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Old 06-17-2017, 01:24 PM   #3095 (permalink)
thingstodo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes View Post
If it's a permanent maget motor, and you have an encoder, you shouldn't need different firmware. You might just have to set the number of pole pairs, motor type (permanent magnet with encoder) etc
Thanks Paul,

Some time ago there was a question about lowering the cost of the AC Controllers for a production run by using parts that were rated for lower voltage, less capacitance, etc.

Did you ever look into the cost savings? I remember thinking (and I think I posted) that the cost savings would not be significant compared to the PITA of tracking all of the extra components.

The SEVCON controller is *TINY*. 1.5 inches thick, about the length and width of a sheet of paper, air cooled, and not much for fins. I have trouble believing that it will do 650A for more than a few seconds before it overheats. The back of the controller is maybe 3/16 inch aluminum and is just bolted to the frame. No thermal grease even! ... or none that is left after the guys at the mine did their service, anyway.

The caps inside that SEVCON must be very small and have incredibly low ESR.

After I get one of these things running I expect that I will be adding a *LOT* of instrumentation to see the temperature the controller is at, the battery amps and motor amps, the motor temps, etc. I'm also looking at monitoring the ESTOP circuit. The interlocks include a safety lockout switch, the key switch, the parking brake, the 'gear' selector (F, N, R), the speed selector (L, M, H), charger plugged in, feedback that the contactors closed ... and perhaps other stuff? Troubleshooting the thing when it stops is not going to be fun without some monitoring and some sort of display ... maybe even a single LED that flashes morse code? How Geeky would THAT be?
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