Guide
Calibrating the Fingertech tinyESC V3
THE FINGERTECH TINY ESC — the sport’s most ubiquitous ESC — can sometimes give operators unusual or anomalous results.
Often, this is a simple matter of calibrating the ESC. We show you how to do it.
Overview
Calibration teaches the Fingertech tinyESC the full range of your transmitter’s throttle signal: limits and center position. The tinyESC comes pre-calibrated with defaults that match the 1000-1500-2000µs of most radios. Calibration allows you to match your ESC to your radio’s exact behavior, or to your desired range or center.
WHEN TO CALIBRATE
The tinyESC is factory calibrated for the standard 1000–1500–2000 µs radio signal used by most transmitters. Most users will never need to recalibrate. Calibration may be useful if:
- Adjust Throttle: You want to change the throttle endpoints or center position.
- Reset to Default: You need to restore the factory default calibration.
- Spektrum: You’re using a Spektrum transmitter that requires the alternate calibration method.
- Adjust Motor Speeds You’re matching the speeds of two drive motors.
tinyESC CALIBRATION SIGNALS AND PARAMETERS
| R/C Stick | Pulse Width | Motor Output | LED Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FULL FORWARD | 2000µs | Full Forward | Solid Green |
| FORWARD | 1510–2000µs | Forward | Flashing Green |
| CENTERED |
1500µs (±10µs deadband) |
Off | Green + Red Solid |
| BACKWARD | 1000–1490µs | Backward | Flashing Red |
| FULL BACKWARD | 1000µs | Full Backward | Solid Red |
| NO R/C SIGNAL | No Pulse Stream | Off (Failsafe) | Slow Flashing Red |
Calibration Steps v3.0.1 (Feb 2025+)
- Plug the tinyESC into the radio receiver.
- Keeping the transmitter OFF, power up the tinyESC.
- Long-press the CAL button for approximately 1 second. The red and green LEDs will begin flashing slowly.
- Center the transmitter trims, then power on the transmitter. The red and green LEDs will alternate quickly. Move the stick to the high and low limits.
- Return the transmitter stick to center.
- Press the CAL button again to save the settings and exit Calibration Mode.
Calibration Steps v3.0 (Feb 2024–Feb 2025)
- Plug the tinyESC into the radio receiver.
- While holding the CAL button, power up the tinyESC.
- The red and green LEDs will alternate flashing, indicating that you are in the calibration routine.
- Center the transmitter trims, then power it on. Move the transmitter stick to the high and low limits. To reset to defaults, do not move the sticks.
- Return the transmitter stick to center.
- Press the CAL button again to save the settings and exit Calibration Mode.
ACCESSING CALIBRATION
USE AN ALLEN WRENCH OR SIMILAR TOOL TO GET INSIDE THE HEAT SHRINK AND PRESS THE CALIBRATE BUTTON
SUCCESSFUL CALIBRATION
A successful calibration will flash the Green LED three times.
RETURN TO DEFAULT
If the Red LED flashes three times instead it means the defaults have been restored. The center position is now “motor off” with full forward and full reverse speeds at the upper and lower limits.
TIP: SPEKTRUM CALIBRATION
If you are using a Spektrum transmitter and your motors only run full speed when the stick is in a corner (in other words, pushing the stick straight ahead and straight back is not full speed), care is required to ensure a proper calibration.
Calibrate the tinyESC per the directions above, making sure to only move the stick straight up and straight down. Don’t moving the stick sideways at all. This will give you full speed for forward and reverse!
TIP: MOTORS RUNNING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS
Is one motor faster than the other? First, check to ensure that something else is not wrong. We’ve found that loose connections can impact motor speed strongly. If you can’t find another reason, you can calibrate your ESC to solve this problem.
When calibrating the faster motor,
- Move the trim on the transmitter up (when you move the stick to the maximum)
- Move the trim on the transmitter down (when you move the stick to the minimum).
- Recenter the trim lever
- Center the stick
- Exit the calibration.
This will limit the top speed of the faster motor. The goal is to match to the slower one. You may have to try different amounts of trim to get the motors to behave exactly the same.
| Successful Calibration | Restored to Default |
|---|---|
| GREEN LED – Flashes three times | RED LED – Flashes three times |
© 2026 ItGresa Consulting Group, Inc. d/b/a ItGresa Robotics. All original text, graphics, layout, tables, illustrations, and educational content are copyrighted. Product names, trademarks, and manufacturer technical information remain the property of their respective owners and are used for identification and educational purposes. Technical information in this guide is adapted from manufacturer documentation published by FingerTech Robotics Ltd.
About This Guide
This Guide applies to the Fingertech tinyESC V3, used in all Fingertech Vipers and many antweight combat bots.
Sections
- OVERVIEW
- WHEN TO CALIBRATE
- tinyESC Unit Calibration Signals and Parameters (TABLE)
- Calibration Steps v3.0.1 (02/2025+)
- Calibration Steps v3.0 (02/2024-02/2025)
- Successful Calibration
- RETURN TO DEFULT VALUES
- TIP: SPEKTRUM CALIBRATION
- TIP: CORRECTING MOTORS RUNNING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS
Fingertech tinyESC Revision History
- Version 3.0.1: Fixed a bug where entering Calibration was only possible when holding the CAL button on powerup.
- Version 3.0: Upgraded microcontroller allows a clockspeed increase giving 8x more responsiveness with a higher PWM motor output.
- Version 2.7: Corrected a bug that affected ~2% of v2.6 tinyESCs. It would sometimes cause the Calibration bits to get scrambled on powerup. We will replace any affected tinyESCs. If you have one with this issue, email us!
- Version 2.6: Complete code re-write. TinyESC now runs faster and smoother, with a more intuitive Calibration routine.
- Version 2.5: Eliminates the calibration header and jumper. To enter the calibrate routine at any time you simply short the calibrate pads. Short them once again when you are done and the routine saves and exits.
- Version 2.4: Introduced backwards-polarity protection – plugging a battery in backwards will no longer destroy a tinyESC. Added protection on the 5V receiver line so that other BECs will not affect the tinyESC. It is no longer necessary to disconnect the red wire.
Manufacturer demonstration video courtesy of FingerTech Robotics Ltd.