Vixen Nano AM32 ESC - Peak Budget Brushless with BEC Option

Best bang-for-the-buck ESC on the market!

The Vixen Nano is a new line of ESCs running on cutting-edge AM32 firmware. There are several versions of this ESC available - we've found the "25A" version has identical hardware as the "35A" at a lower price, and our tests verified impressive performance. This ESC is a bit thicker and heavier than our JCR-RC 35A but has a similar footprint, and with more thermal mass it should deliver identical or better performance.

Two major upgrades over the JCR-RC: 6S capability and an optional 3-amp BEC that can supply 5V, 7.4V, or 12V. We tested driving a 60+ pound robot on ZomBox motors with these guys on 6S, and they held up great!* Like all our AM32 ESCS, this electronic speed controller has incredible responsiveness and low-end torque, tailored for sensorless brushless motors.

Perfect for many of our brushless motors like the Blitz Pro, Blitz Lite, 2306.5, and RDY-5022 Hubmotor! (We recommend changing the KV Setting to 660 for the Blitz Pro motors, see the Settings tab for details.) 

AM32 firmware allows you to take customization to the next level. With a simple USB programmer or an old Arduino, you can fine-tune the settings for different applications, making it perfect for brushless drive, some smaller brushless motor weapons, and other unique situations. Programming is not usually required; this product will work out of the box for brushless motors!

The default setting is Brushless Drive for Blitz Lite 2850kv, see the "Settings" tab for more info. To change settings or switch to Brushed mode you will need a USB Programmer. 

XT30U, MR30 connectors and motors are sold separately.

These ESCs are provided with specific firmware settings optimized to pair well with the motors we sell. They are intended for use on RC-controlled robots and ground vehicles, and are not intended for use in any sort of UAS, UAV, or other aerial application.

Specs

Key Features:

• Continuous Current 25A, 35A for 30 seconds. Perfect for any 3lb brushless drive, and many 12lb drive motors. Beetleweight drive typically is <10 amps
• Input Voltage Range: 3-6S (9 - 25.2V) (not tested with 6S LiHV yet)
  
• BEC Output: 3 amps, 5V (default), 7.4V or 12V
  • Can use a solder bridge to select 7.4V or 12V. Ensure you choose a compatible voltage with sensitive devices
• Compact Size:
  • 23mm x 14mm board size 
    
  • 6.65mm tall without BEC, 11.05mm with BEC
• Weight:
  • 8.6g with included wires and NO BEC
    
  • 11.3g with BEC
    

Default Configuration:
- Brushless Drive (bidirectional mode, braking enabled)

Note on BEC usage:

The BEC onboard is an efficient step-down switching regulator design, but like all step-down regulators, the input voltage MUST be higher than the supply voltage, typically at least 1.5-2.0V higher. If you set the BEC to 12V mode but power it with a 2S or 3S LiPo, the output will likely be unstable. If you power with a 2S LiPo, the 7.4V output will also be unstable when the battery is at 70% or lower state of charge. Please adjust accordingly. 

Closeup showing the solder bridge BEC voltage selection pads:

Settings

Changing Settings

To change firmware settings, you need a USB Programmer, or can make one using an Arduino. Any programmer that works for BlHeli_32 will work with AM32 as well. See this video for details on making an arduino programmer. Note that to program the ESCs or flash them you must connect the ESC to a battery for power (or power supply, anything in the accepted input voltage range will work). 
The screenshot below shows the settings page that you will see if you want to alter the settings. With V2.18 and up there is a new PWM by RPM setting which works great to fix desync issues on the Blitz Lite motors and likely others.

An explanation of what these settings do can be found here. Note that the motor poles and KV values do not need to match your motor for this ESC to function, the defaults will work fine for most motors. Furthermore, I strongly recommend watching this video before messing with these settings. 

If you experience issues where your motor is not reaching full speed or spinning up correctly, especially for inrunners (which have a lot fewer poles) and higher KV motors, you will just need to change the pole and KV settings to more closely match your motor. 

About Current Ratings

Current ratings on ESCs and motors can be pretty misleading, as has been discussed in our past videos. In this case, the supplier has two identical ESCs, but one just has a 35A label, and one has a 25A label and is priced lower, when the hardware is 100% identical. They also have a larger 55A version we might offer at a later date. It isn't clear what any given supplier uses as their test method to determine current ratings; often the best way to find out if an ESC works is just to try it out or ask others who have had success with it. 

Default Firmware Config - Brushless Drive

*The 25A ESCs do get very hot with so much load, so don't use them for a 60lb combat bot. This was a quick test on our Open Sauce 2026 demo robot.