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Victor 883 Speed Controller Chapter 7: Controlling Your Motors 147

A more serious option is the Innovation First (IFI) Robotics Victor 883 speed control-
ler (www.ifirobotics.com). The Victor 883 is an offshoot of technology developed
for the FIRST robotics competition. The competition needed a heavy-duty speed
controller, usable for drive motor or actuator duty, that would fit in a small space
and lend itself to high design flexibility. Built like a hobby-grade controller “on
steroids,” the IFI Robotics Victor has a built-in cooling fan and uses three FETs in
parallel for each leg of its motor control H-bridge, for a total of 12 FETs. Figure 7-13
shows the Victor 883 alongside a hobby ESC.
The IFI Robotics Victor controller can handle 60 amps of continuous current
and up to 200 amps for short duration, and it is designed for up to 24-volt motors.
Because the Victor 883 was designed specifically for competition robot use, it
gives consistent and matched performance in forward and reverse.
The Victor was originally designed to be used exclusively with the IFI Robotics
Isaac radio control gear. Following marked demand, IFI Robotics released a new
version of the controller that is compatible with hobby-grade radio gear. Some
R/C receivers, such as the Futaba receivers, do not deliver enough current to drive the
opto-couplers in the Victor 883. Because of this, IFI Robotics sells an adapter that
boosts the signal. Knowing whether your radio will need the signal booster or not

FIGURE 7-13
Associated Runner
Plus hobby ESC and
Innovation First
Victor 883 speed
controller.