Zubax Telega ESCs

Zubax Telega is a high end, proprietary sensorless FOC motor control technology. It is used in multiple products, including the Zubax Myxa ESC, Zubax Mitochondrik motor controller module, and Zubax Sadulli integrated drive.

While Telega can be controlled using traditional PWM input, it is designed to operate over CAN bus using DroneCAN.

INFO

ESCs based on Zubax Telega require non-trivial tuning of the propulsion system in order to deliver adequate performance and ensure robust operation. Users who lack the necessary tuning expertise are advised to either purchase pre-tuned UAV propulsion kits or to use Zubax Robotic's professional tuning service. Questions on this matter should be addressed to: support@zubax.com.

Where to Buy

• Zubax Myxa: High-end PMSM/BLDC motor controller (FOC ESC) for light unmanned aircraft and watercraft.
• Zubax Mitochondrik: Integrated sensorless PMSM/BLDC motor controller chip (used in ESCs and integrated drives)
• Zubax Komar: Open hardware reference design for Mitochondrik
• Zubax Sadulli Integrated Drive

Hardware Setup

ESCs are connected to the CAN bus using a Pixhawk standard 4 pin JST GH cable. For more information, refer to the CAN Wiring instructions. ESC order does not matter.

Firmware Setup

Motor enumeration for Telega-based ESCs is usually performed using the Kucher tool (or less "GUI-friendly" DroneCAN GUI Tool). Telega does NOT support automatic enumeration by spinning the motor.

There is some guidance here: Quick start guide for Myxa v0.1 (Zubax blog).

Telega ESCs also require other motor setup and configuration for reliable performance. See the above guide and other Zubax documentation for more information.

Flight Controller Setup

Enable DroneCAN

Connect the ESCs to the Pixhawk CAN bus. Power up the entire vehicle using a battery or power supply (not just the flight controller over USB) and enable the DroneCAN driver by setting the parameter UAVCAN_ENABLE to 3 to enable both dynamic node ID allocation and DroneCAN ESC output.

PX4 Configuration

Assign motors to outputs using the Acutator configuration screen.

Troubleshooting

Motors not spinning when armed

If the PX4 Firmware arms but the motors do not start to rotate, check that parameter UAVCAN_ENABLE=3 to use DroneCAN ESCs. If the motors do not start spinning before thrust is increased, use Acutator > Actuator Testing to confirm that the motor outputs are set to the correct minimum values.

DroneCAN devices dont get node ID/Firmware Update Fails

PX4 requires an SD card for DroneCAN node allocation and during firmware update (which happen during boot). Check that there is a (working) SD card present and reboot.