Bafang M500 and M600 motors

I managed to bust my M600 spider (and chainring). Any ideas which ones I can get as a replacement? The Yamaha ones seem similar but maybe somebody has experience with this before I end up ordering it on Aliexpress and wait 3 weeks.
En AliExpress la venden. € 18,20 20%de DESCUENTO | Adaptador de platos y bielas para motor central Bafang, accesorio para Motor de 32T, 34T, 36T, 38T, 40T, M500/M600/G520/G521Torque, 104
 
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Does anyone happen to have any info on the pinout and signals from the DP C240 B/W keypad? Not looking to replace the display as it’s fine ((and IMO most other Bafang displays kind of suck sitting way over the bars..), but the goofy shape of the keypad is annoying. Would love to replace it with something less prone to getting ripped off the bars, something like this ideally, but not sure if the keypad itself is actually ‘smart’/sending CAN commands or is simple gnd/5v etc. Anyone looked into this before?

Looks like it's documented here:


With the pertinent bit being this section near the top:

Code:
HIGO-B5-Female:
    ────────┐
/    1   5 │
│ 2         │
\    3   4 │
    ────────┘
1 Orange: VCC
2 White    : CL
3 Brown    : P+
4 Green    : CH
5 Black    : GND

Bit Rate 250 kBit/s

Level matching:
L9    L5   L3  
0      0      0    : FF FF
1-2  1             : 40 1F
3-4  2      1     : 2C 1A
5-6  3      2     : EC 13
7-8  4             : AC 0D
9     5      3     : 8C 0A

If I'm reading that correctly then it suggests that it is sending canbus commands, rather than just simple switching, i.e. there's a specifc code being sent for each level, rather than just an 'up' or 'down' switch. Can't quite get my head round how that works for a 9 level config but the 5 level to 3 level mapping makes sense to me.

I'd love a different pad, as the standard DPC240 pad unit just feels too fat and clunky to me, and I can't switch assistance levels for sudden climbs as quickly as I'd like.

EDIT: Pah, I spent ages formatting that little table, and it gets messed up as soon as I post!
 
Looks like it's documented here:


With the pertinent bit being this section near the top:

Code:
HIGO-B5-Female:
    ────────┐
/    1   5 │
│ 2         │
\    3   4 │
    ────────┘
1 Orange: VCC
2 White    : CL
3 Brown    : P+
4 Green    : CH
5 Black    : GND

Bit Rate 250 kBit/s

Level matching:
L9    L5   L3
0      0      0    : FF FF
1-2  1             : 40 1F
3-4  2      1     : 2C 1A
5-6  3      2     : EC 13
7-8  4             : AC 0D
9     5      3     : 8C 0A

If I'm reading that correctly then it suggests that it is sending canbus commands, rather than just simple switching, i.e. there's a specifc code being sent for each level, rather than just an 'up' or 'down' switch. Can't quite get my head round how that works for a 9 level config but the 5 level to 3 level mapping makes sense to me.

I'd love a different pad, as the standard DPC240 pad unit just feels too fat and clunky to me, and I can't switch assistance levels for sudden climbs as quickly as I'd like.

EDIT: Pah, I spent ages formatting that little table, and it gets messed up as soon as I post!
I've not taken mine apart, but just because the comms back from the head unit to the controller in the drive is CANBUS, doesn't mean you can't use a different switch to the HMI/screen.

Does the github repo have the wiring from the switch to the display too (the purple one)? It's a six pin connector, and there are 3 buttons. So could we use any 3 button individually switched controller? It all depends on how those switches work, are they basic digital inputs or some kind of resistor based network where each combination of switches gives a different resistance?

The documentation for the CA Slim aux input has a lot of info, I've attached it to this post so you can have a look.

I certainly agree that the bafang one is very vague though. I'm using the DP160 on my E10:
1647447441876.png


It is quite tall and the clamp breaks easily (I've 3D printed a hacky replacement for it). The whole display is a rocker switch, so it's very easy to press however.

On a side note, I've got a couple of ESP32 modules with onboard CANBUS that I was toying with the idea of using to make a headless type HMI with just some switches on the bars, but not got around to it yet (too many projects!). As the CA switch seems to work on voltage threshold (not discrete digital inputs), it would easy to use without modification. I'm not totally sure how the On/Off works on the controller either unless it's the same as the BBSXX where you just short a connection.

1647446797198.png


Alternative switch (a bit spendy though and not sure if it would be adaptable):
1647448779243.png


Might be some useful details here on how it's wired:
 

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Last edited:
I've not taken mine apart, but just because the comms back from the head unit to the controller in the drive is CANBUS, doesn't mean you can't use a different switch to the HMI/screen.

Does the github repo have the wiring from the switch to the display too (the purple one)? It's a six pin connector, and there are 3 buttons. So could we use any 3 button individually switched controller? It all depends on how those switches work, are they basic digital inputs or some kind of resistor based network where each combination of switches gives a different resistance?

The documentation for the CA Slim aux input has a lot of info, I've attached it to this post so you can have a look.

I certainly agree that the bafang one is very vague though. I'm using the DP160 on my E10:
View attachment 84067

It is quite tall and the clamp breaks easily (I've 3D printed a hacky replacement for it). The whole display is a rocker switch, so it's very easy to press however.

On a side note, I've got a couple of ESP32 modules with onboard CANBUS that I was toying with the idea of using to make a headless type HMI with just some switches on the bars, but not got around to it yet (too many projects!). As the CA switch seems to work on voltage threshold (not discrete digital inputs), it would easy to use without modification. I'm not totally sure how the On/Off works on the controller either unless it's the same as the BBSXX where you just short a connection.

View attachment 84065

Alternative switch (a bit spendy though and not sure if it would be adaptable):
View attachment 84068

Might be some useful details here on how it's wired:

I assumed the diagram above was for the purple connector. The shape is correct, as is the number of pins. Maybe I'd assumed poorly though!

Is the DP160 just wired to the green connector?
 
I assumed the diagram above was for the purple connector. The shape is correct, as is the number of pins. Maybe I'd assumed poorly though!

Is the DP160 just wired to the green connector?
Yes it just goes straight into the green connector (on the main bus cable).

I think the green is a HIGO B5 and purple is a HIGO B6
 
Okay, so I was curious and tried to work out what the connections were at the switch end (purple 6 way HIGO)

All I did was test for continuity when each switch was pushed and this is what I got. I suppose the next step would be to try this with a 6 way HIGO into a breadboard and some switches. I don't fancy cutting the cable up on my only spare HMI though, so will have to order some connectors. If it is as I suspect just individual digital inputs any 3 switch cluster could be used with the correct wiring. I'm not sure what's going on with pins 1 and 2 linked together though.

Excuse the crappy schematic as it's the first time I've used KiCAD (planning on learning it though).
1647469574590.png
 
Okay, so I was curious and tried to work out what the connections were at the switch end (purple 6 way HIGO)

All I did was test for continuity when each switch was pushed and this is what I got. I suppose the next step would be to try this with a 6 way HIGO into a breadboard and some switches. I don't fancy cutting the cable up on my only spare HMI though, so will have to order some connectors. If it is as I suspect just individual digital inputs any 3 switch cluster could be used with the correct wiring. I'm not sure what's going on with pins 1 and 2 linked together though.

Excuse the crappy schematic as it's the first time I've used KiCAD (planning on learning it though).
View attachment 84080
Huh! Good work!

So I'm guessing this means that whatever hangs off the purple connector is just a trio of simple switches, and that whatever hangs off the green connector is what's responsible for translating those switch inputs into canbus commands. So as long as we've got a display with a purple connector input, we can hang pretty much whatever we like off it.

This plus the current activity that's happening over at Endless Sphere suggests we're on the brink of some pretty interesting developments in M500/M600 world!
 
DP C241 set is really great, all features including, usb, charging, BOOST, walk mode and bluetooth. Simple, small, good brightness, works as charm and is not expensive.
Controller have three buttons, +(light)/-/ power(set/boost/walk)

1647510617836.png
 
DP C241 set is really great, all features including, usb, charging, BOOST, walk mode and bluetooth. Simple, small, good brightness, works as charm and is not expensive.
Controller have three buttons, +(light)/-/ power(set/boost/walk)

View attachment 84083
That's what I (and I think @captainhightop ) already have. I'm not a fan of that remote and the screen is really crap in sunshine, not to mention that the underbar nature of the clamp has always felt a bit weird to me. I don't hate it, but I do feel like it could be better.

@thaeber that looks neat, but I still think that the buttons are in the wrong orientation, i.e. they should be horizontally placed rather than vertically. It's a bit like underbar dropper levers vs those weird ones that sit around the bar, with the latter being ergonomically rather awkward. Do we have any idea how much that's likely to cost?

I might have to do a bit of CAD to mockup (and 3d print and try out) some possible button layouts, though I can't help but feel that accomodating a brake lever, a dropper lever and 3 buttons might be rather challenging and I'm really not sure that I'm clever enough to work out how to do it!
 
That's what I (and I think @captainhightop ) already have. I'm not a fan of that remote and the screen is really crap in sunshine, not to mention that the underbar nature of the clamp has always felt a bit weird to me. I don't hate it, but I do feel like it could be better.

@thaeber that looks neat, but I still think that the buttons are in the wrong orientation, i.e. they should be horizontally placed rather than vertically. It's a bit like underbar dropper levers vs those weird ones that sit around the bar, with the latter being ergonomically rather awkward. Do we have any idea how much that's likely to cost?

I might have to do a bit of CAD to mockup (and 3d print and try out) some possible button layouts, though I can't help but feel that accomodating a brake lever, a dropper lever and 3 buttons might be rather challenging and I'm really not sure that I'm clever enough to work out how to do it!
everything has long been invented, you just need to copy the best:
Giant Reign E+ 2022
1647517899267.png
 
That’s perfection.
That is a very nice design, I can print TPU and PLA/ASA/PETG easily, so if I can find small enough reliable switches, I may have a chance at pulling something like this off (assuming my assumptions regarding the individual nature of the switches are true).

Any recommendations for low profile microswitches? Maybe harvesting some from old nintendo switch remotes that my kids have destroyed?
 
That is a very nice design, I can print TPU and PLA/ASA/PETG easily, so if I can find small enough reliable switches, I may have a chance at pulling something like this off (assuming my assumptions regarding the individual nature of the switches are true).

Any recommendations for low profile microswitches? Maybe harvesting some from old nintendo switch remotes that my kids have destroyed?
Don’t know if the giant switch is available and not to expensive. Maybe we can use that one and just adapt the wiringloom.
 
That is a very nice design, I can print TPU and PLA/ASA/PETG easily, so if I can find small enough reliable switches, I may have a chance at pulling something like this off (assuming my assumptions regarding the individual nature of the switches are true).

Any recommendations for low profile microswitches? Maybe harvesting some from old nintendo switch remotes that my kids have destroyed?

I'd have thought we'd want to use something like this:


High IP rating and relatively large. Your idea of canibalising a game controller is probably a good, if expensive, one!
 
Possibly a little wide for my tastes
We tried one at a Giant Dealer and you need the small raised bit to be that length as its more of a push and pull rather than a push down on a button, for your gloved finger to really feel the raised section. Really nice setup and the bikes themselves are equally as well thought out.
 
I'd have thought we'd want to use something like this:


High IP rating and relatively large. Your idea of canibalising a game controller is probably a good, if expensive, one!
I've got a few of those in my electronics box, I'll be using them to test if I can simply switch those signals as the investigation seems to suggest.
Need to order the HIGO first though:
 
We tried one at a Giant Dealer and you need the small raised bit to be that length as its more of a push and pull rather than a push down on a button, for your gloved finger to really feel the raised section. Really nice setup and the bikes themselves are equally as well thought out.
Oh, so it sort of rotates around the bar, like a really short throw throttle?
 
I've got a few of those in my electronics box, I'll be using them to test if I can simply switch those signals as the investigation seems to suggest.
Need to order the HIGO first though:

Looks like this listing might have them also:

 
Ordered 2 lots of the 6 pin and 2 lots of the 5 pin as I also want to play around with my CANBUS modules at some point (from AliExpress)
 
@Hagbard and @captainhightop - thanks to both! I was thinking next step was buying a second one as backup to play with or search ES. Awesome info. About to head on a trip but following, especially as it seems like the remote really is a simple switch device.

I am curious as to your impressions of the DP160 - I didn't realize it was a rocker switch and through they were trying to be 'cute' yet way out of touch, and it was a touch screen input. Seems like less that thrilled with it? Only 5 PAS levels/can't set to 9?

If the remote is simple connections, I think I'm more inclined to try to Grin or Specialized part, but had completely discounted the DP160 - I suppose on incomplete info.

I've not taken mine apart, but just because the comms back from the head unit to the controller in the drive is CANBUS, doesn't mean you can't use a different switch to the HMI/screen.

Does the github repo have the wiring from the switch to the display too (the purple one)? It's a six pin connector, and there are 3 buttons. So could we use any 3 button individually switched controller? It all depends on how those switches work, are they basic digital inputs or some kind of resistor based network where each combination of switches gives a different resistance?

The documentation for the CA Slim aux input has a lot of info, I've attached it to this post so you can have a look.

I certainly agree that the bafang one is very vague though. I'm using the DP160 on my E10:
View attachment 84067

It is quite tall and the clamp breaks easily (I've 3D printed a hacky replacement for it). The whole display is a rocker switch, so it's very easy to press however.

On a side note, I've got a couple of ESP32 modules with onboard CANBUS that I was toying with the idea of using to make a headless type HMI with just some switches on the bars, but not got around to it yet (too many projects!). As the CA switch seems to work on voltage threshold (not discrete digital inputs), it would easy to use without modification. I'm not totally sure how the On/Off works on the controller either unless it's the same as the BBSXX where you just short a connection.
 
@Hagbard and @captainhightop - thanks to both! I was thinking next step was buying a second one as backup to play with or search ES. Awesome info. About to head on a trip but following, especially as it seems like the remote really is a simple switch device.

I am curious as to your impressions of the DP160 - I didn't realize it was a rocker switch and through they were trying to be 'cute' yet way out of touch, and it was a touch screen input. Seems like less that thrilled with it? Only 5 PAS levels/can't set to 9?

If the remote is simple connections, I think I'm more inclined to try to Grin or Specialized part, but had completely discounted the DP160 - I suppose on incomplete info.


- The whole screen is the rocker switch , it is really weird, but not vague like the rubbery buttons on the DP240, so in general not bad.
- Five Levels (unless there is a really obscure hidden menu - nothing documented)
- Easy to accidentally knock and change level due to it's height (put it quite far away to avoid this)
- Clip is fragile and plastic just breaks unless you are super careful (I am not careful) - similar issue on eggrider with BBSHD
- Seems to be locked to kilometres for speed, with no other info (I'm not particularly bothered about this)
- No boost mode
- It does have walk mode, but like all the others too fiddly to be useful
- Has the light toggle
- As usual battery display is useless (give us a real wattmeter and battery usage feature please Bafang!)
 
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Maybe worth to wait for this?

View attachment 84082

I guess that one's maybe somewhat incrementally better than the goofy 'protrusion' on the DP C240 remote, but it's an all in 1, limits to 5 PAS levels (I use 9), but does have a BT option.

Ergonomically, I guess if it's small enough, the battery indicator in the middle could be a tactile 'break' but it looks kinda chunky sticking up around 30mm/1"+ over the bar.

Might work ok for some. Guessing it's another push towards some variation of the Bafang Go app, and may or may not turn out to be M600 compatible?
 
That's what I (and I think @captainhightop ) already have. I'm not a fan of that remote and the screen is really crap in sunshine, not to mention that the underbar nature of the clamp has always felt a bit weird to me. I don't hate it, but I do feel like it could be better.

@thaeber that looks neat, but I still think that the buttons are in the wrong orientation, i.e. they should be horizontally placed rather than vertically. It's a bit like underbar dropper levers vs those weird ones that sit around the bar, with the latter being ergonomically rather awkward. Do we have any idea how much that's likely to cost?

I might have to do a bit of CAD to mockup (and 3d print and try out) some possible button layouts, though I can't help but feel that accomodating a brake lever, a dropper lever and 3 buttons might be rather challenging and I'm really not sure that I'm clever enough to work out how to do it!

Same. (already have DP C240).
I'm OK-ish with the DP C240 display, mostly as I don't bother looking at it all that much and at least it tucks out of the way, but the remote is atrocious. I wouldn't mind the display being more glare-resistant, and maybe 1cm longer/taller...

I rotate the remote so my thumb can hit up/down without thinking, and can live with the button feel, but of course at that point the power button 'extrusion' is just waiting to get smacked by <something>.

Interesting on the horizontal comment. For me I'd be good with slim/tucked in vertical placement so I don't have control overlap madness with a horizontal dropper remote, etc. That Giant one is looking pretty nice - could be a bit narrower but bet could adjust to it darned quick and no more worries about killing the remote in even casual riding.
 
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