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Motor Control Options
The TCB has multiple options for controlling the main drive motors, turret rotation, and barrel elevation motors. Using the OP Config program, you can select which type you want to use for each motor. Options include the two onboard motor drivers (A and B), RC output (for all RC hobby brushed or brushless speed controllers, Tamiya DMD units, or continuous rotation servos), or serial output for serial-enabled dual motor controllers (our personal recommendation for drive motors in 1/16th scale and larger). You can run all four motors using ESCs. You can run all four using serial motor controllers. Heck, you can run the drive motors using a serial controller, the turret rotation using the onbaord motor driver, and turret elevation using a servo. Anything you want, you can do: see the Motors tab of the OP Config program for all the options.
But, there is one very important thing to remember: even though the TCB can drive two motors directly with the Motor A & B outputs, these are limited to 2 amps max each. In other words, if you are using the TCB in a 1/16th scale tank or larger these outputs will NOT be sufficient to power the two main drive motors (they will be perfect for driving the turret rotation and barrel elevation motors).
Since 1/16th scale is by far the most common, this means that most people using the TCB will be required to purchase either hobby ESCs or a serial dual-motor controller to power the tank's movement. Yes, this is an extra expense, but this design decision was intentional. It matches what every other segment of the RC hobby is doing and gives you virtually unlimited choice to select the controller that best meets your specific needs.
Read more about each type of motor control: