SERVO 11.2015 27
handling capability. The original
RageBridge was rated for 30A
continuous; the RageBridge 2 is rated
for 50A continuous.
On the user side of things, the
mixing and current-limiting functions
remain as easy to use as ever. In
addition to this, the wiring has been
simplified by routing the battery
power into the speed controller
through a single point.
Giga-mode is a standout feature
of the RageBridge 2. When activated
via a jumper, both sides of the ESC
will be combined to provide twice the
current handling capability.
With the original RageBridge, this
behavior would work only with
specific motors that had multiple
isolated brush pairs. With the new
RageBridge, the output is
synchronized and allows the
combined current handling capability
to apply to any brushed DC motor.
This extra capacity turns the
RageBridge 2 into a monster single
channel ESC with a 100A continuous
rating and adjustable current limiting
up to 180A. This takes the RageBridge
2 from a controller that’s a great fit
for 12-60 lb combat bots into a
controller worth considering for
robots weighing up to 250 lbs — so
long as the continuous current rating
isn’t dramatically exceeded.
The test platform I used for the
RageBridge 2 was a 12 lb robot called
Dolos. Dolos is a low, fast 12 lb bot
with power-hungry motors. The
RageBridge 2 was tested in
competition at Dragon Con Robot
Battles and met every expectation I
had for it.
The current limiting was put to
the test during the competition when
one side of the drive system on Dolos
locked up in the middle of the match.
For the next minute, the motor on
that side was completely stalled and
getting every bit of current it could
take sent to it.
Once the fight was over, the drive
system was unjammed and everything
continued to work as intended.
Even if accidental, this was a very
important test. If the current-limiting
function of the RageBridge 2 wasn’t
working as intended, the drive motor
would have quickly burnt up taking
Dolos out of the competition. The
current limiting did its job, and after
some minor work to un-jam the drive
system, Dolos was ready to fight
again.
As with the first RageBridge, the
RageBridge 2 is a fantastic motor
controller with a range of useful
features. If the specs of the
RageBridge 2 fit your robot’s needs,
you won’t be disappointed by going
with it over other controllers in the
same size/power range. SV
The prototype RageBridge 2 installed in Dolos.
Plugs for the PWM cables, jumpers for mode selection, and current adjustment
are all located together on one end of the board.
