Matek PDB-HEX: The "I’m Building a Hexa" Power Solution

So, you’ve decided that four motors weren't enough of a cable management nightmare. You’ve graduated to a hexacopter, or perhaps a quad that consumes more power than a small UK village. Welcome to the PDB-HEX, where we stop pretending your 30A AIO can handle the heat. This is for the heavy lifters, the over-spec enthusiasts, and the people who actually read manuals.

Why You Actually Want It

Matek Systems knows you’re going to push this thing until something glows. That’s why they’ve rated this distribution board for a massive 140A of continuous current. That’s enough juice to make your neighbours' Wi-Fi flicker. It handles up to 12S LiPo, because clearly, 6S was just a gateway drug to real power-induced anxiety. It’s reliable, it’s chunky, and it won’t give up the ghost when you decide to punch the throttle at 50% battery.

PDB

• Input voltage range: 6~60V (2~12S LiPo)
• PDB/current sense resistor: 140A cont, 264A burst.
• ESC power pads: 60A cont. 100A burst
• 6x ESC power /signal/ telemetry pads
• Current Senor: 264A,  3.3V ADC
• Current Scale 125(INAV/BF),  BATT_AMP_PERVLT  80 (ArduPilot)

JST-SH-8P Connector and Pads

• Vbat: Battery voltage
• G: ground
• Curr: current signal
• Tlm: Duplicates Tlm pads for ESC telemetry
• S1/S2/S3/S4/S5/S6: ESC signal
• Vx: Regulator output

BEC Vx output (5V default)

• Vx= 5V by default,   Continuous 5 Amps
• Bridge 9V jumper,  Vx= 9V,  Continuous 4 Amps,  Max.5A
• Bridge 12V jumper,  Vx= 12V, Continuous 4 Amps,  Max.5A
• Output Short-circuit tolerant (1 seconds)
• Overcurrent protection & self-recovery

Voltage divider

• 1K:20K resistors
• Output 1/21 Vbat voltage

Physical

• Mounting: 30.5 x 30.5mm, 20 x 20mm, Φ3mm
• Dimensions: 49 x 40 x 6 mm
• Weight: 12g

In the Box

• 1 x PDB-HEX 2-12S PDB w/ BEC
• 1 x Rubycon ZLJ 63V 390uF
• 1 x JST-SH1.0_8pin cable, 5cm
• 2 x JST-SH1.0_8pin connectors
  

Highlights

• Heavy Duty Copper: Thick 2oz copper traces because physics doesn't care about your feelings.
• Dual Voltage Rails: Separate 5V and 12V regulators so your flight controller doesn't brown out when your gimbal kicks in.
• Precision Sensing: Know exactly how fast you’re draining your bank account... I mean, battery.

Notes

Please ensure your soldering iron is actually hot. Tacking a 10AWG wire onto a high-current pad with a 15W iron from the back of your shed is a recipe for a bad Saturday. Also, check your polarities; magic smoke is notoriously difficult to put back inside the components once it escapes.

Disclaimer

Unmanned Tech is not responsible for melted solder, singed eyebrows, or your sudden realization that hexacopters are expensive.

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