HOBBYWING Skywalker 120A V2 Brushless Electronic Speed Controller

01 Warnings

• Read through the manuals of all power devices and aircraft and ensure the power configuration is rational before using this unit.

• Ensure all wires and connections are well insulated before connecting the ESC to related devices, as short circuit will damage your ESC. Ensure all devices are well connected, in order to prevent poor connections that may cause your aircraft to lose control or other unpredictable issues like damage to the device. If necessary, please use a soldering iron with enough power to solder all input/output wires and connectors.

• Never get the motor locked up during high-speed rotation, otherwise the ESC may get destroyed and may also get your motor damaged. (Note: move the throttle stick to the bottom position or disconnect the battery immediately if the motor really gets locked up.)

• Never use this unit in the extremely hot weather or continue to use it when it gets really hot. Because high temperature will activate the ESC thermal protection or even damage your ESC.

• Always disconnect and remove batteries after use, as the ESC will continue to consume current if it's still connected to batteries. Long-time contact will cause batteries to completely discharge and result in damage to batteries or/and ESC. This will not be covered under warranty.

02 Features

• ESC features a high-performance 32-bit ARM M0 microprocessor (with a running frequency of up to 120MHz) compatible with various brushless motors.
• DEO (Driving Efficiency Optimization) Technology greatly improves throttle response & driving efficiency and reduces ESC temperature.
• Separate programming cable for connecting ESC to a LED program box, allowing users to program the ESC anytime, anywhere. (For detailed info, please refer to the user manual of HOBBYWING LED program box.)
• Normal/Reverse brake modes (especially reverse brake mode) can effectively shorten the landing distance for the aircraft.
• Search mode helps users find the aircraft by alarm beeps after it falls into a complex environment.
• Multiple protection features like start-up, ESC thermal, capacitor thermal, over-current, over-load, abnormal input voltage, and throttle signal loss effectively prolong the service life of the ESC.

03 Specifications

04 User Guide

Attention! The default throttle range of this ESC is from 1100µs to 1940µs (Futaba's standard); users need to calibrate the throttle range when they start to use a new SKYWALKER brushless ESC or another transmitter.

1 Connections

The diagram illustrates the connection of the Skywalker 120A V2 ESC. It shows the ESC unit connected to a battery and a brushless motor via three wires. The ESC also features signal cables: a longer tri-color cable (White, Red, Black) for throttle and BEC output, a yellow wire for reverse brake signal, and a shorter tri-color cable (White, Red, Black) for programming.

2 ESC/Radio Calibration

Follow these steps for ESC/Radio Calibration:

1. Turn on the transmitter and move the throttle stick to the top position. ▶️
2. Connect a battery to the ESC. The motor will sound "♪123" indicating normal power-on. ?➡️⚙️
3. The motor will beep two short beeps, indicating the maximum throttle endpoint is accepted. ??
4. Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 5 seconds after the two short beeps. The minimum throttle position will be accepted 1 second later. ⬇️
5. The motor will beep a "Number" of times to indicate the number of LiPo cells plugged in. ?xN
6. The motor emits a long beep, indicating the calibration is complete. ? (long)

3 Normal Start-up Process

Follow these steps for the normal start-up process:

1. Turn on the transmitter, and then move the throttle stick to the bottom position. ?⬇️
2. Connect the ESC to a battery. The motor will emit "♪123" indicating the ESC is normally powered on. ?➡️⚙️
3. The motor will emit several beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells. ?xN
4. The motor emits a long beep, indicating the ESC is ready to go. ? (long)

05 ESC Programming

1 Program your ESC with a LED Program Box

Follow these steps to program your ESC using an LED Program Box:

1. Plug the programming cable (from your ESC) into the programming port on the LED program box.
2. Connect a battery to your ESC after connecting the LED program box. All programmable items will appear after a few seconds. (If the ESC is already connected to the battery, disconnect and reconnect it.)
3. Use the "ITEM" & "VALUE" buttons on the program box to select the desired item and setting. Press the "OK" button to save the new settings to your ESC.
4. Disconnect the ESC and battery, then reconnect them. The ESC will start up and run with the new parameters.

2 Program your ESC with the Transmitter

This process consists of 4 steps: Enter Programming → Select Parameter Items → Select Parameter Values → Exit Programming.

I. Enter the Programming

Turn on the transmitter, move the throttle stick to the top position, and connect a battery to the ESC. After 2 seconds, the motor will beep "B-B-" first, then emit "56712" (5 seconds later) to indicate you are in ESC programming mode.

II. Select Parameter Items

After entering programming, the motor will emit 12 types of beeps circularly. Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 3 seconds of hearing a beep type to enter the corresponding parameter item.

• Beep Code: "B-" (1 Short B) | Parameter: Brake Type
• Beep Code: "B-B-" (2 Short Bs) | Parameter: Brake Force
• Beep Code: "B-B-B-" (3 Short Bs) | Parameter: Voltage Cutoff Type
• Beep Code: "B-B-B-B-" (4 Short Bs) | Parameter: LiPo Cells
• Beep Code: "B----" (1 Long B) | Parameter: Cutoff Voltage
• Beep Code: "B----B-" (1 Long B & 1 Short B) | Parameter: Start-up Mode
• Beep Code: "B----B-B-" (1 Long B & 2 Short Bs) | Parameter: Timing
• Beep Code: "B----B-B-B-" (1 Long B & 3 Short Bs) | Parameter: Active Freewheeling
• Beep Code: "B----B-B-B-B-" (1 Long B & 4 Short Bs) | Parameter: Search Mode
• Beep Code: "B----B----" (2 Long Bs) | Parameter: BEC Voltage
• Beep Code: "B----B----B-" (2 Long Bs & 1 Short B) | Parameter: Factory Reset
• Beep Code: "B----B----B- B-" (2 Long Bs & 2 Short Bs) | Parameter: Exit

Note: A long beep "B----" is equivalent to 5 short beeps "B-".

III. Select Parameter Values

The motor will beep different types of beeps circularly. Move the throttle stick to the top position after hearing a beep type to select the corresponding parameter value. The motor will emit "1515" to confirm the value is saved. You will then return to "Select Parameter Items" to adjust other parameters.

VI. Exit the Programming

Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 3 seconds after hearing "Two long and Two short beeps" (from the motor). The motor will beep the number of LiPo cells plugged in, followed by a long beep, indicating the power system is ready.

06 Programmable Items

Note: Values marked with * are the factory default settings.

Detailed Item Explanations:

1. Brake Type:

• Normal Brake: Brake function activates when throttle stick is at the bottom position. Brake amount equals preset brake force.
• Reverse Brake: Reverse Brake signal wire must be plugged into a vacant receiver channel. Motor direction is controlled via this channel. 0-50% range is default motor direction; 50%-100% causes counterclockwise spin. Ensure channel stick is within 0-50% (preferably 0) when powering on ESC for the first time. After activation, motor stops, then spins in reverse, increasing speed with throttle input. Signal loss (reverse brake or throttle) can activate throttle signal loss protection.
• Linear Reverse Brake: Reverse Brake signal wire must be plugged into a vacant receiver channel and set to a linear switch (e.g., a knob). Turning the switch activates reverse function. Motor speed is controlled by the linear switch. When reversed, initial throttle is 10%, and throttle stroke is 1.34ms-1.79ms. Channel stick should be at 0% throttle when powering on ESC for the first time. Signal loss can activate throttle signal loss protection.

2. Brake Force: Affects "Normal brake" mode only. Higher levels mean stronger braking. Low/Medium/High correspond to 60%/90%/100% braking force.

3. Voltage Cutoff Type:

• Soft Cutoff: ESC gradually reduces output to 60% of full power over 3 seconds after low-voltage cutoff protection is activated.
• Hard Cutoff: ESC immediately cuts off output when low-voltage cutoff protection is activated.

4. LiPo Cells: ESC automatically calculates the number of LiPo cells based on the "3.7V/Cell" rule if "Auto Calc." is selected, or you can set it manually.

5. Cutoff Voltage: If set to "Off", low-voltage protection is disabled. Protection voltage values for Low/Medium/High modes are approximately 2.8V/3.0V/3.4V per cell. This value, multiplied by the number of lithium batteries (auto-identified or manually set), determines the battery protection voltage. Example: For 3 lithium batteries with Medium setting, protection voltage is 3 x 3.0V = 9.0V.

6. Start-up Mode: Adjusts ESC acceleration throttle response time from 0% to 100%. Normal/Soft/Very Soft correspond to approximately 200ms/500ms/800ms respectively.

7. Timing: Adjusts motor drive timing. Low/Medium/High are 5°/15°/25° respectively.

8. Active Freewheeling (DEO): Adjustable between "Enabled" and "Disabled" (enabled by default). With it enabled, you get better throttle linearity or smoother throttle response. If braking effect affects flight feel during 3D flight, this function can be turned off.

9. Search Mode: When selected, ESC drives the motor with a chirping prompt when the throttle is kept at 0% and continues for the set time.

10. BEC Voltage: Sets BEC output voltage. Adjustable to 5V/6V/7.4V/8.4V.

07 Troubleshooting & Multiple Protections

1 Troubleshooting

2 Multiple Protections

1. Start-up Protection: The ESC monitors motor speed during start-up. If speed stops increasing or is unstable, it's considered a start-up failure. If throttle is <15%, ESC tries to restart automatically. If throttle is >20%, move throttle stick to bottom and restart ESC. Possible causes: poor connection between ESC and motor wires, blocked propellers.
2. ESC Thermal Protection: If ESC operating temperature exceeds 120°C, output power is reduced for protection (max output throttle ~60%) to ensure motor power and prevent falling. Motor alarms when throttle returns to zero.
3. Throttle Signal Loss Protection: If ESC detects signal loss for over 0.25 second, it cuts off output immediately to prevent greater loss from continuous high-speed rotation. Output resumes after normal signals are received.
4. Overload Protection: ESC cuts off power/output or restarts if load suddenly increases to a very high value (e.g., blocked propellers).
5. Low Voltage Protection: Triggers when battery voltage is lower than the ESC's set cutoff voltage. Soft cutoff reduces voltage to max 60% of full power. Hard cutoff cuts output immediately. Motor alarms when throttle returns to 0.
6. Abnormal Voltage Input Protection: Triggers if battery voltage is outside the ESC's supported input voltage range. ESC drives the motor to sound an alarm.