This guide is designed to help new and advanced VTX users to get the most out of your Viper ESC when using the ProGauge. We will outline the features, profiles and advanced settings.  Plus the do’s and don’ts when programming the VTX series speed controls. You can find the VTX series user manual on our website located here - VTXSeries User Manual

Linking your ProGauge to your VTX series speed control.

To link your Viper VTX ESC to your ProGauge power on your VTX speed control and press the red power button on the V-Port for 1 second. The V-Port LED’s will light up F and R lights showing you are in program mode. Now connect your ProGauge to the V-Port. Power is now supplied to the ProGauge and you can scroll down to “Link Device”, select ok on the ProGauge. You can now use the up down arrows to scroll through the speed controls editable parameters.

Programming Options: Brake

Brake Strength: Editable parameters from 0% - 100% in 1% increments.

The lower the percentage, the less overall brake you will have. The higher the percentage, the more brake you have. To get the best performance we recommend never running your brake strength at 100%. We found 70-80% to be the optimal range for almost all applications with the VTX speed controls.

Brake PWM Frequency: Editable parameters 2000hz / 2500hz / 3200hz / 4000hz / 8000hz / 12000hz / 16000hz

PWM Stands for Pulse Width Modulation and is rated in hertz. The lower the PWM frequency will have a more aggressive brake feeling. The higher PWM frequency’s will result in a smoother feeling brake with that is more precise but increases speed control temps. Optimal PWM frequency settings for most R/C applications are 4000 hertz. We recommend spending some time with each setting, it’s really user preference and the best way to find out what suits you the best is to experiment with the frequency’s.

Brake Curve: Parameters are +EXP1 to +EXP5 / Linear / -EXP1 to –EXP5

A negative EXP brake curve will have a soft feeling at the beginning when you apply the brakes and gradually get stronger as full brake is applied. A linear brake curve will be uniform and apply the same amount of brake pressure at the start and end of the brake range. A positive expo will have will have strong brakes at the beginning and gradually get softer as more brakes are applied. Optimal brake curve parameters for almost all R/C applications are a linear brake curve.


Throttle

Programming option: Throttle PWM Frequency: Parameters are 2000hz / 2500hz / 3200hz / 4000hz / 8000hz / 12000hz / 16000hz

PWM Stands for Pulse Width Modulation and is rated in hertz, meaning cycles per second. A lower PWM frequency will have a more aggressive throttle feeling (more torque) and have less motor RPM’s. The higher the throttle PWM frequency the smoother, more precise feeling. Higher PWM throttle PWM frequency increases motor RPM’s thus increasing motor temperatures.

Programming Option: Throttle Punch: Parameters are from 1% - 100% in 1% increments.

Lowering the throttle punch will have a slower throttle response and softer feeling. A higher throttle response will have a faster throttle response.

Throttle punch settings for 4wd Short Course Applications
When using the VTX10R speed control with sensored 550 motors, we recommend a setting of 30% on your throttle punch settings in 4wd SC applications.

We recommend these VTX10R settings when running 4wd SC with the VST XL 4.5 or 5.5 motors.

VTX10R-Profile #2
Brake strength: 80%
Brake PWM freq: 8000Hz
Brake curve: linear
Neutral Drag brake: 0-10%
Throttle PWM freq: 9600Hz
Throttle punch: 20%-30%
Throttle curve: Linear
Deadband: Middle
No timing: default
No motor protection
ESC protection:  240 degrees
Note* ESC Protection takes a heat reading from inside the speed control where a normal heat gun can’t take an accurate core reading.

Throttle punch settings for 2wd 1/10th Scale Applications
Throttle punch settings while used in 1/10th scale 2wd applications can be set to 100%.

Programming Option: Throttle Curve: Parameters are +EXP1 to +EXP5 / Linear / -EXP1 to  -EXP5

A lower (negative) throttle curve exp will have a softer feeling at the beginning of the throttle curve and get stronger as you reach full throttle. A linear throttle curve will have no positive or negative exp resulting in a consistent feeling throughout the throttle range. A higher throttle curve exp (positive) has strong throttle at the start of your throttle range and becomes softer as you reach full throttle.

*Note: Throttle curve is a personal preference, play around with the settings and see which one best suits your driving style.


Drag Brake

Neutral Brake: Parameters from 0% (Disabled) to 100%, 1% Incremental.

Drag brake works as adding resistance in small percentages when your throttle is in the neutral position. This is helpful for scrubbing corner speed without using your brakes. Too much brag brake does affect how your vehicle fly’s. Experiment with settings to see which suits your driving style the best.
*Note: In 4wd vehicles use 10% or less on your drag brakes, anything higher your vehicle will require more throttle to keep the nose up over jumps.

Programming option: Dynamic Drag Brake

Dynamic drag brake: This offers another step of drag brake at a higher RPM. You have the ability to set when they dynamic drag brake kicks on when your motor hits a set RPM. There are three editable parameters you will edit when using this feature. Trigger RPM sets the motor RPM where you want the dynamic brake to trigger. Max Brake Strength sets the brake strength level when dynamic drag brake kicks in. Dynamic Curve sets the brake curve from max brake strength to your neutral brake point. à

Programming Option: Dynamic Curve: Parameters are +EXP1 to +EXP5 / Linear / -EXP1 to -EXP5

Dynamic brake curve is engaged after your neutral throttle position is reached. A negative exp dynamic brake curve will have a softer feel at the beginning of the brakes being engaged. A linear Dynamic brake curve will be uniform throughout the whole brake range. A positive exp dynamic brake curve will have strong brakes initially then become softer as you move to full brake.

Programming option: Trigger RPM – Parameters from 500RPM – 60000RPM (500RPM increments).

Select the RPM where you want to trigger the max brake strength.


Protection

Programming option: Battery Cut Off: Parameters from 4.5v to 13.5v, 0.1v increments.

This allows users to set the voltage cut off for their type of battery pack.

Programming option: Motor Temperature Cut Off: Parameters from 160-270 degrees (10 degree increments).

The Viper VTX series ESC is built with temperature sensors to detect motor and speed control temps. If you suspect you have thermaled the motor you can check if the LED indicators are blinking ‘F” and “R” LEDs.

Programming option: ESC Temperature Cut Off: Parameters from 160-270 degrees (10 degree increments).

The Viper VTX series ESC is built with temperature sensors to detect speed control temps. If you suspect you have thermaled the motor you can check if the LED indicators are blinking ‘F” and “R” with a solid “N” LED.

Motor Power (for firmware version A19, update for A23 coming)

The Viper VTX series speed control offers a highly advanced timing system. The motor power has two sections with five parameters. It allows you to setup and enhance acceleration and top speed performance.  We suggest you start low when adjusting timing, run for 3 minutes then check your motor and speed control temps. Failure to do so can cause premature failure of the motor and speed control.

Tip* Always start testing motor timing with minimum advanced timing. Most sensored brushless motors come stock with 30 degrees of physical (on the motor endbell) timing. Total advanced timing should never (motor + ESC) go above 60 degrees of timing for optimal motor and ESC performance. You will most likely see higher temps and less efficiency when adding to much timing and risk damaging your motor and ESC. This is not covered under our warranty so edit your settings with care and check temps often.

Programming option: Acceleration Boost Editable Parameters - Start RPM: 500-30000 RPM (500 RPM increments).

This sets the start RPM when the acceleration timing kicks in. This setting should be based on the motor KV and track conditions. To calculate start RPM multiply your motor KV x 6.4 x 0.3. Example: If your motor is 2000kv, you would multiply 2000x6.4x0.3 = 3840. You can round the number up or down to the nearest hundredth. Your start RPM would be 3500 to 4000 rpm’s.

Tip* Lower start RPM’s does not mean you have more power on the lower end. The motor needs to have enough RPM before the acceleration timing can kick in efficiently. If you set your start RPM’s too low the motor doesn’t have enough RPM when kicking into acceleration timing which will produce unneeded heat. We recommend using the formula above to calculate your start RPM’s.

Finish RPM: Editable Parameters: 500-50000 RPM (500 RPM increments).

This sets the finish RPM when the timing acceleration finishes and no more timing will be applied to the motor once it hits this RPM target. To calculate finish RPM’s multiply your motor KV times 6.4. Example* If the motor KV is 2000, it would mean you multiply 2000 x 6.4 = 12,800 RPM. Round the number up to 13,000 RPMs and you are all set.

Max Advanced Timing:  Editable Parameters – 0-40 degrees (1 degree increments).

This sets the maximum advanced timing the motor hits when it’s hit your target end RPM. The motor RPM increases as you get to the top of your set RPM’s. If you set 30 degrees of max advanced timing you will not hit that max 30 degrees until you reach your set end RPM’s. We recommend users play with these settings, it’s hard for us to make recommendations when each setting has a different feel when you change start and end RPM’s.

Misc. Controls

Run Mode: Parameters are practice/Race Stock /Race Modified

Practice settings allows all settings to be adjusted on the speed control, this is also the only profile that has reverse and does not allow any motor timing adjustments. Race stock locks out reverse and does not allow for any motor timing to be adjusted. Race modified locks out reverse while allowing timing adjustments open while in these profile modes.

SBEC Voltage – Parameters from 5.0 volts – 7.0 volts (0.1v increments)

A higher voltage will make your servo react faster at the expense of being less efficient. Higher voltage uses more energy and in turn can cut your run times. Note* DO NOT set the SBEC voltage higher than what is recommended by your servos manufacture.

Forward Power: Parameters from 50% to 100% (1% Incremental).

This allows you to limit the amount of forward power. If you have to much speed and need to dial it back and can’t from your radio you can adjust the forward power to consume less power in terms of percentages. 80% power will produce 20% less power than 100%.

Reverse Power: Parameters 25%-100% (1% incremental).

This setting allows you to limit the reverse power.

Auto Power Off:  Parameters 1-10 minutes (1 minute increments).

This allows the user to set the ESC power off. Your VTX series ESC has a built in shut off feature, if the ESC does not receive any feedback from your TX your ESC will turn itself off.