Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[Greg Fordyce]

It's taken a while, it was over a year ago when I built the controller, but finally got the car together and drove the car home today. Controller feels good! Very pleased to be back on the road with an EV. Thanks to Paul and everyone else who has contributed to this project.

Greg

[harlequin2]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

Hi Jim! It's the Melexis HB:

.

Seems they make a thing called the CSA-1V under the brand "Sentron" which appears to be identical as far as I can see.

[sawickm]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

C1 is 0.001uF
C2 is 0.001uF
C3 is 0.1uF
C4 is 100pF

Hi Paul,

I put together an assembly drawing of what you posted.

I added the sensor assembly drawing into the revolt wiki: Open ReVolt/PCB Schematics - EcoModder

- Mark

[Camaro]

I've been trying to get through this thread, but it's just to long. I've built the 500 amp controller from Paul's kit, but I can't get the source code posted on the Wiki to run.
I'm using Programmer's Notepad with AVR Dude, and Sparkfun's Pocket AVR Programmer. I can program the 168 fine, I've written my own code to test the LED, UART, and ADC. It's not a programmer or communication problem, it's something with the Paul's code (or the way my complier interprets it). I'm a fare programmer but for the life of me I can't figure this out. I've take the code from the wiki, add this:

int main(void)
{
int x;
unsigned tm_show_data;
unsigned char cmdpos, cmdok;
char cmd[32];
char str[80];

DDRD = 0b11000000;
PORTD = 0b01000000;


but the idle Led never lights up.

Has anyone else used my same setup? Any advice? Thanks guys...

PS. Is there a controller help thread where I should have posted this?

[adamj12b]

Originally Posted by Camaro

I've been trying to get through this thread, but it's just to long. I've built the 500 amp controller from Paul's kit, but I can't get the source code posted on the Wiki to run.
I'm using Programmer's Notepad with AVR Dude, and Sparkfun's Pocket AVR Programmer. I can program the 168 fine, I've written my own code to test the LED, UART, and ADC. It's not a programmer or communication problem, it's something with the Paul's code (or the way my complier interprets it). I'm a fare programmer but for the life of me I can't figure this out. I've take the code from the wiki, add this:

int main(void)
{
int x;
unsigned tm_show_data;
unsigned char cmdpos, cmdok;
char cmd[32];
char str[80];

DDRD = 0b11000000;
PORTD = 0b01000000;


but the idle Led never lights up.

Has anyone else used my same setup? Any advice? Thanks guys...

PS. Is there a controller help thread where I should have posted this?

Is there a special reason you want to compile your own firmware?

If not, I suggest you just download it from my website. Index of /firmware

They are already compiled and tested. Its a full archive of all the versions of FW.

Im not sure why it wont blink the LED.

Try this out.

#include <avr/io.h>
#include <util/delay.h>
#include <avr/iom168.h>

int main (void)
{
	DDRD = 0xFF;

	while (1) {

		PORTD = 0xFF; //Set PORTD high
		_delay_ms(500);

		PORTD = 0x00; // Set PORTD low
		_delay_ms(500);
	}
	return 0;
}

-Adam

[MPaulHolmes]

I just tested the Melexis HB current sensor calibration in the car to verify that the board spacing really does provide the full 1000 amp range:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6fSkvWcCm8

Hurray! It's around 1020 amps or somewhere around there for max current.

[jackbauer]

Hey Paul when i saw the title i thought you'd held the brake on and floored it!! What size busbar are you using?

[MPaulHolmes]

haha, no. I just went to 10% and checked the full range with a proportion, trusting in the linearity of the melexis. Man, I think it would be really bad to floor it with the e-brake on.

Edit: Oops, the bus bar is a 3/8" x 3/4".

[Camaro]

Thanks Adam,
That code works too. I've tested the LED, UART, and ADC with my own short code, and they all work fine. It's not a hardware or communication problem. I'm about to try the hex files on the wiki, but I want to be able to add my own code, that means I'll need to solve this problem.

Is everyone else using ARV studio with a STK500 type programmer?

[MPaulHolmes]

I'm using an um... oh crap, what is it called?! avrisp mk2.

-Paul