For whatever reason, Vedder never added shut down to the VESC 6.0, despite the power supply chip having this capability. Here is how to add it.
The following components:
- 10K Resistor
- 3.3V Zener Diode
- Thin Magnet Wire
- 47K Resistor
- Magnet wire to Pin 55 of DRV8301. This can be tricky, make sure to not short any of the neighboring pins of the DRV3801.
- Then, bring the wire to the front of the board. You can use a diamond file to notch the circuit board to give it some space.
Next on the other side, wire up...
- Anode of Zener diode to 0 volts
- Magnet wire from Pin 55 to Zener cathode
- 10K resistor from 0V to Zener cathode
- 47K resistor from (+) to external wire
- A second external wire from Zener cathode
Connecting the two external wires together will enable the VESC 6. Leaving them disconnected will shut the motor controller down into a low power state.