Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[sawickm]

Paul sent me his revised files of the Beta-2, 1000 Amp Controller, Driver, and Power PCBs.

I’ll post the Photoplot and PDF files to the ReVolt wiki once I extract them from the data he sent me.

If someone orders a set of Paul's new Beta-2 PCB’s, please order an extra set for Paul!

-Mark

[flores]

4 Ounce how thick a layer is that?

[MPaulHolmes]

4 ounce copper = 0.14224mm. Leave it to us to come up with ounces to mean thickness. haha. As a side note, all the beta testers have been wonderful, and totally unpresumptuous. It's just that I can't bear to see someone give money and then see the dang thing not work.

[flores]

My local PCB supplier goes upto 3oz (102um) won't that do? Or does is really have to be 4oz?

[MPaulHolmes]

Good question! The trace width calculator isn't designed for those trace thicknesses (8 inches haha) and those currents. I know it worked to use 3 ounce copper in the original controller with the etched board.

[flores]

So it's worth a try?.. which boards do I need to replace if I want to convert the beta 1000A unit to the new spec? the powersection and driverboards? or also the controllerboard?

And what are the sizes of these boards?

[drbobwoolery]

If you are willing to go back to milling the power board, you could have any thickness up to maybe 1/8 inch (3mm) by laminating sheet copper onto bare fiberglass laminate. The gluing would be best done in a flat press, like bookbinders use. Order it dead soft. A common thickness is .050" or about one and a quarter milimeters. The heatsinking of the greater volume of copper may save some of those poor abused MOSFET legs.

Congratulations on the family addition. May you find an affordable place with room for both workshop and family, an EV commute from your job.

[Greg Fordyce]

Hey Paul (and everyone else), I saw this and thought it might interest you. Its a bit off topic but its called Open Source Ecology. To quote from their website

The Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) is a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.

A TED Talk from the project founder introducing the project. Marcin Jakubowski: Open-sourced blueprints for civilization - YouTube

And the cougar controller gets a mention on their wiki. Electric Motor Generator - Open Source Ecology

[jpirkola]

Paul and everyone.

It's been a while since I posted, it's the old can't breath in high humidity and temperature thing. A bit better now. We built the controller from the kit we bought from you and it works a treat.

I originally was going to put it on my EV conversion international Cub Cadet garden tractor. That idea got slightly side tracked.

The controller now resides (temporarly) on top of the scratch built (Called an ultralight modified) 1/4 scale pulling tractor with a 160 volt battery of 150 Headway cells (50S 3P) I'll attach a couple of photos. The tractor has a 13 inch GE motor and needs more amps.

Now on to the questions, right now the controller is limited to 511 amps. we have heard that people have safely run these controllers at up to 700 amps with a change in the softwear on the chip. Have you heard of this being done. If so could you put me in touch with the person(s) who have done this.

I have been out of touch because of health ptoblems, but I did hear that you were either in design phase or production for a High amp controller. What is the status? Will it be available in a kit form?

I'll be posting a you tube of the first complete run of the Big 13. If you watch the end you will see that it just ran out of amps. We have the RTD explorer log of the run if your interested.

Jim

[sawickm]

Originally Posted by sawickm

Paul sent me his revised files of the Beta-2, 1000 Amp Controller, Driver, and Power PCBs.

I’ll post the Photoplot and PDF files to the ReVolt wiki once I extract them from the data he sent me.

Hi All,

I've been on vacation all week in northern lower Michigan. I don't have access to Paul's files from here.

I will post them on the ReVolt wiki this weekend !!!

-Mark