SPARK MAX is designed to drive 12V brushed and brushless DC motors at currents up to 60A continuously. Power and motor connections are made through the two sets of wires built into the SPARK MAX. The wires are 12AWG ultra-flexible silicone-coated wire. Each wire runs approximately 15cm from the end faces of the controller. Be sure to take care when cutting and stripping the wires as not to cut them too short. The figure below shows these connections in detail.

Motor Output

Motor output wires are labeled as A, B, and C with red, black, and white wires. Brushed motors must be connected to the A and B wires, while brushless motors must be connected to all three. It is critical that the order of the brushless motor wires match the SPARK MAX or the motor will not spin and could be damaged. Additional details are below.

Motor Connections

SPARK MAX cannot detect which motor type it is connected to. Be sure to configure the SPARK MAX to run the type of motor you have connected. See the section for more details on configuring the appropriate motor type.

Power Input

Power input wires are labeled as V+ and V- with red and black wires. The SPARK MAX is intended to operate in a 12 V DC robot system, however, it is compatible with any DC power source between 5.5 V and 24 V.

When using high-current motors, it is recommended to use a power source that is capable of handling large surge currents, e.g. a 12V lead-acid battery. If the supply voltage drops below 5.5V the SPARK MAX will brown out, resulting in unexpected behavior. It is also highly recommended to incorporate a fuse or circuit breaker in series with the SPARK MAX between it and the power source to prevent exceeding the maximum current rating.

Located on the motor output side of the SPARK MAX is a 6-pin Encoder Port. This port is designed to accept the built-in hall-encoder from the NEO Brushless Motor, but it can also connect to other external encoders when running in Brushed Mode. The connector details can be found below.

Encoder Port Connector Information

Mating Connector Information

SPARK MAX Data Port Pinout

Located on the top of the SPARK MAX, the Data Port allows for extra sensor input and future feature development. The connector details can be found below.

Using the () makes interfacing with the SPARK MAX Data Port easier.

SPARK MAX Data Port Features

Limit Switch Inputs

SPARK MAX has two limit switch inputs that, when triggered, can independently prevent motion in both the forward and reverse directions. By default, when the pin for the corresponding direction is grounded, SPARK MAX will override any input commands for that direction and force the output into the neutral state. Input commands for the opposite direction will still be processed unless the corresponding limit signal is also triggered.

The default polarity is compatible with Normally Open (NO) style limit switches, whose contacts are shorted together when the switch is pressed. The Limit Switch Inputs can be configured for the opposite polarity using the USB or CAN interfaces. When configured for the opposite polarity, Normally Closed (NC), the limit will be triggered when the pin is left disconnected from ground. In other words, connecting the pin to ground will release the limit. The following table shows these configurations in detail:

Limit Switch Operation

Quadrature Encoder Input

The Quadrature Encoder Input on the Data Port is compatible with standard quadrature encoder signals, usually labeled as channel A, channel B, and Index. SPARK MAX shares these signals with the Encoder Port on the output side of the controller, therefore the Index signal is shared with the third brushless encoder signal C. When in Brushless Mode, these Data Port pins cannot be used with an external encoder. See for information on how to configure the SPARK MAX to accept an alternative encoder source when running in Brushless Mode.

When in Brushed Mode, an external encoder can be connected through either the Data Port or the Encoder Port.

The SPARK MAX encoder signals are not pulled high internally. This is to ensure the maximum compatibility with different types of encoders.

Analog Input

The Analog Port on the SPARK MAX can measure voltages up to 3.3V with 12-bit resolution. The SPARK MAX Data Port Breakout includes a 5V to 3.3V amplifier circuit so that 5V signals can be sensed with the Analog Input pin.

Analog input is supported on firmware versions 1.4.0 and newer.

Multi-function Pin

This pin is reconfigured when the SPARK MAX is configured in Alternate Encoder Mode.

Power Rails

The SPARK MAX Data Port can provide both 3.3V and 5V power to connected devices. Please check for details on the supply current capabilities of both rails.

SPARK MAX Data Port Accessories

Alternate Encoder Adapter

Features

The SPARK MAX Alternate Encoder Adapter () enables the use of an alternative encoder source different from the default. This is especially useful when running one of the NEO Brushless Motors, as the default encoder port is occupied by the built-in NEO hall sensors. Please see the Alternate Encoder Mode section in the for more information.

• JST PH 6-pin connector

• Pinout compatible with REV Through Bore Encoder

• Index Signal/Absolute PWM Pulse selection switch

Specifications

• 1 x JST PH, 6-pin connector

• 1 x 14 Position 2 Row Receptacle Connector 0.050"

Absolute Encoder Adapter

Features

The SPARK MAX Absolute Encoder Adapter () connects the Absolute Duty Cycle output of the Through Bore Encoder to the correct SPARK MAX Data Port pins, leaving the incremental quadrature pins disconnected.

• JST PH 6-pin connector

• Pinout Compatible with REV Through Bore Encoder

• Solder pads

• Limit Switches

Specifications

• 1 x JST PH, 6-pin connector

• 1 x 14 Position 2 Row Receptacle Connector 0.050"

Data Port Breakout Board

Features

The SPARK MAX Data Port Breakout Board () makes it easy to connect external sensors to the SPARK MAX Data Port.

• Solder pads for every Data Port pin

• Analog input 5V to 3.3V converter

  • Built-in amplifier maps 0V - 5V analog signals to the native 0V - 3.3V range of the SPARK MAX Analog Input

The SPARK MAX can be controlled by three different interfaces, servo-style PWM, controller area network (CAN), and USB. The following sections describe the physical connections to these interfaces in detail. For details on the operation and protocols of the PWM, CAN, and USB interfaces, please see the section on Control Interfaces.

CAN/PWM Port

The CAN/PWM Port is located on the power input side of the SPARK MAX. This port can be connected to either a servo-style PWM signal or a CAN bus with other devices. Connector details can be found below.

CAN/PWM Port Connector Information

Mating Connector Information

Identical-function pins are electrically connected inside the SPARK MAX, therefore the CAN daisy-chain is completed internally and any two signal and ground pairs can be used for PWM.

USB-C Port

The USB-C Port is located on the power input side of the SPARK MAX. It supports USB 2.0 and 5V power for the SPARK MAX's internal microcontroller. While you can configure the SPARK MAX without main power, you will not be able to spin a motor.

The following tables provide the operating and mechanical specifications for the SPARK MAX Motor Controller.