How to test sensors in brushless sensored motor?

[ik632]

I have a motor that is brand new that I'm wondering if the sensor board is any good. I also have a brand new ESC and two sensor cables. Unfortunately, I don't have another sensored motor or another sensored ESC to swap out and figure out if things are good.

Is there any sort of test I can run to see if the sensors are good in the motor? For example: if I hook up my multi meter to the 6 pin harness (I'm guessing each of the 3 sensors is in pairs) and spinning the motor, I should get something from them.

So, aside from finding a known working motor and esc to eliminate half of the equation, is there any testing I can do now to see what the issue might be?

 

[ik632]

Looks like pinout is the following:

Pin #1 – black wire, ground potential (minus)
Pin #2 – orange wire, sensor phase C
Pin #3 – white wire, sensor phase B
Pin #4 – green wire, sensor phase A
Pin #5 – blue wire, motor temperature sensing, 10 k NTC
(other end of sensor is on ground potential, pin #1)
Pin #6 – red wire, sensors feeding, +5.0 V ± 10%.

So, technically the way it should work is:

1. send voltage to 6
2. ground to 1
3. multimeter grounded to 1
4. multimeter positive on 2,3, or 4 and spin motor

it should then send voltage out the sensor pin and show me juice. I may just build a little tester for sensors and stick a few AA's and leds in it and then you plug in, spin motor and see leds flash.

 

[ik632]

I need to check the two cables I have at home to see what the colors of the cables are. I know one is all black wires. I could just hook it up and check voltage on 1/6 and then that will tell me which is which.

 

[Docwolf]

just spit balling here, but you mentioned int eh other thread that your where only bench testing. now keep in mind, i am new to the whole brushless RC world, but i have experience in 3 phase motors. wouldn't you need a slight load on the motor to get an accurate response and readings off a brushless motor?

 

[ik632]

Yeah, not exactly sure either, that's why I started a thread about testing the sensors instead of the ESC. I've seen a lot of motors run much different when you had some load on them but I want to be able to test and see results with my eyes (years of being an engineer are ingrained in my being )

It may all be a moot point because when I stick it in the Wraith and try it with the sensor plugged in and not plugged in it might actually work just fine. I always like to research before though "thumbsup"

 

[Docwolf]

I do like the idea of the test board, simple circuit really.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

You won't need a load to test the sensors. You can't drive a regular LED through the sensor board either, not enough current. You can use your multimeter and watch the sensor signal bounce from low to high though.

 

[ik632]

So just connect to ground (1) and sensor lead (2, 3, or 4) on the harness and watch it go up and down as you turn the motor?

 

[ik632]

Though, it might just be easier to buy one of those new motors you are making for my Wraith