether they're brushed or brushless. Your ESC needs to have a higher ampage than your motor is going to draw, ideally by a decent amount, so that it doesn't over-heat or go wrong. You'll want to ensure it's got a working BEC too as this allows the ESC to not only receive commands from the Receiver but also to give it power so you don't need a second battery. Finally, ensure that your ESC's match your motors as to whether or not they're brushed to brushless. You can't use a brushed ESC with a brushless motor and vice-versa, at least not without some modification! You can also add stuff like Gyro's and other fancy bits, but they're all individual and not required to make a good machine.

When it comes to sourcing parts there's a lot of places. We make extensive use of HobbyKing.com , Robotshop.com and occasionally Ranglebox.com as all of them are good companies who provide a lot of what you'll need. It's well worth checking the For Sale section on these forums too, you might find something really useful!

This question comes up pretty regularly, try looking at everyone's build diaries. Or using the search.

Thank you Pinski1 for all your help