This Q&A section has information pertaining to the V2 Power Management Board. There are several Q&A sections and you will find an index of them at Q&A Central.

Yes, the V2 is much more efficient and more powerful than stacked FETs and has a regulated 6 volts back to the EP. It is also easier to install since you can use it without removing the stock FETs.

The V2 is the only board that offers regulated voltage back to the EP, allowing you to run any voltage your motor can handle, and simultaneously eliminating servo jitter. The V2s logic circuit decodes the signal from the two EP motor output wires eliminating the need to remove the motor FETs and solder 4 input wires to the pads. The V1 board required this input technique, and made the installation very tedious and almost impossible for all but soldering experts. (This level of installation difficulty is common with aftermarket "Turbo Boards".) Another advantage to the 'two motor wire input' is that it is easy to return to stock configuration since the factory FETs do not have to be removed from the EP. The V2 is also more efficient since it uses the larger, heavy duty FETs. Most of the other Turbo Boards we have seen just use stacked 4562 or equivalent FETs. The V2 also re-introduces the brake signal which is enhanced due to the stronger FETs. The final advantage is the diagnostics function of the edgecard connector that allows us to quickly test them, ensuring 100% positive quality control.

The V2 board has numerous advantages over Stacked FETs. The first is current; the V2 can source much more current than Stacked FETs can. The V2 is also more durable than Stacked FETs. Another key advantage is regulated voltage back to the MainBoard. The V2 prevents the harmless but annoying servo jitter. The V2 achieves tremendous performance gains by moving the power path from the batteries to the motor off of the MainBoard and onto the V2; which has much larger traces and stronger components. And of course you can run up to 30 volts! (Although this is kind of a moot point until we come up with a motor that will handle that much voltage.)

Yes, they work even better than before due to the increased efficiency of the V2.

Its the same rock solid design, but the new boards are now imprinted using the "Silk Screen Legend" technique and the traces are insulated with a "Solder Mask" The solder mask exposes only those areas of the board that have solder points, making it less vulnerable to accidental shorts. The board is also smaller because the dead space around the edges are eliminated. Hence the .2 designation.

No. We only stock the V2.2, and all orders are filled with the V2.2.

Our products are often copied so this is simply a precaution. The Mystery IC Chip handles the primary logic and makes the magic of the V2 possible. During manufacturing the identification information is sanded off the chip to protect its identity.

Yes, of course, and here is the XMOD Generation 1 - V2 Board Installation Tutorial.

Yes, it will work fine on these. We plan to have a tutorial soon.

Yes the V2 works great on all Mini-Z cars and trucks.

If the car operates on 4 AAA cells originally, it will work with the V2. This encompasses most any small scale RC like Mini-Zs and XMODs, iWavers, ETC. These all use the same operational voltages and the V2 functions great with them all.

The V2 would not be a good choice for 1:18th scale because it requires a speed control to drive it. It is also not designed for the loads that these larger scale cars generate. You would be better off using an aftermarket ESC designed for 1:18 scale cars.

Yes of course we do. As you can, see it is very simple and easy to understand.

Yes with one exception. The V2 board regulates the voltage going to the EP. Four AAA batteries produce a 4.8 volt input, which results in a 3 volt output from the V2 board to the EP. 3 volts is not enough power for the EP to function. Therefore, if you plan to use four AAA cells, the solution is simply not to use the regulated power output from the V2, and instead wire the EP directly to the batteries for power.

You could, but its a lot easier to start with a stock EP since it has the smaller wires that go right through the holes. With the Pro Ready you would need to remove the large wires and solder stock ones back into it (which is not easy to do.) I suggest you keep the Pro Ready for another car and buy a new car with a fresh EP for the V2.

No, they would be a waste of money. See below for more.

You could, but when using a V2 the FETs don't carry any load, they simply drive the V2 inputs, telling it what to do. Since stock FETs will drive the V2 just as effectively as Stacked FETs, I recommend keeping your Stacked FET EP for another car.

The V2 should handle anything you can fit into an XMOD with ease.

It will handle up to 30 volts, so if you are running lithium that would be 7 cells. Finding a motor to handle that kind of power is another matter altogether. If you find one, be sure to let us know!

Yes, the V2 board has a voltage regulator to prevent the high voltage from frying the Main Board. The V2 will handle up to 30 volts. If the battery voltage is 10 volts or greater, cut the traces on the board as indicated on the V2 install page in the image below where marked with an "X". The problem with high voltage from multiple cells is that all of the motors fry in a matter of seconds with 4 or more cells. The best use of the V2 is with 2 cells since when racing you spend most of your time at lower speeds negotiating turns, so a lighter, better handling car, will smoke a heavier car regardless of top speed.

They are just to the right of the edgecard connector as shown in the adjacent photo.

Doubtful. If you are a wizard at soldering, you could possible solder the traces back together, but it takes a very fine tip and a steady hand as they are very small. You should consider this a one way operation with no going back.

When you figure that one out, be sure and let me know. All of the 130 size motors have fried within a very short time, less than a minute in most cases. Not even the Nuke will not handle more than two cells with any reliability.

No, the V2 is very simple to install, and that is one of its main advantages over the rest of the aftermarket Turbo Boards. Take a look at the XMOD Generation 1 V2 Board Installation Tutorial for details. The critical thing is to make sure you get the 4 center wires in the right place, beyond that, its hard to mess it up.

We have several chargers that will charge more than 2 cells. Take a look at the Chargers page for details.

Not likely, all V2 Boards are tested once at the end of the manufacturing process and again before we ship them.

Great question. This is the purpose of the edgecard connector on the end of the V2 board. The V2 tester is simply a box with a stock XMOD receiver and MainBoard located inside it that interfaces with the edgecard connector on the V2. A standard radio is used to operate it so all functions can be replicated. We perform a forward, reverse and brake test on each and every V2 going out.

As a side note, the existence of the edgecard is one of the key differentiating factors of the V2 board. It allows us to test them very easily and reliably. Other aftermarket Turbo Boards either go untested, or have to be soldered up in order to test them.

We have outlined some troubleshooting steps below. The first is for people with a meter (which should be everyone) and the second is for the less fortunate modelers without one. The big advantage of having a meter in this case is that you can do most of the troubleshooting without removing the V2 from the car.

Step 1: First, check the power switch on the EP. You really should bypass the power switch.

Step 2: Then try your Radio and both Crystals on another car to be sure they are fine.

Step 3: Test your battery pack at the Micro plug. We should see anywhere from 6 to 8.4 volts depending on how well your pack is charged.

Step 4: Connect the battery and test at terminals 6 and 7.

Step 5: Using your meter, test across terminals 5 and 6.

Step 6: Disconnect the batteries. Turn the servo to one side and connect the batteries.

Step 7: Test at terminals 3 and 4 with your meter to see if your EP is outputting a signal.

Step 8: Using your test leads, apply power to the motor terminals.

Step 1: First, check the power switch on the EP. You really should bypass the power switch.

Step 2: Then try your Radio and both Crystals on another car to be sure they are fine.

Step 3: Get a different motor (preferably stock) and connect it to a battery of any type to make sure it works and then connect it to the V2 motor output.

Step 4: Remove the V2 and see if the EP works fine without it.

Step 5: Test the contact points (see below) to make sure they are all intact.

Step 6: Connect the V2 again and pay close attention to your wiring.

Using your meter set on continuity (you have a meter right?) test the contacts on each side of the board and make sure they connect to one another. Test 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so forth.

The center 4 that connect back to the EP are the typical culprit. These are sometimes damaged from sloppy soldering. The large ones never fail.

There is an easy workaround. You simply use the edgecard connector to make the same connections. Above is a map of the connections. The center connections are the only ones that you can do this with since they pull little current.

Does your mom know you are sniffing glue? Those are the grounds dude.

We know every V2 is good because they are tested before we ship them, so something in the installation process must have gone wrong. A V2 is very difficult to fry so first check your wiring and if you still think it is a bad board you can use the "No Questions Asked V2 Swap" on the electronics page. Most issues are related to binding which creates severe current draw.

Its simple, your motor is overheating, and if you aren't careful you will burn it up. You are dumping a ton of current into the motor which it converts to power and what doesn't get converted directly into usable power gets burned off in the form of heat. The 11 tooth pinion makes it worse because it loads the motor up more at takeoff, you won't likely get the car up to its top speed (about 35MPH with this config) on any track you may be racing. A better choice would be a lower pinion like an 8 or 9 tooth. While a lower gear pinion will help, cooling needs to be improved. XMODs have poor cooling, as they were not designed for the fire breathing drive systems we are putting in them. If you try the car with the body off you should see the problem greatly reduced or dissapear altogether. Cutting the windows out will help drastically. It is important to monitor the temperature of your motor and batteries as well. Give the car time to cool between runs. If you can't wait, buy a second car. I bring at least 3 cars to the track.

Nothing is wrong, its just the V2 eliminating the power bottleneck and allowing every bit of current that the batteries can supply to flow into the motor. This will cause them to run hotter. As long as you don't drive like a madman constantly, it should not be much of a problem, but if you have a lead finger, you can damage the cells with excessive heat.

You reversed the small board power supply wires and the motor wires. These are the 4 small wires in the center.

The V2 has circuit traces on the bottom that are very close to the motor wires. With enough downward pressure on the board it can press these into the motor wires creating a short. To avoid this use a small strip of sufficiently thick tape under the board just above the motor to insulate the traces.

The V2 is very efficient and delivers every bit of current that the batteries can deliver, and with the new 780 mAh cells this a powerful combination. You will get extreme performance, but more current also develops more heat. Nothing is wrong, its just the V2 doing its job. You simply need to monitor motor temperatures and allow cooling time.

First thing is choose a cool running motor. We have found the Atomic Motors to be the coolest running on the market because of the open can design. Also use of a Motor Cooler Fan will generally tame the hottest running motors. Another alternative is to cut out the windows.

Sorry, I don't stock parts for the V2 as the construction of these is outsourced. The "No Questions Asked V2 Swap" is your best remedy.

It is a discontinued product, but we do still have a few of them for customers who want them.

It has been removed from the site but we can send you a copy if you need it.

Yes, the V1 board has a voltage regulator to prevent the high voltage from taking out the XMODs Main Board. The V1 will handle up to 30 volts. If the battery voltage is 10 volts or greater, cut the traces on the back of the V-1 board as indicated on the V1 install page in the image below where marked with an "X". The problem is that all of the motors fry in a matter of seconds with 4 or more cells.

You need to cut a notch out on the front corner, carefully cut as close as you can to the circuit traces being careful not to damage them. This notch goes around the Command Logic port and the crystal.

I have done this several times myself. What caused it each time was not insulating the underside of the V2 board where the colored control wires pass through the V2 board. If not insulated, they can touch the motor wires and fry the reverse output of the XMOD main board.

I am sure you already know this, but remember that on the first activation for reverse, the brakes engage and there is no motor action. Failing that, you need to determine if it is the V2 or the XMOD MainBoard. Since forward and reverse are identical you could swap the inputs and see if the problem goes from the reverse to forward:

A-base A-gate B-base B-gate
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2 (white) 3 (gray) 4 (purple) 5 (blue)

Swap 2 with 4 on the ESC board. Swap 3 with 5 on the XMOD MainBoard. If forward becomes the problem then the XMOD MainBoard is probably bad. Of course your motor will be running backwards unless you swap the motor wires.

Also, these boards (including the XMOD MainBoard with specific components removed) are statically sensitive and easily damages if precautions are not taken.

Note: These numbers have been rounded for ease so your voltages will vary slightly, but should be very close to these numbers.

Yes, I have some of them, but you need to buy Artic Silver heat sink glue to secure them.

Like the installation instructions say, you should set the switch to on and remove it before beginning. If you let it run for long that way, it can damage the V1. Also go ahead and pull the aluminum heat sink out as its dead weight now. If you leave it this way, you can fry the V1.