Is this Alltrax controller toast?

[bjk633]

Was changing out cables and noticed B+ on my Alltrax DCX 500 looks to have been too hot for normal operation. Cart still works fine.....but is this controller on borrowed time?

Any help is appreciated

[yurtle]

I've opened a stock series controller a while back, and the large terminals have a number of soldered connections to the boards. I'd be concerned that internally, the closest soldered connection(s) may have been compromised.

[JohnnieB]

The DCX is filled with a potting compound, so that may have mitigated the heat damage, but the 10-pin connector looks like it is part of a PDS to DCX adapter, so I'd upgrade to a XCT48500-PDS in the near future. (Actually, a XCT48400-PDS will give you about the same low end performance as a DCX500 since it puts out 460A peak - I went from a DCX500 to a XCT400 and didn't notice and difference in acceleration or low end torque.)

On the other hand, if it is a DCS drive, I'd clean the B+ bus bar terminal to shiny metal, replace the B+ cable(s) and run it until it fails.

With a PDS drive, going from a DCX to a XCT is a significant improvement while going from a DCX to a XCT with a DCS drive isn't much of a change. The field mapping is influenced by the motor's RPM and a DCS doesn't have a speed sensor, so the field mapping is pretty much the same as it is with the DCX controller.