VESC FAQ | Connect The Nyko Kama wireless wii NunChuck

USE AT OWN RISK | INJURY OR DEATH COULD OCCUR

This instruction is for the controller pictured. It might work with other brands but it might not.


  1. Disassemble the transmitter/receiver - remove the plastic case & find the wires.


  1. Double check that all the wires are intact & well soldered onto PCB, then apply some hot glue to strengthen & protect the wires.


  1. Attach the wires to the VESC in this way. Make sure you have a good connection. Soldering & Hot glue is an option to ensure reliability. Otherwise buy the JST connector, the type is. “JST-PH 2MM SPACING” 6pin


  1. Led on the receiver PCB should come on. Do bench test to see if connection & controls are reliable.


  • This information is provided for fun and learning
  • Do not ride an electric skateboard using untested devices.
  • Wear a helmet and protective gear always.

Special thanks to kwoolf1 for this information

6 Likes

This is awesome. I was hoping it would be this easy to somehow use the nunchuck.

Is that white connector part of the Kama receiver and harvested out during the disassembly? Or is it something we need to pick up somewhere. If so, does that type of connector have a name?

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the JST type is. “JST-PH 2MM SPACING” 6pin

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does the nunchuck have the same cruise control functions as the wiiceiver when connected directly to the VESC like this?

Yes, it behaves the same way. And I also never lost connection again, which was sometimes tricky with the wiiceiver.

Yes - built in:

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hey, a random question for those who use the Nyko Kama. how often do you replace the batteries in the actual nunchuck?

Can I wire up both the Kama and GT2B receiver to the VESC and use which ever one I fancy using at the time or will the two conflict?

I believe they will conflict, because in the BLDC you must configure it for one or the other. Each time you wanted to change, You’d have to change it on the computer software too.

It’s more of a questions of if the hardware will conflict, I’m happy to plug the board in and change the settings in the software when I want to change over. The problem is that I plan to solder the Kama receiver as opposed to using a connector as It may come loose, this means it wont be too easy to disconnect it.

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ahh I see what you’re saying now. To be honest, I don’t know if that would have any negative affect. I’m betting it will work fine, because if one input is disabled in the settings, than it shouldn’t matter what is plugged in. That being said, I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know anything for sure.

Thanks for posting this @onloop. I gave it a try last night. I’m still new to soldering and had a tough time with the very small wires involved here. There may be some variation in the way the Nyko Kama is manufactured, I think that the wires connected to my receiver were a little different.

Here’s an image of the receiver after I hot-glued the connections on the PCB and stripped the green and blue wires (magnified through my third-hand-tool). I also stripped the wires of my JST connector. Worth noting: the wires soldered to the receiver were very thin and fragile, like the hairs of a unicorn! There was a nylon\plastic filler inside. The nylon burnt away when I tinned the small wire. WARNING: These wires and casing are very easy to burn\melt!

Here is what it looked like after I soldered all 4 wires to the JST connector and heat-shrinked them. I didn’t do a very good job… look at the big balls of solder on two of the connections! The main problem I had was keeping the wires stable while I applied heat to them. It was an ugly process, due to my own lack of skill!

After getting them all connected, I added some extra hot glue and a heat-shrink tube to reduce clutter inside my enclosure.

I think I need to re-do this. Even if it works, I don’t trust the connections I made to last while riding. Given the frailty of the wires, and my low level of skill, I’m thinking that I’ll remove the hot glue, de-solder the original connections to the receiver, and solder the wires from the JST connector directly to the receiver’s PCB.

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i found this really good tutorial on how to prep and tin a wire properly. there is a LOT of rubbish out there. and while you may find some of the steps a little bit anal its worth at least taking note.

here’s some tips: use a good iron. clean your iron clean your join tin everything first use a small amount of solder to bridge heat into the wire apply solder to the wire not the iron clean the flux off clean your damn iron “the bigger the blob the better the job” is not a rule

6 Likes

This is awesome thanks @lowGuido. This guy is a real pro! I’ve been doing most of these, but I’ll admit that I have never cleaned the flux off of my joins. I thought I was using “no clean” flux, it says so on the label!

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@Moja on my setup, with both a GTB2 receiver and the Nyko Kama receiver installed, I can switch between the two just by using BLDC Tool and there doesn’t seem to be an issue with leaving them both connected to the VESC. There’s a minor power draw being pulled from the inactive receiver, but otherwise no issues that I can detect.

I’ll also note, since it seems to be a concern for some, that after some tests the nunchuck used with VESC seems like a reliable implementation. It connects instantly and I haven’t had an issue with it yet. Between the nunchuck and GTB2, I prefer the nunchuck so far. The cruise control seems like it will be really useful, and you can activate reverse on-the-fly.

2 Likes

I’m with you on that one. so comfortable and easy. I’m Always on cruise control.

@lowGuido do you use the Z-button reverse feature? When I bench test it, if I’m holding full-throttle and tap the Z button, it instantly activates the brake and flips to reverse. In practice, does it automatically slow down the rider if that happens? Or, does, uh, just say “eff physics let’s reverse!”

My Z button is programmed for “boost” mode. I have no reverse so I cant really answer. I don’t really like the Idea of reverse.

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Oh my bad @lowGuido ; I should have mentioned that I’m referring to the nunchuck\VESC paring. I’m guessing you’re using the wiiceiver? My question belongs in a VESC thread somewhere :smile:

your question is in the right spot. this is a VESC/nunchuck thread.