ESPEED32 User Manual

1. Quick start

1. Power the controller normally.
2. Rotate encoder to move through menu items.
3. Short press encoder: enter/exit value editing or open submenu.
4. Short press brake button while editing: cancel (restore original value).
5. Long press encoder (~1s): toggle LIST and race GRID view (when race view is not OFF).

2. Startup, calibration and self-test

• Recalibrate trigger after firmware update, or if trigger mechanics have changed.
• Power ON: normal startup, then RUNNING mode.
• For TLE493D builds, sensor variant/address is auto-detected on boot (no manual address edit needed).
• Trigger sensor family is selected when firmware is compiled. Default releases/builds use TLE493D; controllers built with AS5600, AS5600L, MT6701, or ANALOG must use a firmware build for that sensor family.
• Hold encoder button during power on: trigger calibration.
• Hold brake button during power on: Self-Test (9 steps).

Calibration flow

1. Hold encoder while powering on until calibration screen appears.
2. Fully press/release trigger several times.
3. Press encoder once to store calibration.
4. Verify throttle reads 0% at released trigger and 100% at full pull.

Trigger mechanics

• Trigger travel can be changed mechanically with the rear travel-stop screw.
• Trigger return feel depends on spring preload/return tension; adjust the spring anchor or tension slider carefully.
• After changing trigger travel or spring tension, or after opening the controller, recalibrate trigger before driving.

3. Display, race view, and ABOUT

This section groups what you see on the OLED: language, label style, race layout, status bar, and system info.

Language and display

• DISPLAY -> LANGUAGE selects between localized labels and the ENG/CS/ACD naming profiles.
• NOR/ESP/DEU/ITA/NLD/POR: localized UI using the standard BRAKE/SENSI/ANTIS/CURVE/FADE/LIMIT naming set.
• ENG: generic naming (BRAKE/SENSI/ANTIS/CURVE/FADE/LIMIT).
• CS: CarSteen-style terms (ATTACK/CHOKE2/PROFIL/CHOKE1).
• ACD: ACD-style terms where directly applicable (SENSI and CHOKE for limit). ANTIS remains anti-spin because the ACD manual does not define a separate Choke2 term.
• DISPLAY -> CASE chooses whether labels are shown in UPPER or Pascal.
• DISPLAY -> FONT SIZE changes list/menu text density between LARGE and small.
• DISPLAY -> ADVANCED toggles whether FADE, PWM_F, and BRAKE+ are shown in the main menu. Turning it OFF hides those rows for a simpler menu, but the stored car values still stay active.
• DISPLAY -> STEPS opens the step settings submenu containing ANTISPIN, BRAKE STEP and SENSI STEP.
• DISPLAY -> STEPS -> ANTISPIN opens the antispin display settings submenu where you select the display unit (MS / % / TEXT) and the encoder step size for each unit.
• DISPLAY -> STEPS -> BRAKE STEP sets how many percent the encoder moves BRAKE per tick (0.1–50.0%, default 1.0%). Configure in SETTINGS → DISPLAY → STEPS → BRAKE STEP.
• DISPLAY -> STEPS -> SENSI STEP sets the encoder step size for SENSI in 0.1% increments (0.1–5.0%, default 1.0%). Configure in SETTINGS → DISPLAY → STEPS → SENSI STEP.
• The motor PWM output uses 10-bit duty resolution, so 0.1% BRAKE/SENSI steps are preserved through the controller math and hardware PWM conversion.

Race view behavior (LIST vs GRID)

• LIST classic menu with all main items.
• GRID race screen for fast edits while driving.
• DISPLAY -> RACE MODE: OFF / FULL / SIMPLE.
• FULL grid: BRAKE, SENSI, ANTIS, CURVE (+ CAR if RACESWP is ON).
• SIMPLE grid: BRAKE, SENSI (+ CAR if RACESWP is ON).
• Long encoder press toggles LIST/GRID.

Status bar and ABOUT

• STATUS BAR: 4 fixed slots. Each slot can show OUT%, THRO, CAR, CURR, VOLT, VBAT, BRAKE, or blank. CURR shows mA below 1000 and A above.
• BRAKE in the status bar shows the active brake mode/value in real time: Bxxx% = normal BRAKE, Axxx% = Alt.Brake, Qxxx% = Rel.Brake QUICK, Dxxx% = Rel.Brake DRAG, NONE = no brake currently active. The code can change quickly while driving.
• VBAT shows the optional internal battery voltage. On the standard board profile it uses GPIO15 / ADC2, so the reading may stop refreshing while WiFi is active.
• While WiFi is active, the status bar shows WIFI. It uses the first blank slot if available; otherwise slot 4 is temporarily overridden.
• ABOUT shows firmware/data version, detected trigger sensor, chip details, flash/heap, MAC addresses, and build date/time.

4. CAR menu and Car Params

The CAR menu manages the car profiles. Each profile stores its own Car Params: BRAKE, SENSI, ANTIS, CURVE, FADE, PWM_F, BRAKE+, and LIMIT. This is the same parameter group you meet later in the Advanced Config Editor. If DISPLAY -> ADVANCED is OFF, FADE, PWM_F, and BRAKE+ are hidden from the main menu, but the stored profile values still apply.

• SELECT: choose active car profile (0-19).
• RENAME: 4-character name editor (ASCII 32-122). See ASCII table.
• RACESWP: ON allows profile switching directly from GRID mode.
• COPY: copy from one profile to another, or to ALL profiles.
• RESET: reset all car profiles (with confirmation).

5. Driving parameters

This section groups the main setup parameters that shape how the controller feels on track. The deeper explanations are placed under collapsible panels so the section is easier to scan.

BRAKE and BRAKE+

BRAKE

When trigger is fully released, the controller applies normal braking using the BRAKE value.

BRAKE+ in the main menu opens the advanced brake submenu. That is where you now find Alt.Brake and Rel.Brake.

Alternative brake (Alt.Brake)

• Alt.Brake means alternative brake, an alternate brake percentage (0-100%), not a relative reduction.
• It is applied only when trigger = 0 and you hold the brake button.
• If the status bar shows OUTPUT, it displays Bxxx% while the brake button is held.
• Typical use: temporary extra hard or soft corner-entry braking without changing the base setup.
• Some drivers prefer Alt.Brake lower than normal BRAKE for a softer temporary button brake, while others prefer it higher for a harder hit. That part is mainly user preference and car feel.

Release brake (Rel.Brake)

• Rel.Brake is the release-brake setting and has three modes: OFF, QUICK, and DRAG.
• QUICK is the old pre-release brake zone: below the selected Zone, controller cuts drive and applies Level as brake force.
• DRAG only acts while you are actively releasing the trigger. It keeps throttle active, adds drag during the release movement, and feels softer than QUICK.
• Zone is used only by QUICK. In QUICK it is a real zero-output zone near trigger release.
• So with QUICK active it is normal to see a few %T on screen while output still remains 0% until trigger moves above the selected zone.
• Main difference: QUICK is a hard cut inside the zone, while DRAG keeps throttle active and only adds drag while the trigger is moving toward release.
• Typical QUICK use: tracks or cars that need a clear early brake hit. Example: Zone 6-10% and Level 70-100% for a strong, repeatable brake as you start to release the last part of trigger travel.
• Typical DRAG use: nervous cars that feel too abrupt with QUICK. Example: Level 20-50% to add gentle deceleration while releasing, without the full cut-to-zero feel.
• QUICK Zone range: 0-50%. Level range: 0-100%.
• Use QUICK for a clear early brake hit. Use DRAG for smoother release support without the abrupt feel of full quick brake.

Quick reference for the main menu

ANTIS in practice

• ANTIS is not a full trigger delay. The car should still react when you start pulling the trigger.
• At low output, anti-spin is bypassed. So the very first part can still feel direct.
• Once output is high enough, ANTIS limits how fast power is allowed to rise.
• Higher ANTIS = a longer/slower ramp from the anti-spin start point up toward the requested output.
• It only acts on increasing power. Lifting the trigger, coasting, and braking stay immediate.

Typical starting values

These are starting points, not rules. Use them to get close, then fine-tune one parameter at a time.

The right values still depend heavily on the specific car, motor, tires, track grip, and your personal driving style.

For first tests, leave Rel.Brake on OFF. Add QUICK or DRAG only after the base throttle and brake setup feels right.

FADE in practice

• FADE creates a soft 0 -> SENSI ramp in the first part of trigger travel.
• FADE = 0% disables it and keeps the old direct feel.
• Try 5-15% if the car feels too abrupt right when SENSI starts.
• Think of FADE as an extra first point in the graph: it only changes the very bottom end, while CURVE still shapes the rest.

Curve examples

These figures focus on the response shape itself before looking at PWM frequency and duty limits.

LIMIT in practice

• LIMIT 100 allows the controller to reach full duty when trigger and curve demand it.
• LIMIT 70 caps the maximum duty to about 70%, even at full trigger.

PWM_F in practice

• PWM_F changes how often the output switches, not the requested duty by itself.
• Under LIMIT 100, part-throttle can still run at partial duty. Under LIMIT 70, full trigger tops out near 70% duty.
• At the same duty, 1 kHz uses fewer and wider pulses, while 5 kHz uses more and narrower pulses in the same time window.

Scenario 1: partial trigger under LIMIT 100

Compare these two images horizontally. Both show the same effective level, 50% duty, so the only difference is pulse density. The dashed line marks the average or effective level.

Scenario 2: full trigger under LIMIT 70

Compare these two images horizontally as well. Both show full trigger, but LIMIT 70 holds the effective level to 70% duty. Again, the dashed line marks the average or effective level.

6. SETTINGS, POWER, and current draw

SETTINGS groups the global system options that do not belong to a single car profile.

POWER submenu

• SCRSV: screensaver line1/line2 text, timeout, and show-now.
• SLEEP: auto sleep timeout + manual sleep now (wake with encoder button).
• DEEP SLEEP: auto deep sleep (0 or 2-30 min) + manual.
• STARTUP: welcome delay 0-990 ms in 10 ms steps.
• VIN CAL.: measure actual track voltage with a multimeter, set that value on the controller, then click to calibrate the ADC voltage scale. Use only if VIN reading is noticeably off.

SETTINGS root items

• HARDWARE: encoder direction, external pot overrides, trigger sensor info/override, and self-test.
• STATS: show or hide the STATS entry in the main menu. Default OFF.
• WIFI: background WiFi, direct info page, QR code, and WiFi auto-off timer.
• LOGGING: local telemetry logging start/stop plus a separate logging auto-off timer (default 30 min).
• LOCK: configure settings lock — enable the LOCK main menu item (default OFF), set the brake-button shortcut duration (OFF or 1–10 s, default 5 s), and choose whether the LOCKED/UNLOCKED confirmation popup is shown.

HARDWARE submenu

• ENC INV: invert encoder rotation globally if the menu feels backwards on your hardware.
• EXT POT: assign POT 1 and POT 2 to OFF, BRAKE, or SENSI live overrides.
• TRIGGER: shows trigger sensor family and active type. On TLE493D builds you can also override TYPE between AUTO, W2B6, W2B6_A0, and P3B6.
• PWM MAX: global maximum for PWM_F. Choose 5, 10, or 20 kHz. Lowering it clamps all car profiles down to that ceiling.
• TEST: runs the 9-step self-test for OLED, buttons, trigger, and outputs.

Estimated current draw (controller electronics)

Values are estimates and depend on supply voltage, hardware variant, and measurement setup. Motor load for the car is additional. The figures here were measured on the 5 V side after the step-down converter. If you measure on the 12 V side instead, the current reading will be different and is not directly comparable, ref. the voltage/current relationship (U = R * I).

Internal battery (optional)

Some hardware variants may include a small 1-cell lithium battery for off-track setup work. It charges while the controller is powered from the track or from USB. This battery is meant for menu changes, pre-race setup, lane-change adjustments, or avoiding startup delay before the track powers up. It is not intended for long standalone operation.

Runtime below means controller use while not connected to the track. Charging current can vary by charger and board, but if charging is close to 200 mA and controller draw is around 100 mA, off-track runtime will often be roughly double the charge time. Real lithium charge time is still a bit longer than the simple math because the last part of charging slows down near full.

7. Driving tips

• Change one parameter at a time, then run 5-10 laps before the next change.
• Tune in this order: SENSI, then FADE, then BRAKE, ANTIS, CURVE, and finally PWM_F.
• 1/32 cars on low-grip tracks: try higher ANTIS (around 100-150 ms) and softer CURVE (<50).
• 1/24 cars on high-grip tracks: often lower ANTIS (0-40 ms) and more direct CURVE (50-70).
• Use BRAKE+ -> Alt.Brake as a temporary cornering tool instead of changing BRAKE between heats.
• Use BRAKE+ -> Rel.Brake QUICK with low zone (5-12%) and medium level (40-70%) for clearer early braking. Try DRAG around 20-50% if you want release help without a zero-output zone.
• If the car hits too hard exactly when the trigger starts working, keep SENSI where you want it and add a little FADE first.
• If the car spins early in trigger travel: lower SENSI or increase ANTIS.
• If the car feels lazy on exit: raise SENSI slightly or reduce ANTIS.

8. Logging, WiFi/USB backup, restore and OTA

Logging

1. Open SETTINGS -> LOGGING.
2. START NOW/STOP NOW: starts or stops local telemetry logging immediately.
3. AUTO OFF: set logging timeout (1-120 min, default 30 min).
4. Logging itself does not require WiFi. You can keep WiFi off and use USB/WebSerial later, or turn WiFi on separately for live web viewing.
5. If WiFi is already active when logging starts, WiFi stays up while logging is running.

WiFi

1. Open SETTINGS -> WIFI to enter the WiFi submenu.
2. START WIFI/STOP WIFI: starts or stops background WiFi immediately.
3. MODE: switches between AP and CLIENT.
4. INFO PAGE: opens the WiFi page directly and starts WiFi automatically. Leaving the info page stops WiFi again (unless background mode was started first).
5. In AP mode the controller hosts ESPEED32_XXXX with password espeed32. SHOW QR is available only in AP mode.
6. In CLIENT mode you must first enter WiFi SSID and password in Advanced Config Editor -> Network. Client mode uses DHCP from your router/network and does not show a QR code.
7. If the Client connection fails, the controller falls back to AP automatically so you can get back in and fix the settings.
8. AUTO OFF: set timeout for background WiFi (1-120 min, default 10 min).
9. Open the IP shown on the OLED in your browser. In AP mode this is typically 192.168.4.1. In CLIENT mode it is the DHCP address assigned by your router.
10. The first page is public controller home. Sensitive tools such as Controller Panel, Backup, Restore, telemetry, OTA, and Advanced Config Editor are protected by controller login.
11. Default controller login is username espeed32 and password espeed32. The current login is also shown on the controller WiFi info page.
12. Backup files do not export Client WiFi or controller login passwords. Restore keeps the local WiFi/login credentials already stored on that controller.

WiFi increases controller electronics current draw from roughly 100 mA to 150 mA, about 50% more. On units with an internal battery, use WiFi sparingly and switch it off when you are done.

Status bar behavior while WiFi is active: WIFI uses the first blank slot; if no blank slot exists, slot 4 is shown as WIFI until WiFi stops.

Advanced Config Editor

• The browser portal also includes an Advanced Config Editor for live setup changes.
• Global Config edits controller-wide settings. Car Params edits the selected car profile.
• Under Global Config you can also set Client WiFi SSID/password and the controller login password.
• In Car Params you can load and edit any car profile directly from the dropdown, even if another profile is currently active on the controller.
• Refresh from device reloads the current values from the controller.
• Apply (RAM only) lets you test changes live without writing flash first. This is ideal for trying brake, throttle, anti-spin, curve, fade, and release-brake changes on track.
• Apply + Save to flash stores the same values permanently after you are happy with the live test.
• On the controller WiFi page the editor works directly in the browser over WiFi. On hosted espeed32.com, the same editor requires a USB WebSerial connection.

USB

1. Open SETTINGS -> USB INFO.
2. Use Chrome/Edge (WebSerial).
3. Backup/restore works over USB; OTA requires WiFi mode.
4. Automatic paired OTA installs the standard official release pair, which uses the default TLE493D firmware build.
5. If your controller uses another trigger sensor family, upload the matching sensor-specific firmware file manually together with the SPIFFS file from the same release.
6. On Windows, flash_all.sh usually means Git Bash or WSL. Arduino IDE can still upload the sketch, but trigger sensor family remains a compile-time selection.

Never remove power during OTA upload.

9. Menu tree (complete UI map)

ROOT (Main Menu)
|- BRAKE
|- SENSI
|- ANTIS
|- CURVE (graph view)
|- FADE (graph view, ADVANCED=ON)
|- PWM_F (ADVANCED=ON)
|- BRAKE+ (ADVANCED=ON)
|  |- Alt.Brake (%)
|  |- Rel.Brake (OFF/QUICK/DRAG)
|  |- Zone (%) [QUICK only]
|  |- Quick (%) [QUICK mode]
|  |- Drag (%) [DRAG mode]
|  `- Back
|- LIMIT
|- SETTINGS
|  |- POWER
|  |  |- SCRSV
|  |  |  |- NOW
|  |  |  |- LINE1
|  |  |  |- LINE2
|  |  |  |- TIME (0-240 s, 0=OFF)
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- SLEEP
|  |  |  |- SLEEP NOW
|  |  |  |- INTERVAL (0-10 min, 0=OFF)
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- DEEP SLEEP
|  |  |  |- SLEEP NOW (power-off)
|  |  |  |- INTERVAL (0 or 2-30 min)
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- STARTUP (0-99 x 10ms)
|  |  |- VIN CAL.
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- DISPLAY
|  |  |- RACE MODE (OFF/FULL/SIMPLE)
|  |  |- LANGUAGE (NOR/ENG/CS/ACD/ESP/DEU/ITA/NLD/POR)
|  |  |- CASE (UPPER/Pascal)
|  |  |- FONT SIZE (LARGE/small)
|  |  |- ADVANCED (OFF/ON)
|  |  |- STEPS
|  |  |  |- ANTISPIN
|  |  |  |  |- REG.TYPE (MS / % / TEXT, default MS)
|  |  |  |  |- STEP MS (1-50 ms, default 5)  [hidden in TEXT mode]
|  |  |  |  |- STEP % (1-100 %, default 1)   [shown only in % mode]
|  |  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |  |- BRAKE STEP (0.1-50.0 %, default 1.0%)
|  |  |  |- SENSI STEP (0.1-5.0 % in 0.1% increments, default 1.0%)
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- STATUS BAR
|  |  |  |- SLOT 1
|  |  |  |- SLOT 2
|  |  |  |- SLOT 3
|  |  |  |- SLOT 4
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- SOUND
|  |  |- BOOT (ON/OFF)
|  |  |- RACE (ON/OFF)
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- HARDWARE
|  |  |- ENC INV (ON/OFF)
|  |  |- EXT POT
|  |  |  |- POT 1 (OFF/BRAKE/SENSI)
|  |  |  |- POT 2 (OFF/BRAKE/SENSI)
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- TRIGGER
|  |  |  |- FAMILY
|  |  |  |- ACTIVE
|  |  |  |- TYPE (AUTO/W2B6/W2B6_A0/P3B6) [TLE493D only]
|  |  |  `- BACK
|  |  |- PWM MAX (5/10/20 kHz)
|  |  |- TEST (Self-Test, 9 steps)
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- STATS (ON/OFF, default OFF)
|  |- WIFI
|  |  |- START/STOP WIFI
|  |  |- MODE
|  |  |- INFO PAGE
|  |  |- SHOW QR [AP only]
|  |  |- AUTO OFF (1-120 min, default 10)
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- LOGGING
|  |  |- START/STOP NOW
|  |  |- AUTO OFF (1-120 min, default 30)
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- LOCK
|  |  |- MENU ITEM (ON/OFF, default OFF)
|  |  |- SHORTCUT (OFF / 1-10 s, default 5 s)
|  |  |- CONFIRM (ON/OFF, default OFF)
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- USB INFO
|  |- RESET
|  |  |- CAR
|  |  |- SETTINGS
|  |  |- CALIBRATION
|  |  |- EVERYTHING
|  |  `- BACK
|  |- ABOUT
|  `- BACK
|- STATS [if enabled]
|- LOCK [if enabled]
`- CAR
   |- SELECT
   |- RENAME
   |- RACESWP (grid car select ON/OFF)
   |- COPY
   |- RESET
   `- BACK