Hobbywing UBEC 3A 2-6S
Why do you need UBEC?The
UBEC is a switch-mode DC regulator separated from ESC (ESC---Electronic
Speed Controller for brushless/brushed motor), it will take
high-voltage (5.5 to 26V) power from your battery pack and convert it to
a consistent safe voltage for your receiver, gyro and servos.
For
traditional speed controller with a built-in BEC, it will very likely
have only a limited ability to supply power to your receiver and servos
without overheating. If you are using a high-voltage battery pack or
have heavy servo load, you should consult the ESC specifications to
determine what the stated recommendations or limitations are. In
general, if you are using a 4 cells lithium battery pack, or more than a
12 cells Nickel based battery pack, you should consider using an UBEC
because in such a case the built-in BEC of the ESC can support only 2
servos, which means it is not suitable for RC helicopter and big
aircraft.
Specifications:- Output: 5V/3A and 6V/3A Switchable
- Ripple: <50mVp-p (@2A/12V)
- Input: 5.5-26V (2 to 6 cells LiPo battery pack, 5 to 18 cells NiMH battery pack)
- Size: L51 x W16.6 x H8.5 mm
- Weight: 11.5 g
Features:The
UBEC is an advanced switching regulator with over-current and over-heat
protection function, and the maximum efficiency of the system is nearly
90%.
The small size and the light weight make it very convenient to use.
The
comparison of linear BEC and switch-mode BEC: When using a lithium
battery pack more than 3S, a switch-mode BEC has much higher efficiency
than linear BEC.
- For a traditional linear BEC, for example, a
4S lithium battery pack has a typical voltage of 14.8V, in order to let
BEC output 5V/1A, the current flow into the BEC is at least 1A, so the
power on BEC is 14.8V* 1A=14.8W. But the useful output power is only
5V*1A=5W, so the efficiency of the linear mode BEC is just
5W/14.8W=33.8%, the redundant power 14.8W-5W=9.8W changes to the heat,
which makes the BEC very hot.
- For a switch-mode BEC in the
above case, in order to let BEC output 5V/1A, the current flow into BEC
is only 0.38A (actual test data), so the power on BEC is
14.8V*0.38A=5.6W, and the efficiency of BEC is 5W/5.6W=89.3%
Don't
worry about the polarity of the battery pack. If the polarity is not
correct, the UBEC can't work, but it will not be destroyed. What you
need to do is just swap the battery pack polarity.
A shield
covers almost all the electric components on PCB, and a ferrite ring is
attached with the output wires a decrease the electromagnetic
interference.
How to use the UBEC?Important hint:
Switch
mode UBEC may cause some electromagnetic interference to receiver,
Please install the UBEC with a distance at least 5cm away from the
receiver.
When ESC
has not built-in BEC:
No
change is needed for the ESC, just connect the input cables of UBEC with
the battery, and plug the output cable (connector) of the UBEC into one
spare channel of the receiver.
When ESC
has built-in BEC
You
must disable the built-in BEC of the ESC, that is, you need to cut the
red wire in the trio of Rx (receiver) wires. Simply use a pair of wire
cutters to remove a short section of the red wire near the receiver
connector, and insulate the cut wire a bit of electrical tape.
Suggestion:
You can use a sharp screwdriver to take the pin (the red wire) out from
the BEC connector of the ESC, and then insulate it with a bit of
electrical tape for further use, so you don't need to cut the red wire
by this method.