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1355 N. 400 E. #1
Logan, UT 84341
Dr. Paul Israelsen
Professor of Senior Design Course
Faculty of Engineering
Utah State University
4120 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-4120
December 15, 2004
Dear Dr. Israelsen,
Please accept the accompanying report entitled "Battery Powered Electric Vehicle Conversion – Final
Design Report."
This report contains the design solutions for the battery powered vehicle conversion. It includes
information about the design optimization, as well as all engineering drawings and schematics.
Performance results and cost information are included in the report. All information necessary for
maintenance and modification to the electric vehicle are also contained in the report.
This report is the result of work completed to fulfill requirements for the Senior Design project in the
College of Engineering at Utah State University. The initial planning began for this project began in
November of 2003. Throughout the last 13 months, the plans have developed into the material you see
presented throughout this document.
This project has given me the opportunity to learn much about electronic component design,
mechanical integration, and the engineering processes. I feel that this knowledge will be helpful in
future work terms, and in my career.
Sincerely,
Ryan Bohm
BATTERY POWERED ELECTRIC VEHICLE CONVERSION
FINAL DESIGN REPORT
A PROJECT REPORT
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY
OF
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
BY
RYAN J. BOHM
DECEMBER 15, 2004
SUMMARY
The battery powered vehicle consists of a previously gas powered which has been stripped of all
components related to the internal combustion engine and replaced by electric components. Much
attention was given to the safe operation of the vehicle after the conversion, as well as ease-of-use and
attractiveness. A large portion of the work accomplished required mechanical ingenuity. An
understanding of the electrical components and their interface with the mechanical workings of the
vehicle was also crucial. The combination of the electrical and mechanical devices results in a vehicle
powered exclusively by batteries and an electric motor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................5
1.0 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................6
2.0 PROBLEM DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATIONS .........................................................................7
2.1 SAFETY .............................................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 VEHICLE PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................. 8
2.3 CLIMATE CONTROL ..................................................................................................................... 10
2.4 ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................... 11
3.0 SOLUTION DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................12
4.0 SYSTEM COMPONENT DESIGN ..................................................................................................13
4.1 DC/DC CONVERTER CONTROL .................................................................................................. 13
4.2 FUEL DOOR SENSOR .................................................................................................................... 14
4.3 FUEL DOOR LOGIC CIRCUIT ..................................................................................................... 15
4.4 HEATER ELEMENT SENSOR ....................................................................................................... 16
4.5 HEATER ELEMENT LOGIC CONTROL CIRCUITS ................................................................... 17
4.6 PDA POWER SUPPLY ................................................................................................................... 18
4.7 WIRING MODIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................... 20
4.8 ELECTRONICS PANEL .................................................................................................................. 21
4.9 BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE MONITOR ................................................................................ 23
4.10 SUMMARY OF SYSTEM COMPONENT DESIGN .................................................................... 24
4.11 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ................................................................................................ 24
5.0 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................................25
5.1 MOTOR CONTROLLER MANUAL .............................................................................................. 25
5.2 CHARGER MANUAL ..................................................................................................................... 46
5.3 BATTERY REGULATORS ............................................................................................................. 51
5.4 VEHICLE WIRING SCHEMATICS ................................................................................................ 64
LIST OF FIGURES
Illustration 1: DC/DC control circuit .......................................................................................................14
Illustration 2: Fuel door sensor ................................................................................................................15
Illustration 3: Fuel door logic circuit .......................................................................................................16
Illustration 4: Heater element selection circuit ........................................................................................17
Illustration 5: Actual picture of heater selection circuit ...........................................................................17
Illustration 6: Heater control circuit for element 1 ..................................................................................18
Illustration 7: Heater control circuit for element 2 ..................................................................................18
Illustration 8: PDA power supply circuit .................................................................................................19
Illustration 9: Palm IIIxe mounted on console .........................................................................................20
Illustration 10: Electronics panel .............................................................................................................21
Illustration 11: Snubber network for heater relays ...................................................................................23
Illustration 12: Battery State of Charge Monitor .....................................................................................24
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The project being summarized is the conversion of a gasoline-powered vehicle to a battery-powered,
electric vehicle. This report will present the supporting materials for the final product. This includes
wiring information, component layout, and maintenance regimes.
The challenge of the electric vehicle conversion was producing a reliable, safe, and cost effective final
product that meets or exceeds standards of a regular gasoline automobile. The vehicle needs to provide
acceleration comparable to the original acceleration. It must maintain the original standards of safety
and comfort. The total budget was in the $7000-$8000 range. The vehicle should be able to easily
make city commutes of between 5 and 10 miles.
Gasoline has long been viewed as the only feasible energy source for personal vehicles. With the
increase in air pollution as a result of internally combusted engines and the decrease in the world
gasoline supply, the need for gasoline alternatives is becoming apparent. The fundamental goal of this
project was to show the community that battery powered electric vehicles can be a viable solution to
decreasing gasoline consumption for short-distance transportation. As members of the community
become aware of electric vehicles, it is hoped that more people will seek them as an alternative to
gasoline.
The basic configuration of this electric vehicle conversion include the following specifications:

System voltage: 144V (12 batteries).

Battery type: Exide Orbital Deep Cycle Marine Battery.

Motor controller: CafeElectric Zilla Z1K 1000 amp Pulse-Width Modulating controller.

Motor: 20Hp Prestolite 96V series wound motor.

Instrumentation: All original digital gauges will be modified to display state of charge and current
draw. A PalmIIIE PDA will be used to set motor controller parameters.

Vehicle weight: within 250lbs of original vehicle weight (2850lbs).

Charger: ManzanitaMicro PFC-20 20amp, 120/240V input charger.

Acceleration: 0-60 under 15 seconds

Target range: no less than 10 miles per charge under normal driving conditions and temperatures.

Vehicle: 1984 Nissan 200sx hatchback. Original gasoline engine – 1.8L Turbocharged 4 cyl.

Climate control: original heater-core heating will be replaced with electric heater elements. Original
air-conditioning will remain intact.
The vehicle handles similarly to how it handled before the conversion. This required the weight
distribution and vehicle height to closely match its original configuration.
This report will include additional detail of problems that were anticipated during the design and
implementation phase, and their solutions. The engineering approach to the problem will be presented,
as well as the alternatives that were considered. Objectives will be discussed at greater length, and a
list of the final deliverables will be discussed.
2.0 PROBLEM DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATIONS
A basic definition has been given of the problems to be solved with general specifications. This section
will elaborate on the specific problems encountered, and the components or methods used to solve
these problems. Since cost was a fundamental factor of the project, this factor will be displayed with
each choice. Engineering alternatives are listed where applicable. Note: this list is not exhaustive.
2.1 SAFETY
There are several aspects to the vehicle safety that can be compromised during the conversion process,
and therefore, must be considered. Each of these will be listed separately.
Aspect
Vehicle handling
Solution
Cost Assessment
For the vehicle to handle properly, the
weight must be distributed similarly to the
original configuration. There will be an
addition of almost 500 lbs. in batteries, a
loss of about 350 lbs. in engine weight from
the engine compartment, loss of approx. 100
lbs. in gas and gas tank, and an addition of
about 160 lbs. in motor and electronics.
This yields a total addition of about 210 lbs.
Ten of the twelve batteries will be placed
where the rear seating was previously which
will keep the moment of inertia low. The
motor and bulk of electronics will be placed
in the engine compartment, as well as 2
batteries. This keeps the front vehicle
weight close to the original weight.
Factors affecting cost
include additional
materials to build
sufficient strength
battery racks in either
the engine compartment
or rear-seat area. Also,
the decision has been
made to increase to 12
total batteries to place
two in the engine
compartment area.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Hazardous fumes
Conventional flooded lead-acid batteries are
subject to venting of hydrogen gas. This
gas poses the risk of exploding if introduced
to sparks or flame. Absorbed glass mat
(AGM) sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries do
not vent hydrogen gas.
Since space constraints
will demand batteries
residing in the passenger
compartment, the
decision had to be made
between flooded lead
acid and SLA. The cost
per battery is about $35
more for AGM.
Stuck-on conditions – if
electronics fail in the “on”
position, provision must be
made to discontinue the
flow of electricity
A 600 amp continuous rated DC circuit
breaker will be installed within reach of the
driver. This will allow for the current flow
to be interrupted at any given time.
A sufficiently sized
circuit breaker is not the
cheapest alternative, but
provides the greatest
safety benefit.
Distractions due to
complexities
Certain distracting components and designs The avoidance of
will be avoided to provide a driving
complex displays will
experience very similar to the original
be a cost advantage.
vehicle configuration. Complex voltage and
current displays will be avoided. Original
dash gauges will be utilized to display
critical vehicle condition parameters.
Vehicle integrity – keeping
the vehicle structure sound
The frame will not have any extreme
modifications made. This includes cutting
the unibody (with the exception of small
holes in a limited number of positions), or
excessive strain or weight on any frame
member.
Minimal frame
modifications will
reduce the amount of
outsourced metal
cutting. However, an
increase of time is
needed to take these
design issues into
consideration.
2.2 VEHICLE PERFORMANCE
To achieve desired range and acceleration, several items must be considered.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Motor Controller
A 1000 amp CafeElectric Zilla Z1K motor
controller will be used. This will provide
the necessary sustained current to climb
long hills and achieve the desired
acceleration of 0-60 in under 15 seconds.
The original proposed time was under 8
seconds, but this has proven to be
unreasonable.
This is one of the most
expensive DC motor
controllers on the
market, however, none
of the other options
would meet the
requirements. An AC
setup could have been
chosen, however, this
was cost prohibitive.
Motor
A Prestolite 96V 20Hp series wound DC
electric motor will be run at 144V to meet
the performance specifications. It will be
cooled with a squirrel cage type blower
motor to overcome the heating effects at
low speeds and high-current draw.
This motor was chosen
because it was bought
from a surplus supplier
at almost half the cost of
similar motors.
Batteries
Exide Orbital 12V deep cycle marine
batteries were used to allow for high current
draws required for the desired acceleration.
These are sealed lead acid batteries that do
not require watering or venting of hydrogen
gas.
These batteries are more
expensive than flooded
batteries, but can supply
high currents, unlike
flooded lead acid
batteries. The Orbital is
almost $20 cheaper per
battery than Optima
Yellow top batteries,
however, they have
comparable (if not
superior) performance.
12V system supply – the 12
volt system that is present in
the original configuration is
also present in the
converted vehicle.
The original alternator provided for
charging of the 12 Volt system. The
alternator output 60 amps. Two IOTA
brand chargers/power supplies will be used
to scale the 144 dc volts to 12 volts. Each
power supply can output 55 amps, for a total
of 110 amps. These power supplies can
successfully be run in parallel.
Per amp, this was one of
the most cost effective
solutions that was
researched. A further
reduction in cost could
have been achieved by
using just one power
supply, however, the
performance of the 12
volt system would have
suffered.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Battery charger
Both modular and series charging schemes
were considered. Modular charging is
hazardous if one charger happens to fail.
Sophisticated monitoring could be put in
place, but the series charging approach was
favored. A ManzanitaMicro PFC-20 20
amp charger was chosen because of its high
efficiency (97-99%) power factor corrected
charging, small size, and light weight.
ManzanitaMicro battery regulators will be
assembled and placed on each battery.
These regulators monitor the batteries
during charging, and communicate with the
charger to signal when the charging is
complete. Original plans called for the
charger to be placed where the gas tank
resided, but it has been positioned in the
cargo compartment.
Battery regulators will
be assembled in-house
at almost 50% of the
cost of purchasing
complete regulators.
Placing the charger in
the spare-tire recess
eliminated the need for
building a weather-proof
box in the gas-tank
region. The PFC-20 is
the most cost-effective
charger for its efficiency
and reliability.
Power steering – without an
idling motor, power steering
is not available while the
vehicle is not moving (e.g.
while in a parking stall).
Additional complexity is
introduced by keeping the
power steering system.
Consideration was made to eliminate the
power steering system. This would pose, as
well as an inconvenience, a safety issue. An
accessory motor was integrated into the
vehicle to provide power steering assist at
all times. The motor proved to be
insufficient to power both the power
steering and air conditioning.
Consequently, a 12V electric power steering
motor was purchased.
The 12V electric power
steering motor from a
1994 Toyota MR2 was
not a significant cost
burden.
2.3 CLIMATE CONTROL
To maintain a comfortable, not distracting climate for the driver, heating and air conditioning issues
had to be considered.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Heating – when using an
internal combustion engine,
waste heat from the engine
is routed to heater cores
(like radiators) usually
under the dash. An electric
motor does not provide
enough excess heat to
supply sufficient heat
during cold winter months.
Two main options for heating exist. First,
some sort of liquid heating method that can
be directly connected to the existing heater
core. Second, electric heater elements that
can be placed where the original heater core
element was mounted. Liquid heaters are
quite slow to produce results. Gas-fired
style liquid heaters produce faster results,
but also require the combustion of fuel.
This would nullify the zero-emissions
advantage of the electric vehicle. The
electric heater elements were chosen
because of their ability to quickly provide
heat, and maintain zero-emissions. Two
elements will be used to give different heat
outputs. These will correspond to positions
on the existing heat selection control. See
the electronics section below for more
details on heat selection.
Cost was also
considered when
choosing the electric
elements. A satisfactory
liquid heater costs
nearly double the
electric elements
(including the high-watt
relays needing for
switching on and off the
heater elements).
However, the time
involved in removing
the heater elements and
installing the electric
units would probably
justify the added cost of
the liquid heating unit.
Air conditioning
A decision had to be made whether to
remove the air conditioning unit or keep it.
Removing it would simplify the process
considerably by eliminating the need for
mounting. However, in the hot summer
months, it would prove quite unimpressive
to be driving without a working AC button.
This would also make the driving
experience less enjoyable.
Only a small amount of
money for building a
mounting bracket is
required to keep the AC.
Several additional hours
are needed for building
the bracket.
2.4 ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
To control the existing dash gauges, additional electronic systems must be added.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Battery state-of-charge
(SOC) and battery
warning lights
A SOC monitor will be built. This will
require a link between the 12V and 144V
systems. Separate PIC microcontrollers will
be used for each voltage system, and
optocouplers will join the communications
between these microcontrollers. Elaborate
voltage monitoring was considered, but
determined to be an unnecessary distraction
for the driver. Communications lines from
the ManzanitaMicro battery regulator lines
will feed into the SOC monitor to read the
under-voltage line on the this line. When an
under voltage condition is detected, the
existing battery error light on the dash will
light. Two lines enter the unit from the
current detecting system (see below) which
communicate the general current usage
range to more clearly determine the SOC at
the given time. A thermistor from within
the battery compartment will give a general
temperature reading to help in the SOC
calculation. The open circuit voltage will be
channeled to the SOC unit through an opamp in a voltage-following configuration.
These three readings together (current,
temperature, and open-circuit voltage) will
allow for a fairly accurate determination of
the state of charge. This SOC reading will
be used to display a value on the existing
dash fuel gauge.
Commercial meters are
available for monitoring
various parameters in an
electric vehicle. These
meters are quite
expensive, and would
not properly interface
with the digital dash
gauges that exist in the
vehicle.
Current sensing
A ferrite core will be used in conjunction
with an analog hall-effect sensor to detect
the amount of current flowing from the
controller to the motor. A PIC
microcontroller will read this value on an
Analog to Digital converter, and send the
proper signal to the existing digital oil
pressure gauge on the dash.
A shunt resistor can be
used to measure a
voltage drop across a
known resistance (which
yields a current
reading). However,
these are quite
expensive, and produce
a very weak voltage
signal. The hall-effect
sensor method with the
ferrite core will be about
1/5th of the cost of the
shunt.
Aspect
Solution
Cost Assessment
Heater element selection –
two electric heating
elements will be used for
providing passenger
compartment heat.
Provision must be made to
select none, one, or both of
these units.
Digital hall-effect sensors will be mounted There is not much
in close proximity with a rotating, magnet
difference between the
bearing cam. This cam is connected to the various options.
heat-selection slider that exists on the dash
controls. These hall-effect sensors will be
connected to relays which will feed power
to the heating elements. Because these
heater switches are located in a location that
is very difficult to obtain, a reliable switch
was desired. Hall-effect sensors are used
because of their lack of contacting parts that
can wear out over time.
External charging source –
with a charger that requires
20 amps, special charging
cord must be provided.
A 10/3 gauge cable will be provided for
charging connection to an outlet. The
connectors for 15 and 20 amp outlets are
different, i.e. a 20 amp plug will not fit in a
15 amp receptacle. Special charging cord
adapters will be designed for use in various
outlets.
Connectors and cable
will be purchased from
surplus outlets when
available.
3.0 SOLUTION DESCRIPTION
The electric vehicle is composed of 12 deep cycle batteries connected in series. A 1000 amp pulse
width modulated controller manages the flow of current, as well as the voltage applied to the main
traction motor. The electric motor is a 20HP continuous rated series wound DC motor. The motor is
coupled to the original transmission and the original clutch system is used.
An onboard charger can plug into any wall outlet (preferably high-current), and is power factor
corrected for 96-98% efficiency. Charge time depends on current that can be pulled from the circuit, as
well as wall voltage. Maximum charge time is approximately 2.5 hours. The charging system requires
no maintenance once properly configured. The cable is simply plugged into the wall, and the charging
process completes unattended.
Motor controller parameters can be changed by using the Palm PDA mounted to the drivers console.
Parameters such as maximum motor current, maximum battery current, motor voltage, RPM limits, as
well as many other settings, can be controlled quickly and easily. A valet switch mounted on the
dashboard is used to toggle between two different controller configurations. This allows for having an
efficiency setting and a performance setting, which can be rapidly changed.
Vehicle maintenance is very limited. Normal wear and tear require that brakes and tires be replaced
when worn. Transmission and differential fluids should be changed as recommended in the vehicle
maintenance manuals. Joints should be lubricated frequently. Many of the maintenance requirements
of a normal gasoline-powered vehicle are eliminated. There is no need for oil changes, spark plug
replacement, valve adjustments, fuel-injector cleanings, or oxygen sensor replacement. The typical
failures such as exhaust problems, radiator leaks, fuel-line clogs, head gaskets, oil leaks, and alternators
are eliminated.
Solid-state electronics ensure that components will last for a long time. The simplicity of the electric
motor makes maintenance and problems almost non-existent. It is anticipated that this electric vehicle
conversion will continue to operate for many years to come.
4.0 SYSTEM COMPONENT DESIGN
The vehicle is composed of many electrical circuit components that perform the various logic
operations. These include control circuits for turning on/off the DC/DC converters, fuel door position
detection, fuel door position action determination circuit, heater element logic circuits, and heater
element selection circuit.
4.1 DC/DC CONVERTER CONTROL
The DC/DC converter is only enabled when the ignition is in the “On” position, and the fuel door is
closed. This is to prevent a significant current drain from the high-voltage battery pack during
charging. This also mimics the operation of the alternator by only supplying the 12V system when the
vehicle is on. The only difference from the alternator operation is that the vehicle does not have to be
“started” to supply the 12V system – it only has to be in the “On” position.
The only logic input to the DC/DC control circuit is the fuel door signal. This signal is only provided
when the vehicle is in the “On” position. When in the “Off” position, the signal is high impedance.
The design of the DC/DC control circuit is shown in Illustration 1.
Illustration 1: DC/DC control circuit
4.2 FUEL DOOR SENSOR
The vehicle charging cord connection is located behind the existing gasoline fuel door. To prevent
driving with the charging cord connected, a Hall-effect sensor and magnet are placed on the door. This
sensor detects if the door is open, and will feed a signal to the fuel door logic circuit. The fuel door
logic circuit will prevent the vehicle from being “started” if the fuel door is open.
Hall-effect sensors were chosen throughout the vehicle design because of their ruggedness and reliable
operation in dirty settings. The fuel door sensor is very simple. It does not require any additional
circuitry besides the Hall-effect sensor itself. The circuit diagram can be seen in Illustration 2.
Illustration 2: Fuel door sensor
4.3 FUEL DOOR LOGIC CIRCUIT
The fuel door signal is fed to a fuel door logic circuit. This circuit is basically a logic inverter. The
fuel door sensor provides a grounded signal when the fuel door is closed. The motor controller and
DC/DC control circuit require a 12V signal as a logic 1. Consequently, the fuel door logic circuit is
required to invert the signal. A simple PNP BJT transistor is used.
Illustration 3: Fuel door logic circuit
4.4 HEATER ELEMENT SENSOR
The electric vehicle conversion contains two electric heater elements as replacements for the existing
heater core. To allow for differing amounts of heat according to the weather conditions, the elements
can be fully off, one on, or both on. Two magnets were mounted to a control arm, which previously
actuated a coolant flow valve. As the temperature selection bar was moves back and forth, the magnets
begin passing over two Hall-effect sensors. When in the medium temperature position, the magnets are
only over one of the sensors. When in the full temperature position, the magnets are over both of the
Hall-effect sensors. The signals from the Hall-effect sensors are fed to a heater element control circuit
which turns on and off the heater element relays.
Illustration 4: Heater element selection circuit
Illustration 5: Actual picture of heater selection circuit
4.5 HEATER ELEMENT LOGIC CONTROL CIRCUITS
The heater logic control circuits take the input from both the heater element selection circuit and a
signal coming from the fan switch. The heater elements must only be turned on when they are both
selected on the temperature selection switch, and the blower is turned on. Although the ceramic heater
elements are self-protecting (i.e. they draw current proportional to the amount of air flowing over
them), the elements should not be allowed to be on without airflow over them.
Illustration 6: Heater control circuit for element 1
Illustrations are shown for heater control circuits for both elements. The only difference between the
circuits is the colors of wires exiting them. It is important while connecting the control circuits to
verify that the proper lines are routed to the correct relays.
Illustration 7: Heater control circuit for element 2
4.6 PDA POWER SUPPLY
A Palm IIIxe PDA is used to interface with the motor controller. The PDA is mounted to the
instrumentation console for easy driver access. To avoid the need to replace batteries, a power supply
board was designed which is powered from the vehicle 12V system. A LM317 variable voltage
regulator is the heart of the power supply. A slight error was made in the calculation of the resistors
used to set the output voltage of the regulator. This results in the battery indicator on the PDA not
being at the 100% charge mark. This will not affect the performance of the PDA.
Illustration 8: PDA power supply circuit
There are two programs installed on the PDA for interfacing with the motor controller. Ptelnet is a
terminal application designed to run on the Palm Pilot. It can be downloaded from
http://netpage.em.com.br/mmand/ptelnet.htm
The other application is called a hack. It is called HackFlip, and rotates the screen of the PDA. This is
necessary because the PDA is mounted on its side. HackFlip requires a program called HackMaster to
be installed. They can be found at the following web addresses:
HackMaster: http://www.daggerware.com/hackmstr.htm
HackFlip: http://www.freewarepalm.com/utilities/fliphack.shtml
Illustration 9: Palm IIIxe mounted on console
4.7 WIRING MODIFICATIONS
Many modifications were made to the original wiring of the vehicle. Wires entering the electronics
box in the engine compartment have the following designations:
10 gauge Red: Ignition on to Hairball
Green/Yellow: Valet Switch 1 (spliced to Black/Red 12V from EFI relay)
Green/Red Banded: Valet Switch 2
Yellow/Pink with red bands: 12V from EFI relay
Black/Red: 12V from EFI relay
Orange/Blue: AC on/off signal
Yellow/White: Vacuum relay on
Purple/White: temperature gauge
Black: to ECU area (unused)
Purple: Extra to battery box area
Yellow: Heat element 1 on/off
White/Red: Heat element 2 on/off
White/Blue: Fuel door sensor
Black: Ground – chassis
Yellow/Green: Tachometer to dash
White: Heater/AC blower on (12V)
Black/Red: Current 1
Lt. Blue: Current 2
4.8 ELECTRONICS PANEL
An electronics panel is located within the electronics box in the engine compartment. The electronics
panel contains all relays as well as the throttle cable connections to the potentiometer (housed in a unit
called the potbox). The electronics panel has the layout shown in Illustration 10. Item descriptions are
given below the illustration.
Illustration 10: Electronics panel
1
4
2
5
9
3
6
7
10
8
Electronics panel items:
1: System on signal relay
2: Motor cooling blower relay
3: Controller cooler pump inverter relay
4: Accessory motor relay
5: DC/DC unit 2 relay
6: DC/DC unit 1 relay
7: Heater Element 2 relay
8: Heater Element 1 relay
9: Throttle cable mount
10: Potbox
The purpose of each of these items, as well as item details, are explained in more detail below. Note: A
1N4001 diode is placed across the coils of each relay to protect the driving circuitry. Fuses of the
proper rating are also used on each power supply line that is not already fused.
System on signal relay – Model Bosch 40A
A relay called the “Bulb-check” relay existed in the original vehicle configuration, which determined if
the motor was actually running. If it was not running, and the ignition was in the “On” position, it
would send the proper signals to the dashboard display to light up the various warning lights. It is
assumed that this was to both check the operation of these bulbs and to give an indication to the driver
that the engine was not on. The signal to indicate to the bulb-check relay came from the alternator. If
the alternator was spinning, it was assumed that the engine was running.
The system on signal relay mimics the signal, which was provided by the alternator. When the motor
controller is a started state, it puts out a 12V signal to turn on the main contactor. This signal is
connected to the coils of the system on signal relay. The contacts of the relay tie to ground and to the
wire running to the bulb-check relay. This effectively grounds out the bulb-check relay when the
vehicle is “running”, and provides infinite resistance when the vehicle is not running, thus providing
the bulb-check relay with the necessary signals to mimic the original configuration.
Motor Cooling Blower Relay – Model Bosch 40A
A 12V blower motor forces air through the main traction motor to keep it cool during operation. This
blower should be turned on whenever the vehicle is in operation. The motor cooling blower relay coils
also connect to the motor controller contactor output. The contacts of the relay connect to the blower
positive connection and to 12V.
Controller Cooler Pump Inverter Relay – Model Bosch 40A
The motor controller must be liquid for optimum operation. A 120VAC aquarium pump is used to
move coolant through the controller. The controller cooler pump inverter relay provides power to a
small 70W inverter whenever the vehicle is running. Once again, the motor controller contactor output
signal is used to energize the relay coil. The relay contacts are connected to 12V and the inverter.
Accessory Motor Relay – Model Potter & Brumfield KUEP-3D15
The accessory motor that powers the air conditioning unit is switched on when the vehicle is running
and the air conditioning is activated. This feature is currently unavailable, but will be implemented in
the future.
DC/DC Relays – Model Potter & Brumfield KUEP-3D15
The DC/DC control circuits determine when the DC/DC converters are connected to the high voltage
battery pack. The coil is energized by these driving control circuits. The contacts are connected from
the high voltage battery pack positive connection to the hot (black) input of the DC/DC converters.
Each of the feed lines are fused with a 5 amp, 250V fuse.
Heater Element Relays – Model Potter & Brumfield KUEP-3D15
The heater element control circuits determine when the heater elements are connected to the high
voltage battery pack. The coil is energized by these driving control circuits. The contacts are
connected from the high voltage battery pack positive connection to the red colored input wire of the
heater elements. Each of the feed lines are fused with a 15 amp, 250V fuse.
A snubber network was placed across the contacts of the relay to limit the arcing on the contacts during
switching. This snubber network consists of a .33mFd capacitor in series with a 39 ohm, 5W resistor.
A picture of the snubber network is shown in Illustration 11.
Illustration 11: Snubber network for heater relays
Throttle Cable Mount
This is a metal bracket that secures the throttle cable. It provides a means for adjusting the throttle
cable tension by turning the two bolts attached to the end of the throttle cable in either direction.
Potbox
The potbox houses the potentiometer which provides an input signal to the motor controller. The
potentiometer is a linear 5K ohm unit. The potbox contains its own return spring, however, an
additional safety spring is installed in case the primary spring fails.
4.9 BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE MONITOR
The battery state of charge monitor is a real-time system that measures the battery pack voltage,
current, and temperature to develop an instantaneous state of charge value. This value is displayed on
the dashboard fuel gauge to show the driver how much fuel is remaining.
This instrument has not been built at this time. The battery characteristics are being studied to develop
a reliable model from which to code the microcontroller software. The block diagram for the state of
charge monitor is shown in Illustration
Inputs 12: Battery State of Charge Monitor
voltage divider
Illustration
HV+
Program.
Buses
&
Op-Amp
Temp. Sensor
voltage
divider
Low Fuel Light
PIC 16F76
High Volt.
Ω
Fuel guage
voltage bus
5V
LM7805
+12V
12V Gnd
Battery Error Light
optocouplers
Temp.
Sensor
Outputs
PIC 16F76
Low Volt.
HV +
5V
HV Gnd
optocoupler
LM7805
12V
Bat. Reg. Signal
Bat. Reg. Signal Out
4.10 SUMMARY OF SYSTEM COMPONENT DESIGN
Each of the electronic components which comprise the electric vehicle support systems work together
to provide vehicle operation very similar to that of the original vehicle. The safety devices such as the
fuel door input sensor verify that the vehicle is operated in a way to not cause damage to people or
property.
Additional information about the components and their configuration and operation can be found in the
appendices. This information includes datasheets, schematics, and user manuals.
4.11 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Initial drives in the electric vehicle conversion have been very positive. The acceleration is impressive,
and the smooth operation is exciting. The vehicle handles very similarly to how it handled before the
conversion. Control systems that have been implemented operate as expected.
There are several items that still need attention. The power steering pump has not been connected at
this point. The original plan to drive the existing power steering pump off of the accessory motor has
been changed. The power steering will be powered off of a 12V Toyota MR2 electric pump. The
1.5HP accessory motor was not sufficiently sized to handle the load of both the air conditioning and
power steering. The accessory motor will only power the air conditioning. However, a pulse width
modulated controller will be designed to lower the operating speed of the accessory motor.
The learning curve for understanding the operation, charging, and characteristics of the batteries is
proving to be somewhat difficult. Once these points are better understood, work on the battery monitor
system will commence. It is important to design a reliable monitoring system to prevent damage to the
batteries. One of the obstacles of learning to responsibly drive the electric vehicle will be ensuring that
the vehicle is not driven too far on a single charge.
5.0 APPENDIX
5.1 MOTOR CONTROLLER MANUAL
Café Electric llc
Home of the Zilla
Got Amps??
Owner’s Manual
for the
Zilla Motor Controller Package
with
Hairball 2 Interface
Z1K Z2K
Hairball 2
Read this manual before you ask questions.
Questions not answered in the manual
or the FAQ at the end will gladly be answered.
Latest revision 6.15.04 V2.01
Warning!
READ THIS PART TO SAVE LIVES
This manual is only intended to provide model specific data for use by qualified and experienced
installers. Electric Vehicles use Fatal Voltages. Do not attempt to work on them unless you are
trained in safe design and working practices specific to Electric Vehicles.
A vehicle utilizing this controller is capable of killing people!
This both from high voltage shocks and due to many other methods including driver error and
unintended acceleration. It is the responsibility of the vehicle designer and installer to insure a safe
finished product.
The fine print: Very important!
Cafe Electric llc. has no control of third party procedures in the installation and use of this control
system. Accordingly, Cafe Electric llc. assumes no liability for vehicle functionality or safety after
third party installation of the controller. It is the responsibility of the vehicle designer and component
installer to test and qualify their application and to insure proper safety and functionality.
Cafe Electric llc. assumes no responsibility for the applicability of this product to any use.
Furthermore:
The products sold by CAFE ELECTRIC LLC. (the Company) are used in experimental vehicles and
can be quite dangerous if not operated properly and responsibly, therefore the purchaser/user/operator
assumes all liability and risks associated therewith.
Purchaser/user/operator assumes all risks and acknowledges acceptance of said risks with the purchase
of the the Company's products and/or by their use and operation. Further, the purchaser/user/operator
of our controllers and other products is/are solely responsible for determining their applicability and
suitability of use for the purpose intended by the purchaser/user/operator.
The purchaser(s) agree(s) that he/she/they will insure that the purchased products of the Company will
only be used in a safe and lawful manner consistent with the laws, rules and regulations of the
geographic area of product operation and will assume all risks and liabilities associated therewith and
will hold the Company, its agents, employees, officers, suppliers and vendors harmless.
Installation Notes
The following notes were compiled to assist in the installation of the control system.
See the enclosed diagrams and chart to assist in wiring.
Physical Mounting
The components should be securely mounted in a place that is guaranteed to be free of water spray and
moisture. Water or condensation inside the unit can cause it to fail. All the high voltage connections
(meaning the Controller and the Hairball) should be mounted outside of the passenger compartment. In
the unlikely case of failure, components can catch fire and emit large amounts of smoke. This is
especially likely with high voltage components. Consideration should be given to this when locating
components. The Hairball is best mounted where it is accessible for service and where wiring will be
easy. The Hairball has indicating LEDs on it. It is helpful for diagnostics if these are visible.
Accelerator Potentiometer (Pot) requirements
This unit uses a standard 5K two wire potentiometer of the type used by Curtis and other controllers.
The potentiometer is not supplied with the controller package. It must be supplied by the installer.
Any throttle assembly must have at least two return springs where either one is strong enough to return
the pedal alone in case the other should break.
On the input to the Hairball, below 150 ohms is off, and over 4.8K ohms is full on. Resistance over 7K
ohms will cause a fault condition. (DTC: 1214)
Cooling System
The controller is set up for water cooling. It can be run with air cooling in lightweight multiple ratio
(shifting) vehicles when a dry air can be assured. It is better to have water cooling if possible. Water
cooling keeps the controller cooler during use and that will help promote long-term reliability.
When using water cooling, it is very important that there are no leaks near the controller since water in
the unit aside from that inside the heat sink can destroy the controller. The heatsink has two 3/8" OD
barbed fittings on the signal end of the controller. Water flow direction does not matter. These fittings
are intentionally fragile, and also easily replaceable. They are plastic in order to protect the copper
heatsink from damage in case of abuse. In case they need replacing, be sure to seal the threads with
Teflon tape and to pressure test the connections for leaks.
For optimal cooling the unit should have 2 gallons per minute of flow and the coolant should be as
close to ambient temperature as possible. If you want to do the math, design for the water to maintain
5°C over ambient. The controller will produce about 2 watts per amp of motor current. The water
cooling radiator should be placed in the air flow. It can be anything like an automotive heater core or a
transmission cooler. These are available at most auto parts stores and provide plenty of cooling for
most applications.
The heatsink is factory tested to 15 PSI. Using pressures above this is not advised.
Any water cooling system should have an expansion tank to allow for the expansion of the coolant due
to temperature changes. The tank should be vented. For most systems a quart is enough volume. A
larger tank can reduce the need for cooling the water because the extra water can store more heat.
My preferred circulating pump is a MAXI-JET MJ 1200. This is a submersible pump that is available
at aquarium stores and on-line. It requires 115 VAC at about 20 watts. It can be run off the accessory
battery by utilizing a small 12V to 115V inverter. Many other pumps can be used as well, so long as
they maintain 2 GPM at the encountered load.
Some antifreeze agent should be used for corrosion protection. It should be phosphate free, such as the
Sierra brand.
The controller will maintain full output motor current up to 55 degrees C heatsink temperature. Above
that, current drops back to 75% at 80 degrees C and then rapidly declines to nothing at 100 degrees C.
The controller is designed to protect itself in an overheat condition, but running it hot can shorten its
life.
General Wiring Notes
The Zilla controllers require special attention to electrical noise issues. This is because the unusually
high currents of which they are capable switching at very fast rates cause electrical noise.
Signal wires should not be run near the high power cables due to the likelihood of interference. A
separation of at least one foot between power and signal wires is customary. Alternatively, the power
wires can be run in shielded enclosures or wraps.
Power wires are those which run between batteries, from the battery to the controller, and from the
controller to the motor.
Signal wires include all other wiring, but especially sensitive are the pot wiring, motor speed sensor
wiring and serial communication wires.
In order to further reduce noise emissions, power wires of a given circuit should be run together in
close proximity. For example: The wires to the motor from the controller should all be close to each
other and secured together with wire ties. The same goes for the battery connections. Anytime power
wires carrying the same current in opposite directions are not in close proximity, they form a loop. A
loop is very much like an antenna and it transmits unwanted electrical noise.
Signal wires should also be run in sets. It is best to keep all the wires for a given circuit in a tight
bundle. The wiring to and from a device, such as a contactor or sensor, should always be tight.
Drive Pot Box Wiring
Wires should be of twisted pair type for noise immunity.
The two wires from the pot are polarity insensitive. One should connect to pin 25 and the other to pin
26 of the Hairball.
Key and Start Wiring
The key input informs the Hairball that you are about to start. It enables the battery light, check engine
light, and turns on the motor contactors (if applicable).
The start input initiates a precharge sequence, and upon successful completion of safety tests it turns on
the main contactor and allows the controller to drive. This should take less than 3 seconds, usually
much less.
The start input needs only a momentary activation to start the controller. It is possible to tie the key and
start wires together for those applications desiring only one switch to activate the vehicle. But beware,
for it may compromise safety in some instances. Also, a separate key and start input can make
diagnostics easier if there are problems with the wiring.
The Key Input has to carry the current for the main contactor. For this reason in should be fused with a
fuse rated to take the full coil current of the contactor. This value should usually be 4 amps.
Contactor Wiring
All contactors driven through the Hairball must have 12V continuous rated coils.
The main contactor is controlled by the Hairball for safety reasons, but the power to drive the contactor
comes through the Key Input. Therefore any required safety shut down circuit (such as those required
for NHRA racing) can simply interrupt the power to the Key Input. The Hairball has internal contactor
drivers which require suppression diodes on the contactor coils in order to absorb the inductive kick
produced by the contactor coil when it turns off.
The diodes which come with the Hairball package have no polarity, they can be connected in either
direction across the coil connection on the contactors. These diodes have a 24V threshold so they are
compatible with Kilovac contactors as well.
Sometimes it is desirable to have two contactors in series with the battery wiring. In this case one
should be considered the safety contactor. It should be wired to turn on with or before the Key Input to
the Hairball. The second contactor, which I will call the main contactor, should be wired through the
Hairball as shown in the wiring diagrams. In this situation it is important that the Key and Start inputs
are not wired as one.
The Main contactor should only switch power to the controller. No other accessories should be
connected downstream of the Main contactor. If one were to hook up a DC to DC, Heater, or other
accessory in parallel with the controller, it would likely interfere with proper precharging and keep the
controller from starting up.
Motor Contactors
In applications that use motor contactors for either electric reverse or electric series parallel switching
of the motors, the power for those contactor drivers needs to be supplied to both of the "+14V Cont"
inputs. The power to these two together should be fused with one fuse to handle the coil current
expected. With all options active, the maximum drive is 4 coils at once.
The Hairball monitors the motor contactors while driving and during switching. This assists safe
switching and faster series/parallel switching.
The contactor sense inputs "Ct Sen" always need to be connected for the options that are enabled in the
Option menu. In cases where only one set of reversing contactors is being used, it is important to
connect the F2 and R2 sense inputs to the F1 and F2 sense inputs respectively, so the Hairball will
think they are all switching properly.
In some installation cases, such as in Sparrows, it is burdensome to add microswitches to the motor
contactors for sensing. In that case it is possible to bypass the contact position sensing by joining the
"Ct Dr R1" to both "Ct Sen R1" and "Ct Sen R2" and the same goes for the forward contactors. When
doing this shortcut, the designer and user should be aware that switching the contactors under load can
damage them. Also, switching these under high loads can damage the Zilla.
Never bypass the microswitch requirement for the Series/Parallel contactors, the consequences can be
disastrous. When setting up Series Parallel contactors, it is good to test them before driving. Do this by
turning on the key, turning off the autoshift option and using the "S/P In" to control them. Cycling them
should not throw any errors and the contacts should switch together.
Fuse Selection
It is important to have a fast semiconductor fuse in the battery circuit that feeds the controller. If there
were to be some major problem with the Zilla, a standard fuse or circuit breaker would not trip fast
enough to protect the controller from excessive internal damage.
Failure to use an appropriate fuse can void the warranty on your controller, in addition to causing a
variety of unsafe conditions.
Selecting the proper fuse can be a difficult process as it depends on what power the batteries can
source, the capacity of the main contactor and other components, the system voltage, as well as what
the controller settings are.
The fuse should have a DC voltage rating higher than the maximum expected battery voltage. Since
DC voltage ratings are often lower than the AC ratings, be sure to check the data sheet for the fuse you
intend to use. A rule of thumb that I use is that the current rating for the fuse should be so that it can
withstand full controller current for 20 seconds. It is also important to verify that the fuse withstand
time curve is below that of the contactors and other components used in the circuit. In street vehicles
where there is no desire for a high battery current, lower current rated fuses can be used so long as the
battery current is set appropriately in the Hairball to keep them from blowing.
As a general guideline, I will offer a few recommendations here which will allow full power out
through the controller. Using fuses larger than these should only be done after careful study of the
system.
• A Z1K up to 300V should use a fuse like the Ferraz Shawmut #A30QS500 500A 300V fuse.
• A Z2K up to 300V can use a fuse like the Ferraz Shawmut #A30QS800 800A 300V fuse.
For systems that reach over 300V (about 276V nominal pack voltage). The A50QS series is a good
choice.
• The Ferraz Shawmut A50QS600-4 fuse is appropriate for most situations involving up to 348V of
Exide Orbital batteries and a Z2K-EHV.
• The Ferraz Shawmut A50QS400-4 fuse is appropriate for most situations involving up to 348V of
Exide Orbital batteries and a Z1K-EHV.
Systems running under 150V max. may be able to run a more economical fuse from the A15S series.
Speed Sensor
The Hairball needs a speed sensor connected to the motor in order to do rev limit and stall detect, as
well as to drive the tachometer. The speed sensor is not included with the unit. The Hairball has been
designed to use a four pulse per revolution sensor, such as the one that comes stock on Sparrow motors
from Advanced DC. These speed sensor assemblies are available from Cafe Electric, or your qualified
dealer.
Any sensor which pulls the signal wire low four times per revolution with approximately a 50% duty
cycle should work.
I recommend hall effect units that use magnets as they are not as susceptible to dirt as the optical
pickups are.
Speed sensors are especially susceptible to noise and can benefit from a shielded twisted pair wire
between them and the Hairball. Some speed sensors still have problems, even with shielded twisted
pair wiring. In those cases I find it helpful to filter the power to the speed sensor by putting a 0.1
microfarad capacitor on the power leads to the sensor. It is important that this capacitor is close to the
sensor, within 8" is good.
Future Features
The Hairball version 2 allows for a number of new features. Many of these have not yet been
implemented. The connections for those have been labeled (future feature) in the chart below.
How to Hook up the Hairball and Zilla
Wiring diagrams are located at the end of this document.
Use the Simple Diagram to get it running and see how little is actually required to hook it up.
It shows the minimum connections required to get the system running.
Use the Sparrow Diagram to wire a single motor system with contactors for reversing motors such as
what is used in a Sparrow.
Use the Full Diagram to hook everything up for a dual motor, direct drive system with electric reverse.
This shows all the current options enabled and should be used as a reference for hooking up options.
The Hairball 2 does not have pin numbers on the terminals. It has text descriptions instead. In the event
that the text is worn off, the table below shows numbers starting with #1 at the top left near the Zilla
Data Connection and progressing clockwise around the unit to #50 on the lower left near the serial port
connection.
Hairball 2 Wire Connection List
Top Row Connection
Pin#
Function:
Connects to:
1
Chassis GND
Chassis ground on the vehicle, use a wire no longer than 4".
2
SLI +14V In
SLI battery (12V) through a 4 amp fuse. Always on.
3
Key Input
Run connection of the ignition switch with a 4 amp fuse.
4
Start Input
Start connection of ignition switch
5
Main Cont Coil
Main contactor coil + connection
6
Pot In -
5000 ohm (5K) Throttle Potentiometer one connection
7
Pot In +
5000 ohm (5K) Throttle Potentiometer other connection
8
Reverse Input
Reverse switch, +12V is reverse
9
Ck Eng Lt Out
Check engine light on dash, 1/2 amp max.
10
Battery Lt Out
Battery indicator light on dash, 1/2 amp max.
11
Tach Output
Tachometer pulse connection
12
Cruise On In
(future feature)
13
Cruise Mode In
Mode input, on selects Valet.
14
Brake Light In
(future feature)
15
Cruise Up In
(future feature)
16
Cruise Down In (future feature)
17
AC Plug In
(future feature)
18
VSS In
(future feature)
19
Acc +14V Out
Red wire on Advanced DC Speed Sensor
20
Mot Sped 1 In
Green wire on Advanced DC Speed Sensor, 4 pulses per rev. Mot 1
21
Mot Sped 2 In
Green wire on Advanced DC Speed Sensor, 4 pulses per rev. Mot 2
22
Signal GND
Black wire on Advanced DC Speed Sensor
23
F Gauge Out
(future feature)
24
T Gauge Out
(future feature)
Right Side Connections
Pin#
25
Function:
Controller +
To main contactor terminal that connects to B+ connection on the Zilla
26
27
Connects to:
This terminal not connected
Battery +
To main contactor terminal that connects to B+ connection on the battery
--------- ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Battery -
(future feature)
29
Shunt -
(future feature)
30
Shunt +
(future feature)
Bottom Row Connections (-A Option Only)
Pin#
Function:
Connects to:
31
Aux 1
(future feature)
32
Aux 2
(future feature)
33
S/P In
Series / Parallel Switch. Also activates other functions, see text.
34
Fwd In
Forward Switch, + 12V is forward
35
Ct Sen F2
Motor 2 Forward Contactor Microswitch
36
Ct Sen R2
Motor 2 Reverse Contactor Microswitch
37
Ct Sen P2
Parallel 2 Contactor Microswitch
38
Ct Sen P1
Parallel 1 Contactor Microswitch
39
Ct Sen F1
Motor 1 Forward Contactor Microswitch
40
Ct Sen R1
Motor 1 Reverse Contactor Microswitch
41
+14V Cont
+14V Input to drive motor contactors, connect both
42
Ct Dr F2
Motor 2 Forward Contactor + Connection
43
Ct Dr R2
Motor 2 Reverse Contactor + Connection
44
Ct Dr P2
Parallel 2 Contactor + Connection
45
Ct Dr P1
Parallel 1 Contactor + Connection
46
Ct Dr F1
Motor 1 Forward Contactor + Connection
47
Ct Dr R1
Motor 1 Reverse Contactor + Connection
48
+14V Cont
+14V Input to drive motor contactors, connect both
49
Aux Pot +
(future feature)
50
Aux Pot -
(future feature)
Left End Connections: Serial Ports
Connector
Function:
Connects to:
6 Pin Data
Serial Port
Connection
Serial port of a Palm Pilot or other text terminal. Use grey data
cable and adapter (included). Cable is Pin 1 to Pin 1.
RCA (2)
EVIL Bus
Interface
Optional EVIL Bus Interface connections, (future feature)
8 Pin Data
Zilla Data
Connection
Zilla Controller with Standard Cat 5 Cable included, Green. (pin
1 to pin 1)
Communicating with the Hairball:
The Hairball has many adjustments and features. Many of which are systems which shut the controller
down if a potentially unsafe situation arises. This necessitates some sort of communication between
you and the Hairball in order to set the adjustments and find out why the controller has shut down if a
safety situation arises. Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are used to record why the controller has shut
down. They can be read by using a shorting plug as described below, or with a serial terminal, which is
much easier.
Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) are four digit numbers ranging from 1111 to 4444. Codes below 1244
are errors and are stored for later review. Codes 1311 and above are used to indicate the current
operating state. A table below lists what each code represents.
In order to set the adjustments, some sort of computer with a serial terminal program is required. A
Palm Pilot is the recommended device for this operation, but almost any computer with a built-in serial
terminal can be used. A serial terminal loaded in a Palm Pilot can also be used for reading and clearing
DTCs. See setup information below.
Your controller came with a grey serial adaptor. There are two types, one for the Palm and one for
other PCs. If you have the wrong one for the system that you want to use, you can adapt to the other
system by using a “Null Modem” and “Gender Changer” both of which are available from Radio
Shack.
Simple diagnostics, without the ability to adjust settings, can be performed by use of the included
shorting plug. It triggers the Hairball to blink error codes on the check engine light. This can be useful
if a problem is encountered and a serial terminal is not available. It is a good idea to keep the shorting
plug and a copy of this manual in the car at all times.
Reading Diagnostic Trouble Codes Using the Check Engine Light
In order to read DTCs on the check engine light, first locate the orange serial port shorting plug that
came with the Hairball. This is a 6-pin telephone style plug with a single loop of orange wire shorting
two pins. This plug, when plugged in, will short the RX pin to +14V. Be sure not to confuse it with the
similar shorting plug that comes with some Todd chargers, that one has black wire.
Codes will be blinked out on the check engine light on the Hairball. Four sets of blinks per code, with
pauses in between digits.
The definitions of DTCs are located near the end of this manual.
To Read DTCs
1) Turn the key switch on. (It is not necessary to turn it to "Start.")
2) Insert the shorting plug for 4 seconds and then remove it.
3) The Hairball will now blink the current Operating Status code and stop.
4) Insert the shorting plug and remove it again to view the newest stored error code.
5) Repeat step 4 to view older error codes, up to 5 can be stored.
6) The last code will be followed by a code of 1111.
7) Turn the key off after reading any number of codes to reset the reading procedure.
To Clear DTC History
1) Insure that the key switch is off.
2) Insert the shorting plug for 20 seconds and then remove it.
3) The Hairball will blink a 1111 code to indicate it has cleared the DTC memory.
Communicating with the Hairball Using a Palm
The Hairball has many adjustments and features which are accessible via the serial port. The easy way
to do this is to use a Palm Pilot handheld computer with a terminal program in order to communicate
with it. Unfortunately, many of the Palm Pilots no longer support RS232 communication. If you are
buying a Palm Pilot to use for this, you must insure that it can use serial communication. USB by itself
is not enough.
Palm computers that should be capable of communicating with the Hairball include, but are not limited
to, these models:
* Palm i705 Handheld
* Palm m125 Handheld: For HotSync® Only
* Palm m130 Handheld
* Palm m500 Handheld
* Palm m505 Handheld
* Palm m515 Handheld
* Palm Zire 71 Handheld
* Palm Tungsten T Handheld
* Palm Tungsten T2 Handheld
* Palm Tungsten T3 Handheld
* Palm Tungsten W Handheld
* Palm Tungsten C Handheld
* Palm III/Palm Pro
* Palm VxLE Handheld
* Palm VX Handheld
* Palm V Handheld
Palm computers that I know do not work are these:
Zire, Zire 21
Unfortunately the Palm models change so quickly that it does not help to try to recommend a model
here. A very basic Palm III series can often be found on the used market and will do fine. Cafe Electric
sometimes buys up stock of remanufactured units and installs the needed software directly into the
flash memory. Contact us or your dealer for price and availability.
I would also suggest buying a HotSync® cable because the cradle is a bit awkward to hold. If a cable is
available with a 9 pin serial connector (Not USB) then you can be pretty sure the Palm based unit will
work for this.
Once you have the Palm, you will need to load a serial terminal program into it.
ptelnet is what I use. You can get it here for free:
http://netpage.em.com.br/mmand/ptelnet.htm
Configuring the Palm
The Serial Terminal will need to be configured when you first get it.
Once you've started the ptelnet program, tapping the menu button on the Palm brings up the "Options"
menu.
Tap on the word "Serial" and then select these options: Port: RS232, Baud: 9600, Parity: N, Word: 8,
StopBits: 1.
Do not select either Xon/Xoff or RTS/CTS check boxes. Tap OK when you are done.
Once again tap the menu button on the Palm to bring up the "Options" menu.
Tap on the word "Terminal" and select these options: Mode: Serial, Return: CR, Font: Larger, Width:
64, Charset: ISO-Latin1, Do not check "Local Echo". Tap OK when you are done.
Now tap the "ON" box on the lower left of the ptelnet screen to activate the terminal. The "ON" box
should turn dark.
You are now done with configuring the Palm and ptelnet program.
Connect the Palm to the serial port on the Hairball, using the data cable and 9-pin adapter provided.
Connect those to the Palm cradle or hotsync cable, whichever you are using.
Using a Computer to Communicate with the Hairball
Most computers can communicate with the Hairball directly. It requires a serial port and a serial
terminal program.
On a Mac, you may need a USB-to-serial adaptor, such as the Keyspan USA-19QW. You will also
need a program like ZTerm.
Most Windows PCs still use serial ports. They have a built-in terminal program called “Hyperterm” in
the “Accessories” section of the start menu.
With any system, it will need to be configured to communicate with the Hairball. The Hairball speaks
9600 baud, No parity, 8 bits, 1 stop bit. It does not use flow control of any type. (Turn off both
"Xon/Xoff" and "RTS/CTS")
Using the Serial Terminal
The Hairball requires a minimum of Chassis GND and SLI +14V In battery power in order to
communicate.
It may not communicate when the throttle pot is depressed.
Commands are case sensitive, therefore "d" is not the same as "D".
Main Menu
The Esc button is your friend. It gets you out of most any operation and also returns you to the main
menu. Press it to see the main menu. It will look like this:
d) Display settings
b) Battery Menu
m) Motor Menu
s) Speed Menu
o) Options Menu
p) Special Menu
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
The menus have letters in front of the selections and abbreviated labels. To change
a value, just enter the letter of the selection and follow the prompts. Numerical
values are often saved slightly different than what was entered. This is because the Hairball
adjusts them to the nearest value that it can use. If the Hairball does not understand your input,
it will reply with: Huh?
Display
The settings listed in this example are those that I run in a 240V Porsche.
The display menu looks like this:
Display only, change with menu
a)BA, v)LBV, i)LBVI
1800 119 145
a) Amp, v) Volt, i) RA
1600 429 700
r) RV, c) PA, p) PV
106 2000 180
l)Norm, r)Rev, x)Max
7000 1500 8000
a) On b) On c) On d) On
e) Off f) On g) On h) On
i) Off j) Off k) Off l) Off
m) Off n) Off o) Off p) Off
Errors, Old-New:
1111 1111 1111 1111 1111
State: 1311 Return for menu
Due to a lack of space, the labels are abbreviated in the menus. I will go over them here, one
menu at a time.
Battery Menu
a)BA, v)LBV, i)LBVI
1800 119 145
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
• BA is the Battery Amp limit.
• LBV is the Low Battery Voltage limit. The controller will automatically reduce current so as not
to run below this.
• LBVI is the Low Battery Voltage Indicator. The battery light on the dash will light
below this level.
Motor Menu
Motor Settings:
a) Amp, v) Volt, i) RA
1600 429 700
r) RV, c) PA, p) PV
106 2000 180
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
• Amp is the Series, or Normal, Amp limit for one motor.
• Volt is the Series motor Voltage limit out of the controller (not per motor).
• RA is the Reverse motor Amp limit.
• RV is the Reverse motor Voltage limit
• PA is the Parallel motor Amp limit.
• PV is the Parallel motor Voltage limit.
Speed Menu
Rev limits
l)Norm, r)Rev, x)Max
7000 1500 8000
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
• Norm is the forward rev limit.
• Rev is the reverse rev limit.
• Max is the speed above which the Hairball will log an error.
A Word about Valet Mode
When power (12V) is applied to the "Cruise Mode In" input, the Valet mode is active.
When engaged, this activates a second set of settings. These settings can be used for a variety of things,
such as Economy Mode, race adjustments or Teenager Mode. The input must be engaged in order to
display or change the Valet settings.
Settings that change when Valet is engaged:
Battery Amps, Low Battery Volts, Low Battery Voltage Indicator
Motor Amps and Volts in Series, Parallel and Reverse
Normal and Reverse Speed Limits
Note: Max Speed and Options are not changed in Valet mode.
How to Tell if You Are in Valet Mode
Have a look at the State display at the bottom of the display, press Esc to refresh it.
It will look something like this:
Valet Mode Active: Valet Mode Not Active:
State: 1311 Valet, State: 1311
How may I help you? How may I help you?
Options Menu
Options: Enter letter to change
a) On b) On c) On d) On
e) Off f) On g) On h) On
i) Off j) Off k) Off l) Off
m) Off n) Off o) Off p) Off
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
This menu consists of flags which adjust what options are enabled in the Hairball.
Flags can be either on or off.
Writing the letter of the option will toggle it on or off. Always check the confirmation to insure that the
changes are what you expected.
This table lists the names of the various flags.
Flags:
a)MotSpd1 b)MotSpd2 c)AutoShift d)StallDetect
e)Batt lt polarity f)Ck eng lt polar g)FR Contactors h)SP Contatctors
i)Parallel Reverse j)Drag Race k)Amps on Tach l)6 Cyl Tach
m) n) o) p)Z1K Scaling
• Flags "a" and "b" should be on if those motor speed sensors are connected. Motor speed sensors
should produce four pulses per revolution. Motor speed is used for Stall Detect and Rev Limit
functions, as well as inhibiting changing directions while moving.
• Flag "c" on enables auto shifting from series to parallel of two motor systems. This is set up to
automatically shift from series to parallel any time these conditions are met: Full throttle requested, No
current limits active, Average motor current is less than half of the available current from the
controller. It shifts back to series when the duty cycle is below 50% for 3 seconds. If this flag is not set,
then shifting is controlled manually through the S/P In pin.
• Flag "d" on enables a Stall Detect. This will cut power if current is flowing for too long without the
motor turning. The stall cutout time is shorter if higher currents are flowing and longer at lower
currents. It varies from about 0.5 seconds at high current to 12 seconds at 50 amps. If the stall detect
has tripped, it can be reset by lifting and reapplying the accelerator pedal.
• Flags "e" and "f" change the output polarity of the indicator light drivers. Some dashboards require
this.
• Flags "g" and "h" configure the Hairball to be wired with Reversing and Series/Parallel contactors
respectively.
• Flag "i" forces unit to stay in parallel when "h" is on and vehicle is in reverse. In some systems this
can help traction.
• Flag "j" inhibits any shifting when "c" is on and the Series/Parallel (h) input is on. This is useful to
inhibit shifting during a burnout.
• Flag "k" makes the tachometer display motor amps multiplied by ten instead of motor RPM.
• Flag "l" changes the tachometer output from 4 to 6 cylinders when it is on.
• Flags "m" through "o" are not used yet.
• Flag "p" sets the amp display scaling to fit the Z1K instead of the Z2K.
If the Hairball is equipped with Option -A (contactor drivers) but you are not using the Series / Parallel
switch, then it is possible to use this input to select motor amps display on tach instead of RPM on the
fly. To activate it, you must have Option "c" on and "j" and "k" off.
Special Menu
Special Menu: W) Reset
c) Clear Error p) Precharge
Q) DAQ <1-4> D) Defaults
Errors, Old-New:
1111 1111 1111 1111 1111
Error Count: 0
Esc) Cancel
State: 1311
How may I help you?
Reset: "W" resets the Hairball, this is for testing, reloading code, and handy for reading the software
version number.
Clear Error: "c" clears the DTC error history.
Precharge: "p" manually turns on the precharger for the controller. This is for testing.
DAQ: "Q" is data acquisition. This is how various data can be viewed in real time. Details on this
function are below.
Defaults: "D" resets all the values back to factory default values.
Below that is a listing of any stored errors.
Data Acquisition (DAQ)
This is an advanced feature that most people won't need. If you understand it then you may like it.
Start the DAQ in the Special menu by typing "Q1" Or "Q2" etc., followed by a return.
DAQ data is displayed 10 times a second in Hex format with spaces between data. Data is approximate
and the scaling values vary.
Press the space bar to exit DAQ mode. DAQs may change with new code versions, please check the
latest update notes.
DAQ 1, Data from the Zilla but in a different
order:
RxCtrlFlag.byte // controller mode.
ArmatureCurrent // Averaged current on the
motor
ZCurrentLimit // Available current from the Zilla
ArmDC // Averaged Duty Cycle
BatteryVoltage // in voltoids
MotorVoltage // in voltoids
HeatSinkTemp // in tempoids.
SpiErrorCount
CurrentError
OperatingStatus
DAQ 2, Data To the Zilla but in a different
order:
TxCtrlFlag.byte // mode requested.
ArmDCTarget
AccelTaskTime
ArmatureCurrentLimt // in ampoids
BatteryCurrentLimit // in ampoids
BatteryVoltageLimit // in voltoids
MotorVoltageLimit // in voltoids
EnableCount
OperatingStatus
DAQ 3:
DrivePot
Speed1
Speed2
SLI Voltage
EEProm.UserMotorLimit
EEProm.UserBatteryLimit
ShiftRecCurrentLimit // not used.
CurrentError
OperatingStatus
DAQ 4:
DrivePot
Speed1
ArmatureCurrent
ZCurrentLimit
ArmDC
BatteryVoltage
MotorVoltage
HeatSinkTemp
OperatingStatus
After the DAQ data there will be a number of letters indicating states:
S = Stopped state
G = Shifting in progress
O = Main Contactor is on OK
M = Motor contactors are on OK
R = Direction is Reverse
F = Direction is Forward
P = Motors are in Parallel
S = Motors are in Series
Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The 2-digit number is what is displayed in the DAQ as OperatingStatus and CurrentError
The 4-digit code after it represents the DTC as displayed in other menus and blinked on the check
engine light.
For most uses it is best to ignore the 2 digit codes listed below.
00 1111 Unknown mode, no error
01 1112 Hairball watchdog reset
02 1113 Hairball EEPROM CRC error
03 1114 Controller watchdog reset
04 1121 Controller EEPROM CRC error
05 1122 Controller Desat error
06 1123 Power section failed test
07 1124 Main Contactor Stuck On
08 1131 Shorted/Loaded Controller during precharge
09 1132 Controller did not communicate during precharge
0A 1133 Lost Communication with controller during use, either direction
0B 1134 Lost Communication to controller, still receiving from controller
0C 1141 Main Contactor High Resistance
0D 1142 Controller still not off... Main contactor trying to turn off
0E 1143 Motor Contactor State Machine got an illegal Value, Software error
0F 1144 Motor Contactors no longer matched requested state
10 1211 Controller still not off...Motor contactors trying to turn off
11 1212 Motor Contactors did not turn off
12 1213 Motor Contactors did not turn on
13 1214 Open Pot Wire
14 1221 Major Overspeed Either Motor Beyond redline by X,
15 1222 Unused.
16 1223 SLI battery below warning threshold
17 1224 SLI battery too low and caused shut down of controller.
18 1231 Propulsion pack open, No contactor drop, and controller is not responding.
19 1232 Software Bug in Hairball #1
In addition to the above errors, the OperatingStatus is represented by these non-fault states:
20 1311 waiting for key
21 1312 waiting for start signal
22 1313 waiting for zero pot
23 1314 wait for throttle input
24 1321 wait for go button, drag race mode only, *Install later*
25 1322 direction selected is not allowed (rolling too fast or inactive state)
26 1323 battery voltage limit active
27 1324 motor current limit active
28 1331 battery current limit active
29 1332 temperature current limit active
2A 1333 SPI packet error in controller
2B 1334 Zilla waiting for enable signal
30 1411 Normal driving
CAFE ELECTRIC LLC. 12 MONTH LIMITED WARRANTY
CAFE ELECTRIC LLC. (the Company) warrants to the original retail purchaser of this product that
should this product or any part thereof, under normal use and conditions, be proven defective in
materials or workmanship within 12 months from the date of original purchase, such defect(s) will be
repaired or replaced with new or reconditioned product (at the Company's option) without charge for
parts or repair labor.
To obtain repair or replacement within the terms of this Warranty, the product is to be delivered with
proof of warranty coverage (e.g., dated bill of sale), specification of defect(s), transportation prepaid, to
the Company at the address shown below.
This Warranty does not extend to the costs incurred for installation, removal or reinstallation of the
product, nor to any damage to the vehicle including its motor, drivetrain or electrical systems.
This Warranty does not apply to any product or part thereof which, in the opinion of the Company, has
suffered or been damaged through alteration, improper installation, failure to install in accordance with
the Installation Manual(s), mishandling, neglect, accident, misuse, specifically including, but not
limited to: exposure to moisture and extreme uncontrolled currents caused by excessive motor voltage,
which is also known as fireballing. THE EXTENT OF THE COMPANY'S LIABILITY UNDER THIS
WARRANTY IS LIMITED TO THE REPAIR AND/OR REPLACEMENT PROVIDED ABOVE
AND, IN NO EVENT, SHALL THE COMPANY'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE
PAID BY THE PURCHASER FOR THE PRODUCT.
This Warranty is in lieu of all other express warranties or liabilities. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, SHALL BE LIMITED TO
THE DURATION OF THIS WRITTEN WARRANTY, ANY ACTION FOR BREACH OF ANY
WARRANTY HEREUNDER INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY MUST BE BROUGHT WITHIN A PERIOD OF 30 MONTHS FROM DATE
OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE. IN NO CASE SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF THIS OR ANY OTHER
WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHATSOEVER. No person or representative is authorized
to assume for the Company any liability other than expressed herein in connection with the sale of this
product.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or
limitation of incidental or consequential damage, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply
to you. This Warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary
from state to state.
http://www.CafeElectric.com
Cafe Electric llc, 586 College Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306. (866) 860 - 6608
These Diagrams are easier to read in the Acrobat version, please refer to it for detail.
Last update 6.15.04
5.2 CHARGER MANUAL
PFC-20 instructions
Joe Smalley
First Draft
9/22/2001
Installation:
WARNING
INSTALLATION OF THIS CHARGER INVOLVES WORKING WITH POTENTIALLY LETHAL
VOLTAGES. DO NOT INSTALL ALONE. HAVE SOMEONE NEARBY CAPABLE OF
RENDERING AID. DO NOT ATTEMPT INSTALLATION UNLESS YOU HAVE TRAINING AND
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH POTENTIALLY LETHAL VOLTAGES.
WARNING
IF THE SYSTEM IS MISWIRED, THERE WILL BE SPARKS OR ARCS WHICH CAN IGNITE
FLAMABLE GASSES. PERFORM THIS INSTALLATION IN A LOCATION WHERE THE AIR IS
NOT FLAMMABLE.
Mechanical mounting.
Install the charger in a well ventilated but dry location. The power you get out of the charger is
inversely related to the temperature. A cooler charger makes more power.
If the charger is being mounted on a vertical surface, installing the fans at the bottom of the charger
will make it run cooler and make more power. It can be mounted in any orientation although with
slightly reduced power output.
Bolt the charger down through the bolt holes in the flanges. The plastic boxes have removable
mounting flanges. The metal boxes have the flanges as part of the housing.
Mounting the charger so you can easily see the LEDs and turn the knob makes it easier to operate and
monitor.
AC cable connection:
Disconnect the power at the source before connecting the charger to AC power.
The input cable enters the box right next to the circuit breaker.
AC cable color code:
GREEN is Safety Ground
White is line power (neutral on 110)
Black is line power
Connect the black and white wires to the hot terminals of the power source. If the charger is connected
to 110 volts, the white wire should be connected to neutral and the black wire connected to the hot
wire. Polarity is irrelevant to the charger but the next guy to work on it expects the white wire to be
neutral.
Connect the green wire to safety ground from the source.
Cover your connections to prevent inadvertent contact.
DO NOT TURN ON THE POWER SOURCE AT THIS TIME. WAIT UNTIL THE DC CABLE IS
CONNECTED.
DC cable connection:
WARNING:
THE FOLLOWING STEP WILL EXPOSE THE INSTALLER TO POTENTIALLY LETHAL
VOLTAGES. DO NOT INSTALL ALONE. HAVE SOMEONE NEARBY CAPABLE OF
RENDERING AID. DO NOT ATTEMPT INSTALLATION UNLESS YOU HAVE TRAINING AND
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH POTENTIALLY LETHAL VOLTAGES.
FOR SAFETY: Disconnect the battery pack in a convenient location in the middle of the pack.
The output cable exits the box on the same end of the box as the circuit breaker but on the other side of
the fans from the circuit breaker.
DC cable color code:
GREEN is Chassis Ground
White is battery positive
Black is battery negative
No connector is provided since each installation is unique.
If you have a current shunt in the negative lead, connect the black (negative) lead of the charger to the
end of the shunt not connected to the battery pack.
Connect the white (positive) lead of the charge cable to the positive terminal of the battery pack.
Connect the green lead of the charge cable to the chassis of the vehicle.
Build a pre-charge resistor by connecting several 100 watt 110 volt light bulbs in series. Use one for
each 100 volts (or fraction of 100 volts) of battery pack voltage. Example use two bulbs for 156 volts
or three bulbs for 240 volts.
Connect the pre-charge resistor across the place where you disconnected the battery pack for safety.
IF THE LIGHT BULBS COME ON AND STAY ON, SOMETHING IS MISWIRED. THE
CHARGER MAY BE CONNECTED BACKWARDS OR THERE IS A SHORT IN THE SYSTEM.
DO NOT RECONNECT THE BATTERY PACK. SOMETHING WILL BE DESTROYED. THE
CHARGER WARRANTEE DOES NOT COVER THIS INSTALLATION ERROR. FIND THE
FAULT AND FIX IT BEFORE PROCEDING.
IF YOU REMOVE THE PRE-CHARGE RESISTOR WITH THE BULBS LIT, THERE WILL BE A
SPARK OR ARC. IF THERE ARE FLAMMABLE GASSES IN THE AIR, THERE IS A CHANCE
OF CAUSING A FIRE. BE SURE YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS NON FLAMMABLE.
The light bulb should blink on (rather dimly at lower voltages) and then go out.
Measure the voltage across the pre-charge resistor. If it is more than 10% of the battery voltage, you
have a current leak. Check to make sure all the loads are turned off (like your DCDC converter). If it is
less than 10% of your pack voltage proceed.
Reconnect the battery pack and then remove the pre-charge resistor.
Cover all your connections to prevent inadvertent contact with the live wires.
Configuration
The following procedure assumes that all the batteries in the battery pack are fully charged. If the
batteries in the pack are not equally charged, charge each of them individually before starting this
procedure.
Read the charging recommendations for your battery. Multiply the acceptance or charging voltage by
the number of batteries you have in your pack to get the target pack voltage. Example: 14.4 volts per
battery times 10 batteries is 144 volts.
Connect a voltmeter to read the battery pack voltage. This may be part of the vehicle’s regular
instrumentation
Connect an ammeter to read charge current. This may be part of the vehicle’s regular instrumentation.
Turn the current control knob to zero (fully counterclockwise.)
Connect the AC power source.
Turn on the AC circuit breaker.
The power LED and the current limit LED should come on.
Voltage limit (R11)
CAUTION:
THIS CONTROL IS SET BY THE INSTALLER DURING SETUP AND WILL DETERMINE THE
ACCEPTANCE VOLTAGE OF THE CHARGER. THE CONTROL HAS AN EXTREMELY WIDE
RANGE AND CAN BE SET SO HIGH THAT THE BATTERY PACK CAN BE DESTROYED
WITHIN A FEW HOURS. THE CHARGER MANUFACTURER CANNOT BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR SETUP ERRORS AND DAMAGED BATTERY PACKS. THESE SETUP
STEPS ARE CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE CHARGER.
If the voltage limit LED comes on, the voltage control (R11) is set too low. Turn the voltage control
(R11) up until the voltage limit LED turns off.
Turn the current control (R3) to 20% of its range.
Monitor the voltmeter and ammeter. If the meters increase, you are charging the battery. A 20% setting
on the current control should produce approximately 1 to 5 amps of battery charge current.
If the voltage limit LED comes on and the pack voltage is above the target pack voltage, turn the
voltage control down until the target voltage is indicated.
If the voltage limit LED comes on and the pack voltage is below the target pack voltage, turn the
voltage control up slightly and wait for the voltage limit LED to come back on.
When the pack voltage is at the target voltage and the voltage limit LED is on and the battery current is
less than one amp, then this control is properly set.
Note: The voltage control (R11) is a 20 turn trim pot. The pack voltage will increase approximately 20
volts per turn on the trim pot.
Charger time out
The charger has a timer that turns off the charger after a specified period of time.
SW4 controls what event will start the timer:
SW4-1 will start the timer when the Regbus tells the charger to back off on current.
SW4-2 will start the timer when power is applied to the charger
SW4-3 will start the timer when the acceptance voltage causes the charger to back off on current.
If SW4-2 is set, it will take precedence over the other two timers.
If no Batregs are connected to the charger, SW4-1 will have no effect.
If no switches are closed, the charger will not turn off.
SW1 is a rotary switch that controls the length of the time out. Each number is worth 10 to 15 minutes.
1 is the shortest time out period and 10 (or 15 or F) is the longest time out period.
When the time out circuit is not activated, the BLUE LED is off.
When the time out circuit is activated, the BLUE LED blinks. As the end of the time out period
approaches, the blink rate increases.
When the time out has expired, the BLUE LED stays on and the time out indicator come on to indicate
the charger is timed out.
Batreg interface
Battery regulators can be connected to this charger with either digital (bang-bang) regulation or analog
(variable) regulation.
Turning SW2-1 on and SW2-2 off will put the regulators in their normal mode of operation.
Turning SW2-2 on and SW2-1 off will put the regulators in their equalize mode of operation.
If both switches are turned on, the system will think there is an undervoltage condition and the
regulator voltage limit is increased 10% from its normal setting.
In normal mode, if a regulator senses an undervoltage condition during discharge, optocouplers 1 and 2
will be activated to indicate the condition while it is happening. The red LED on the regulators will
indicate which battery had the problem.
In equalize mode, the undervoltage indicator is disabled and the regulator voltage limit is increased
10% from its normal setting.
In digital feedback mode, if any regulator reaches thermal shutdown temperature, it will shut OFF the
charger current until the regulator cools.
In analog feedback mode, if any regulator reaches the temperature set by R30 on the control board, the
charger current will be reduced to keep the regulator from exceeding this set point.
5.3 BATTERY REGULATORS
Mk 2 Regulator
Introduction:
The Mk 2 regulator is an upgrade of the BATREG charging regulator. The intent of the device is to
bypass current around a fully charged AGM battery so all the other batteries in a long series string get
fully charged. The way it does this is have a circuit board across each 12 (or 6 or 8 or 16) volt block to
sense the voltage across that block and turn on a bypass resistor to bypass current around the block
instead of through it. The circuit has a blink feature that changes duty cycle in response the needs of the
block of cells between its terminals.
Definitions for some words used in this document:
A cell is a single container holding two lead plates immersed in sulfuric acid producing 2.3 volts fully
charged open circuit.
A Battery is an enclosure with multiple cells connected in series. 3 cells are a 6 volt battery, 4 cells
make an 8 volt battery and 6 cells make a 12 volt battery.
A Pack is multiple batteries connected in series to produce a higher voltage.
Improvements in the Mk 2 Regulator:
The original BATREG was intended for use in sunny weather at electric hydroplane races and was
never intended to be used in other environments. When users began using them in other applications, a
list of improvements came back and we have addressed them with the new design.







Temperature compensation is now -2 mV/C to match lead acid battery manufacturers’
specifications.
The set point of the regulator can be set using a DVM without needing the battery to be fully
charged.
The regulator can be operated on 6, 8, or 12 volt blocks of cells.
Reverse polarity protection has been added to protect the internal load.
A less expensive internal load has been designed.
An over temperature shutdown has been added.
Kelvin connections have been added to allow operation on longer wires with more resistance.
The board has a new layout that:
 Puts all controls and indicators on the same edge of the board.
 Puts all battery and load connections the edge of the board opposite of the controls.
An interface or option board has been designed for some additional features:
An undervoltage detector has been added.
 LED stays on until the regulator begins to regulate at its set point.
 Undervoltage set point can be set using DVM.
 Undervoltage is fed back to a controller to reduce the current to avoid damaging the batteries.
A communications bus has been added.
 Opto coupled to eliminate ground loops.
 Raises regulation set point 10% for equalization phase of charge cycle.
 Analog indication of temperature of hottest regulator (tells charger to turn down the current)
 Analog indication of temperature of coolest regulator (tells charger the last battery is done)
 Indication that a battery is undervoltage (tells controller to back off the current)
 Adds a RJ type jack to bus all the communications between boards.
Installation:
Bus wiring is described later. The following
paragraphs only consider the battery, sense and
load wiring but not the bus wiring.
The new board can be installed three different ways with three different wiring techniques:
 Directly on top of each individual battery
 Dispersed around the vehicle.
 On a back plane at a central location in the vehicle
Installation directly on top of each individual battery:
 Battery cables to the regulators must be short so as to not require a Kelvin connection.
Voltage drop in the wires should be kept to less than 10 millivolts to allow the blinker to work properly
therefore the following wire length limits (in inches) are recommended:
Wire
size
10
12
14
16
18
20
22




ohms per 2A load 4A load 6A load 8A load
foot
(inches (inches (inches (inches
)
)
)
)
0.0010 60.00 30.00 20.00 15.00
0.0016 37.50 18.75 12.50 9.38
0.0025 24.00 12.00 8.00
6.00
0.0040 15.00 7.50
5.00
0.0064
9.42
4.71
0.0100
6.00
0.0161
3.72
Connect the BAT+ terminal of each regulator to the positive terminal of each battery.
Connect the BAT- terminal of each regulator to the negative terminal of the same battery.
If you are using external loads, connect them between LOAD+ and LOAD- terminals on the
regulator.
DO NOT share wires between regulators. Each regulator must be connected to its battery with a
separate pair of wires.
The local installation should look like this:
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Reg 1
Reg 2
Reg 3
Reg 4
Reg 5
Bat 1
Bat 2
Bat 3
Bat 4
Bat 5
Installation dispersed around the vehicle:
This installation technique is recommended for installation further from the battery that the instructions
in the previous paragraph allow.
 Battery cables to the regulators do not need to be kept short if a Kelvin connection will be used.
Voltage drop in the wires should be kept to less than 100 millivolts to allow the output transistor to
work properly therefore the following wire length limits (in inches) are recommended:
wire
size
10
12
14
16
18
20
22









ohms per
foot
0.0010
0.0016
0.0025
0.0040
0.0064
0.0100
0.0161
2A load 4A load
600.00
375.00
240.00
150.00
94.20
60.00
37.20
300.00
187.50
120.00
75.00
47.10
30.00
6A
load
200.00
125.00
80.00
50.00
31.40
8A load
150.00
93.75
60.00
37.50
A fuse should be installed at every point the regulators connect to the battery pack. Each fuse
should have the same rating as the loads on your regulators. For example: a 2Amp fuse for a 2A
load, a 4A fuse for a 4A load, etc.
Connect the BAT- terminal of the bottom (most negative) regulator to the negative terminal of the
bottom (most negative) battery through a fuse.
Connect the SENSE- terminal of the bottom (most negative) regulator to the negative terminal of
the bottom (most negative) battery through the same fuse as in the last step.
Connect the BAT+ terminal of the bottom (most negative) regulator to the BAT- terminal of the
next regulator immediately above it.
Connect these two terminals to the positive terminal of the bottom (most negative) battery through
a fuse where it connects to the second battery.
Connect the SENSE+ terminal of the bottom (most negative) regulator to the SENSE- terminal of
the next regulator immediately above it.
Connect these two terminals to the positive terminal of the bottom (most negative) battery through
the same fuse where it connects to the second battery.
Repeat this pattern with each pair of terminals until you reach the top of the battery pack.
If you are using external loads, connect them between LOAD+ and LOAD- terminals on each of
the regulators.
The dispersed installation should look like this:
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Reg 1
Reg 2
Reg 3
Reg 4
Reg 5
Fuse
Fuse
Fuse
Fuse
Fuse
Fuse
Bat 1
Bat 2
Bat 3
Bat 4
Bat 5
Installation on a back plane at a central location in the vehicle:
This installation technique simplifies the wiring involved since a lot of the wiring is done within the
back plane.
 Battery cables to the regulators do not need to be kept since a Kelvin connection is used.
Voltage drop in the wires should be kept to less than 100 millivolts to allow the output transistor to
work properly therefore the following wire length limits (in inches) are recommended:
wire
size
10
12
14
16
18
20
22







ohms per
foot
0.0010
0.0016
0.0025
0.0040
0.0064
0.0100
0.0161
2A load 4A load
600.00
375.00
240.00
150.00
94.20
60.00
37.20
300.00
187.50
120.00
75.00
47.10
30.00
6A
load
200.00
125.00
80.00
50.00
31.40
8A load
150.00
93.75
60.00
37.50
A fuse should be installed at every point the regulators connect to the battery pack. Each fuse
should have the same rating as the loads on your regulators. For example: a 2Amp fuse for a 2A
load, a 4A fuse for a 4A load, etc.
Connect the B1- terminal of the regulator back plane to the negative terminal of the bottom (most
negative) battery through a fuse.
Connect the S1- terminal of the regulator back plane to the negative terminal of the bottom (most
negative) battery through the same fuse as in the last step.
Connect the B1+/B2- terminal of the regulator back plane to the positive terminal of the bottom
(most negative) battery through a fuse.
Connect the S1+/S2- terminal of the regulator back plane to the negative terminal of the bottom
(most negative) battery through the same fuse as in the last step.
Repeat this pattern with each pair of terminals until you reach the top of the battery pack.
If you are using external loads, connect them between LOAD+ and LOAD- terminals on each of
the regulators.
The bussed installation should look like this:
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Ext. load
Reg 1
Reg 2
Reg 3
Reg 4
Reg 5
B1- S1-
B1+/B2-
Fuse
Bat 1
S1+/S2-
B2+/B3-
Fuse
S2+/S3-
B3+/B4-
Fuse
Bat 2
Bat 3
S3+/S4-
B4+/B5-
Fuse
Bat 4
S4+/S5- B5+ S5+
Fuse
Fuse
Bat 5
Bus wiring:
There are two sets of bus wiring connectors on the BATREG Mk 2. A set of Faston connectors that
uses common .250 spade wire terminals (like the battery, sense and load terminals) are included since
most shops have access to a proper crimper. The other type of connector is the RJ type that mass
terminates all six conductors of the wire at the same time. Fewer people have this crimper so the more
common connectors were installed to make installation easier for the less well equipped shops. Either
or both types of connectors may be used in the same installation since they are connected in parallel.
The back plane uses the Faston connectors to connect to each BATREG since the load current goes
through the connections.
Temperature accuracy of the system is dependent on the voltage drops in the wires therefore, the
system wires should be kept as short as practical and the longer (>3 feet) lengths of wire should be
made with #18 wire instead of RJ wire.
All regulators need the 5 conductors of the bus connected together. If the RJ connectors are used, just
daisy chain them from one regulator to the next using appropriate length 6 conductor RJ jumpers. The
RJ jumpers connect all five wires together so only one jumper is needed.
If the Faston connectors are used, each of the conductors needs to be separately wired. Since there in
only one Faston connector for each wire, either Y connectors (3M #1226) must be used or two #20
wires can be inserted into a #16 crimp terminal before crimping.
If the back plane is used, all connections are made on the bus and only the end wires will need to be
brought out to go to any other device that needs to be connected on the bus.
The bus wiring should look like this:
Reg 1
Reg 2
Reg 3
Reg 4
Reg 5
12345
12345
12345
12345
12345
To
External
Devices
Description of the REGBUS interface:
The REGBUS communicates the temperature of the regulator heat sink temperatures back to the
charger. The charger uses this information to determine when to turn down the charge current and
when to turn off the charger. The interface contains five wires:
1. Power supply (+5 volt DC)
2. Hottest reg temperature
3. Voltage control.
4. Power supply return (GND)
5. Coldest reg temperature
All of these wires are isolated from the battery being monitored to prevent ground loops and fault
currents. The +5 and GND are powered from a 100 mA current limited power supply. All measurement
are made relative to the GND wire. It is important to verify all five of the wires are continuous
throughout the system. Temperature accuracy of the system is dependent on the voltage drops in the
wires therefore, the system wires should be kept as short as practical and the longer (>3 feet) lengths of
wire should be made with #18 wire instead of RJ wire.
There are four functions of the REGBUS:
1. Read the temperature of the hottest regulator heat sink to tell the charger when to back off the
current.
2. Read the temperature of the coldest regulator heat sink to tell when the last battery is charged.
3. Tell the regulators to raise the regulation voltage 10% to equalize the battery.
4. Read when a battery goes below the undervoltage cutout.
Temperature reading on the REGBUS:
A thermistor on the regulator is attached to the heat sink and changes resistance when the temperature
changes. This resistance is converted to a voltage and is diode connected to the bus in the following
way:
+5 VDC
Coldest
Sensor
Hottest
GND
Sensor
The squares represent the temperature sensors and the triangles are current amplifiers to prevent the bus
from pulling the sensor voltage below or above its true value. The diodes make the highest voltage to
be presented on the hottest bus and the lowest voltage to appear on the coldest bus. Note that the
Hottest bus runs a diode drop below the temperature of the hottest regulator. The opposite is true of the
coldest bus.
The charger is intended to be programmed to regulate its output current to keep the hottest regulator
below its failure point. Regulation by this means is the fastest and safest way to get to a full charge
without gassing or overvoltage damage to the batteries.
By watching the temperature of the coldest regulator, the charger can be aware of the bypass current
being expended in the last battery to get charged.
Optimally, the charger will run full current until the first regulator gets hot, then cut back to save that
regulator and then watch for the last one to come up to temperature to indicate all the batteries are fully
charged. With new sets of batteries, it can take several hours for the pack to go from the first one to top
off until the last one tops off. As the batteries age and become synchronized, the time is reduced to less
than an hour. At the end of pack life, the time gets longer if the batteries failure mode is self-discharge
and becomes almost instantaneous if the failure mode is plate shedding.
How hot to run the regulators during the absorption phase is a function of the ambient temperature and
how fast the vehicle needs to get back into service. Higher temperatures will make the absorption phase
take less time but is more risky to the regulators.
Thermal shutdown on the bus:
If a regulator heat sinks exceeds the safety shutdown temperature, the hot bus wire will be pulled to the
+5 bus line and should shut down the charger until the temperature of the heat sink drops below a safe
temperature.
Equalization command on the bus:
By pulling pin 3 of the bus to GND, an opto coupler is activated to raise the regulation voltage 10%
from its normal setting of just under 15* volts to just under 16.5* volts. This can be done after the
absorption phase from the charger during normal operation to make the charge regiment follow the
manufacturers’ recommended charge profile.
* These voltages are typical. The user can adjust the setting from 2.2 volts per cell to 2.7 volts per cell.
For a 6 cell battery, this corresponds to 13.2 to 16.2 volts. If a 6 volt battery (3 cells) is used, the battery
voltages are 6.6 volts and 8.1 volts respectively. The regulator can also be set up for 4 cell (8 volt)
batteries as well. Instructions on how to set this threshold are given in the adjustments section of this
document.
Under voltage sense:
If the voltage on one ore more of the batteries goes under the threshold set by the undervoltage
threshold control, an opto coupler pulls line 3 of the REGBUS to ground. This signal can be used by
the controller to reduce the load on the batteries to prevent damage. If your controller does not have
this feature, the signal can be used to turn on an indicator for the operator to reduce the demand on the
batteries to prevent damage.
Indicators:
There are three indicators on a fully populated BATREG.
The Green LED indicates when a battery is above the regulation set point and the load is activated.
This is a brief transient event at first with a brief blink followed by a much longer off time. As the
battery becomes more fully charged, the on time increases and the off time decreases, thereby
increasing the overage current through the regulator and preventing the battery from being
overcharged. The set point voltage controls the voltage level were this occurs, see the adjustment
section of instructions on making this adjustment.
The yellow LED is only installed on models with a bus interface, This LED comes on two ways: 1)
when an equalize command is active on the bus or 2) the bus sees an undervoltage condition on one or
more regulators. The yellow LED’s turn on all cards at the same time. This condition is used to tell the
controller or operator to reduce demand current to save the batteries.
The Red LED is only installed on models with undervoltage detection. If a battery triggers the
undervoltage detector, the red LED is illuminated on the regulator connected to the battery that had the
low voltage condition, The LED will remain lit until either the power is disconnected from the
regulator or the battery is charged until the green LED blinks. This way, when your pack gets soft, you
can scan your regs for the red LED to indicate which of your batteries was losing voltage.
Adjustments to the regulator
Parts interchange adjustments:
These should only be done by a competent technician. If you have doubts about you skills at
performing repairs on a printed wiring board, do not attempt to change parts on your regulators. Take
them to a competent technician and pay him to use his skills.
The regulator can be set up for 6, 8, or 12 volt batteries by changing out resistors R2. The proper
resistor to be installed is:
200K for a 6 volt battery
300K for a 8 volt battery
510K for a 12 volt battery
The internal load compensates for the battery voltage changes and does not need to be changed. The
external load should be changed to optimize the dissipation of the load.
External load resistor
The minimum current with the REGBUS is based on the 10 watt heat sink on the board. With forced
ventilation, the maximum current can be as high as 20 watts since the REGBUS will turn down the
power to prevent burn out. Without the REGBUS the minimum current should produce about 5 watts
of heat and a maximum current should produce about 10 watts.
Temperature sensors
There are three temperature sensors on the device: RT1, RT2, and D5.
RT1 controls the local regulator safety shutdown circuit. When the heatsink goes over 200F (design
may evolve), this thermistor turns off the local load so that no damage to the regulator will occur. If
you are using external resistors, this device should be attached to the load to protect it.
RT2 controls the REGBUS temperature feedback voltage. If you did not order the REGBUS interface,
this device will not be installed. If you are using external loads, this device must be thermally
connected to the external load so that the REGBUS will sense the load temperature.
D5 is located in the bottom left of the PC board and is marked “Battery Temperature Sense.” For the
temperature compensation feature of this regulator to work properly, this device must be close to the
same temperature as the battery to which it is connected. It does not need to be in physical contact with
the battery, but it should be in the same thermal space. Do not put the regulator in a different
compartment and expect the temperature compensation to match. The device can be run a short (<3 ft)
distance away on a twisted pair wire to get a good temperature sense.
Thermal considerations for mounting
This printed circuit board was laid out with the heatsink at the upper right and the battery temperature
sensor at the bottom left to allow the regulator to use convection to move air from the bottom to the
top. Ambient air should enter the bottom across the battery temp sensor and flow up past the load to be
heated and exit the top. Inversion of the board (putting the load at the bottom and the temp sensor at the
top) will not temperature compensate properly and you will experience undercharged batteries.
Operation with the board mounted flat on a horizontal surface will compromise the thermal dissipation
of the heatsink but should not make the temperature compensation deviate significantly from design
specification.
Operation with the control surface upward and the Faston terminals downward gives good dissipation
and reasonable battery temperature sensor accuracy. Depending on the heat sink design, this may be the
best mounting position.
Regulation voltage.
Once the correct values are set for the number of cells in the battery, the regulation voltage can be set
using VR1 and a DVM. Assuming the regulator is connected to a battery, connect the DVM to TP1 and
TP2 (on each side of VR1) and set it to read volts. The regulation voltage (per cell) will be displayed
on the DVM. The table below shows the battery voltage for the volts per cell for each of the 6, 8, 12,
and 16 volt battery types.
indicated
voltage
2.7
2.65
2.6
2.55
2.5
2.45
2.4
2.35
2.3
2.25
2.2
2.15
2.1
2.05
2
1.95
1.9
1.85
1.8
1.75
1.7
1.65
1.6
3
4
6
cells cells cells
6
8
12
8.1
7.95
7.8
7.65
7.5
7.35
7.2
7.05
6.9
6.75
6.6
6.45
6.3
6.15
6
5.85
5.7
5.55
5.4
5.25
5.1
4.95
4.8
10.8
10.6
10.4
10.2
10
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
8
7.8
7.6
7.4
7.2
7
6.8
6.6
6.4
16.2
15.9
15.6
15.3
15
14.7
14.4
14.1
13.8
13.5
13.2
12.9
12.6
12.3
12
11.7
11.4
11.1
10.8
10.5
10.2
9.9
9.6
Undervoltage detection:
VR2 sets the undervoltage threshold using test points TP1 and TP3.The same table above applies to
setting the undervoltage threshold.
5.4 VEHICLE WIRING SCHEMATICS