T'Rex Controller Oops (Possibly Fixable)

Community General Discussions
1

Hello All,

I recently purchased a T'Rex Controller from Sparkfun that I think I probably blew a FET or two. I forgot to turn of the power while I was detaching the controller from my T'Rex Tank.  I'm looking to see if I just need to buy a new controller or if I can repair the one I have. So here's the symptoms:

  • When I apply power, I don't get any beeps from the motors anymore.
  • The power status LED is lit, but is dimmer that what it's suppose to be.
  • When I power the controller and then turn the controller over (the power switch terminals facing away from me and facing down, USB connector facing away and up) and feel around, this is what I get on a scale of 1-5 (5 being hot and 1 being cool, room temp): The bottom 3 FETs = 5, the top 3 FETs = 1, the middle 2 FETs and the 1 FET on the left = 3. The bottom quarter of the controller = 5.

Hopefully this is something I can fix, but I wanted to get advise from the forum here.  Am I out of luck?

2

Thanks

Thanks OddBot and Bajdi for the responses. I actually didn’t use a LiPo. The controller was powered by my DC Bench Power supply, so the max current that it could have possibly experience was 10A. So, I’m thinking the FETs are actually fine, and like OddBot was mentioning, I more than likely have a busted PCB. It looks like I’m gonna have to purchase another controller and be more careful about my test setup.  I’m going to conformal coat the controller this time.

Thanks guys for the assistance!