This FAQ Page is applicable to the following ESC: Mamba XLX2

1.   What is the difference between the Mamba XLX and the Mamba XLX2?
The Mamba XLX2 is waterproof, sensored capable, has CryoDrive and a larger 50mm fan. The ESC runs significantly cooler at partial throttle due to CyroDrive. The current sensor can read significantly higher current levels. The 8mm female motor bullets are mounted directly to the circuit board. The internal capacitor layout results in significantly lower ripple voltage.

2. How do I mount my XLX2 to my vehicle?
The XLX2 has threaded mounting holes on the bottom of the case; it has the same bolt spacing as the XLX ESC. You can download and print a template from here. You can also use a very high quality double sided tape.

3. Why does my fan shut off after I turn on the XLX2?
The fan on the Mamba XLX2 is thermally controlled and only runs when the ESC heats up above 130° F (54° C). It will continue to run until the ESC cools down below 125° F (51° C). When the ESC is first turned on the fan will run to show you it is operable; when the ESC arms the fan will shut off and be thermally controlled.

4.   What is the auxiliary wire and do I need to hook it up to my receiver?
By default the auxiliary wire is disabled and does nothing; but it MUST be connected even if you are not using it. The BEC on Mamba XLX2 needs to be split over two receiver wires and failure to do so may lead to receiver brown outs or possible BEC damage. The auxiliary wire gives you the ability to adjust 1 of 7 ESC settings from your transmitter, via an auxiliary channel and dial/toggle switch, while you are operating the vehicle. To use this function you must program the auxiliary wire to one of the 7 available setting on the Castle Link; it is located on the “Advanced” tab. The 7 selectable settings are:

  • None (Default) - AUX wire does not affect controller parameters.
  • Max Throttle Adjustment - The controller's max power is controlled by the AUX wire signal. The power is scaled from 10% at 1.1ms signal received on the AUX wire to 100% at 1.9ms. If the AUX wire becomes disconnected, the controller will use the max forward and reverse powers set in Castle Link.
  • Max Reverse Adjustment - The controller's max reverse power is controlled by the AUX wire signal. The reverse power is scaled from 10% at 1.1ms signal received on the AUX wire to 100% at 1.9ms. If the AUX wire becomes disconnected, the controller will use the max reverse power set in Castle Link.
  • Max Brake Adjustment - The controller's max brake is controlled by the AUX wire signal. The brake strength is scaled from 10% at 1.1ms signal received on the AUX wire to 100% at 1.9ms. If the AUX wire becomes disconnected, the controller will use the brake strength set in Castle Link.
  • Drag Brake Adjustment - The controller's drag brake is controlled by the AUX wire signal. The drag brake is scaled from 0% at 1.1ms signal received on the AUX wire to 100% at 1.9ms. If the AUX wire becomes disconnected, the controller will use the drag brake value set in Castle Link.
  • Reverse Enable/Disable - Reversing is disabled when the AUX wire receives a signal above 50% (>1.5ms). When the controller receives an AUX wire signal below 50% or the cable becomes disconnected, reverse capability is enabled.
  • Torque Control Adjustment - The controller's torque limit is controlled by the AUX wire signal. The torque control is scaled from 0.1 at 1.1ms signal received on the AUX wire to 5.0 at 1.9ms. Torque control is disabled when the input exceeds 1.9ms. If the AUX wire becomes disconnected, the controller will use the torque limit set in Castle Link.
  • Idle Datalog Erase (Auxiliary Wire) - The controller will clear its data log when the AUX wire signal quickly alternates between greater and less than 50% (1.5ms) for a few seconds. This will only occur while the controller is idling


5.   What are batteries and connectors do I need to use?
Castle recommends a minimum 5000mAh capacity and 50C continuous discharge LiPo. This is a very high power ESC and requires very strong batteries. Running higher mAh or C ratings is never a problem and will not hurt the ESC. We recommend a minimum 150A rated battery connector, XT150, Castle 6.5mm polarized, Castle 8mm bullets and Offshore Electrics 8mm antispark connectors are recommended.

6.   I’ve calibrated, but the car goes backwards with forward throttle.
Make sure the green LED is showing when you give forward throttle. If it is, then you need to change the motor direction. If running sensored you must change the Motor Direction setting in the ESC via the built-in manual programming, Castle Link USB programmer or B-Link Bluetooth adapter. If you are running a sensorless motor you can just swap any two of the ESC to motor wires to reverse the rotation direction of the motor. If the ESC shows the red LED with forward throttle, you will need to reverse your throttle channel on your transmitter (via a micro switch, or within the programming of the radio) and recalibrate.

7.   My battery pack is plugged into the ESC, and nothing is working - no steering, and no throttle.
Make sure the ESC is plugged into channel 2/throttle on the receiver, and that it's plugged in with the correct orientation. Double check your solder connections on the battery plug. Generally if you have no steering with everything plugged in correctly, then your receiver is either not getting power or not getting a signal from your transmitter. The power switch on the ESC may have failed; try bypassing the switch by cutting it off and twisting the red and black switch wires together. This does not hurt the ESC and will not void your warranty. Replacement switches are available via the replaceable receiver harness.

8.   My ESC calibrates for the full throttle and full brake positions, but won't calibrate to the neutral throttle position (yellow LED keeps flashing).
Try moving the throttle trim one way, then the other (usually towards the throttle side is best). If your transmitter has a 50/50 and 70/30 setting for the throttle, set it for 50/50 and retry calibration.

9.   My ESC may or may not arm, but it will not calibrate to my transmitter.
Most calibration issues can be solved by settings on the transmitter. Make sure you have both your throttle and reverse endpoints (called EPA, ATV, or Travel on your radio) on the throttle channel out to 100 to 120%. If you have a Spektrum transmitter and have an “E” and “F” slider switch near your thumb, adjust the throttle dual rate slider out to the maximum value as well. If you have a Futaba or Futaba made transmitter, set the throttle channel to the reversed position.

10.   I’m setting up a new car. How do I know which speed controller/motor to buy?
That’s what our expert technical support staff is for. Give them a call at 913-390-6939 or send them a message. They’ll be more than happy to assist you in deciding on a product.

11. My fan has stopped working. What can I do?
Replacement fans will be available soon, check out website: www.shop.castlecreations.com

12. I broke my Mamba XLX2, and it was my fault. Am I stuck with a dead controller?
Castle Creations has a trade in policy in situations like this. We will trade you out for the flat rate repair fee of the new controller. You can visit our Repair Center for details on how to send in your ESC for non-warranty replacement.

13. When I plug in my Mamba XLX2 into my Castle Link it doesn’t connect. What’s up?
First, make sure that you have disconnected the Auxiliary Wire (Brown/Red/White) wire from the receiver; this must be unplugged from the receiver when connection to the Castle Link. Next make sure that on your Castle Link screen in the lower left hand corner you have a green USB connection status. If you do, the next step is to plug the ESC into the Castle Link. On the Castle Link circuit board just behind the three pins there are marks for positive (+), negative (-), and signal (Ω). The orange signal wire goes where the Ω pin is, the red goes where the “+” is, and the brown wire goes where the “-“ is. If you have disabled the red (+) wire going to the receiver you will need to plug in a battery pack to power the ESC. Anything above 2s LiPo will do. Plug the ESC in first, then the battery pack. The ESC should then connect. It will not work in the other order (battery first, then ESC to computer) so be sure to connect in the proper order.

14.  I’m getting an error whenever I try to update settings or update the firmware on my speed controller. What is wrong?
There may be an issue with the processor on the speed controller. Try un-installing the Castle Link firmware on your computer or another computer, try downgrading to a different version of firmware, try unplugging the Castle Link chip from the end of the USB cable and plugging it back in, and see if any of these resolve the issue for you. If you are still having issues please contact Castle Creations Tech Support at 913-390-6939 or send them a message.

15. What Auto-LiPo Volts/cell cutoff should I be using with my Mamba XLX2?
You should use whatever your battery manufacturer’s recommendations are. Your speed controller came with a factory cutoff of 3.2v/cell. If you need to adjust this you can use a Castle Link or Field Link to program the speed controller for anything from 3.0v to 3.5v per cell.

16. Can I change the BEC output voltage on my Mamba XLX2?
Yes, the voltage output of the BEC can be changed in 0.25v increments from 5.0 to 8.5 volts. Default is 5.5 volts.

17. What do the different LEDs mean?
If you are not calibrating and have no throttle input then:

  • Flashing Red and Yellow = over temp
  • Flashing Green and Yellow = low voltage cut-off (battery)
  • Flashing Green OR Red = Speed control has not been calibrated and is not armed; or throttle sub-trim is not at 0.
  • Solid Green OR Red = should not happen when at neutral, indicates full throttle/reverse
  • Yellow LED flashing - ESC is logging data
  • Yellow LED is solid – Data logger is full. Use the Castle Link to clear the data logger, and download your logged data.
  • Flashing green and red = speed control is not receiving a valid signal from the receiver, usually indicates the receiver wire is plugged in backwards into the receiver; possible problem with controller or with throttle channel on receiver
     

If you are applying throttle or reverse when NOT calibrating:

  • Flashing Red and Yellow = over temp
  • Flashing Green and Yellow = low voltage cut-off (battery)
  • Flashing Green OR Red = indicates partial throttle (green) or reverse (red)
  • Solid Green OR Red = indicates full throttle (green) or reverse (red)
  • Flashing green and red = speed control is not receiving a valid signal from the receiver, usually indicates the receiver wire is plugged in backwards into the receiver; possible problem with controller or with throttle channel on receiver
     

If you are applying throttle or reverse WHEN calibrating:

  • Flashing Red and Yellow = should not happen when calibrating
  • Flashing Green and Yellow = should not happen when calibrating
  • Flashing Green OR Red while beeping = indicates speed control is looking for full throttle (green) or full reverse (red). If it continues for more than ~ 8 seconds, indicates speed control is seeing partial throttle (green) or reverse (red), increase endpoints on transmitter so speed control sees full throttle/reverse.
  • Solid Green OR Red = indicates full throttle (green) or reverse (red) has been read
  • Flashing Yellow = speed control is not seeing a valid neutral signal, check your transmitters throttle sub-trim is at zero, exponential is set to 0 or linear, and mixing is disabled.
  • Solid Yellow = indicates neutral has calibrated and is armed
  • Flashing green and red = speed control is not receiving a valid signal from the receiver. Usually indicates the receiver wire is plugged in backwards into the receiver; also happens when speed control has accepted a calibration setting (throttle, reverse or neutral) and flashes/chimes 4 times before moving to next calibration point; or problem with throttle channel on receiver.
  • Yellow LED flashing - ESC is logging data
  • Yellow LED is solid – Data logger is full. Use the Castle Link to clear the data logger, and download your logged data.

 

18. What is the maximum voltage input the Mamba XLX2 ESC can handle?
The Mamba XLX2 will handle a maximum of 33.6 volts or 8s Non-HV LiPo.

19. Will the Mamba XLX2 run other motors than the 2028 motor you sell it with?
Our speed controllers will run about any other sensored or sensorless brushless motors on the market. The only limitation is the amount of current the motor will draw. It must be comparable to the current the current our motor will draw (around 5,000 watts).

20. I installed the Mamba XLX2 in the Traxxas X-Maxx. Why does the motor feel under powered and can't I calibrate full throttle?
If you are using the stock Traxxas TQi radio you may experience this problem. Traxxas has built a unique function in to the stock radio; if the motor temperature sensor detects a high motor temperature it causes the radio to go in to a reduced power mode (50% throttle). If the temperature sensor from the original motor is not connected to the receiver it will default into the reduced power mode. To resolve the issue you will need to remove the temperature sensor from the original motor and reinstall it in the receiver; it does not need to be wrapped around the motor, it just needs to be installed. The gray plug goes in the "Vt" port on the receiver, the red plug goes in ANY numbered channel (1,3,4 or 5) on the receiver. Just tuck the sensor cable out of the way and it will simply read ambient temperature and allow the receiver to send out a full throttle signal.

21. What is the recommended maximum operating temperature of the speed controller?
The recommended maximum operating temperature of the Mamba XLX2 ESC is 200° F/93° C.

22. My speed controller beeps approximately every 10 seconds. What is that?
That is a feature we added called the “Power On Warning Beep”. It lets you know that your battery pack is still plugged in whenever the speed controller is seeing zero throttle or no throttle from the transmitter at all. This is a safety feature implemented due to the advent of LiPo technology. You can disable it if you would like using the Castle Link software, but it is recommended that it be kept enabled.

23. Why does my ESC not beep and show a solid red when trying to calibrate with a Spektrum SR6100AT receiver?
We have found that Spektrum has added a safety feature that interferes with our normal calibration and manual programming process. Our ESCs require you to power up the ESC at full throttle; the Spektrum AR6100AT receiver will not boot up properly until the throttle trigger is at neutral.
The solution we have found is to power up the ESC at neutral, wait for the receiver LED to turn solid amber, then apply full throttle; this allows the receiver to boot up properly.
WARNING: REMOVE Pinion gear or disengage motor from spur gear! You must apply full throttle BEFORE the ESC arms (double chime after LiPo cell count), but AFTER the receiver boots up and goes solid yellow. If the ESC arms and then you apply throttle the motor will run! We have found that waiting until the Auto LiPo feature counts the 3rd cell the receiver is operational and full throttle can be applied.

 

24. Will cutting the switch off my Mamba XLX2 ESC void my warranty?

No, it will not void the warranty as long as you only cut off the switch, solder the wires together, and cover them with shrink tubing on the outside the controller. Opening the controller and bridging the connection on the circuit board WILL void your warranty. ANY soldering on the speed controller will immediately void the warranty, no exceptions. A replacement switch can be purchased by replacing the receiver harness; you can purchase a new receiver harness here (p/n 011-0157-00)

 

25. I'm trying to calibrate my ESC in my X-Maxx with the stock Traxxas 2.4GHz radio system, but it won't calibrate. Why?

Make sure you have the stock temp sensor and voltage sensor installed in the receiver. The grey plug needs to be in the V/T slot at the top right corner of the Traxxas receiver, the red plug in either channel 3, 4 or 5. Without these plugged in the ESC will not receive the proper signals from the transmitter & receiver

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