Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[Astro]

Originally Posted by duncan

On the subject of extra features
I would like - Launch Control!!!
...

Originally Posted by flores

yeah!!!!!!!!

So that would be launch control on to win the race or launch control off to win the burnout competition.
Sounds like perfectly reasonable driving modes to me.

[MPaulHolmes]

I'll be up in Oregon and Washington starting around the 2nd week of May for a couple weeks. My mother in law just found out she has thyroid cancer, so we are going to be up there to help with her foster kids, and other things since shes having surgery.

I'm waiting on a wire extender thing that was just ordered on friday so I can program the controller while assembled. Some things I just didnt notice until the whole thing was put together. So, I havent tested the code yet. So, my "ship by this week" may have been a little optimistic. Sorry about the delay!

[jedsmd]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

I'll be up in Oregon and Washington starting around the 2nd week of May for a couple weeks. My mother in law just found out she has thyroid cancer, so we are going to be up there to help with her foster kids, and other things since shes having surgery.

I'm waiting on a wire extender thing that was just ordered on friday so I can program the controller while assembled. Some things I just didnt notice until the whole thing was put together. So, I havent tested the code yet. So, my "ship by this week" may have been a little optimistic. Sorry about the delay!

Take all the time you need - family is more important than hobbies.

If you get to Olympia and have time to kill let me know and I will buy you a beer.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by duncan

On the subject of extra features

I would like - Launch Control!!!

I currently measure motor speed (magnetic pick-up on motor shaft)
I intend to measure the front wheel speed

The intention is to compare both speeds and then reduce current until the rear wheels are doing 110% of the front wheel speeds

(110% is my first guess for an optimum launch)

I was going to do this crudely
have found a circuit that compares speeds - I now need to be able to reduce the throttle demand if the speed difference is too great

My first cut at a solution that is not going to bog down the motor controller would be to have 'launch control' done by another and separate controller.

Accelerator, cruise buttons, etc into something like a GEVCU and an analog output from the GEVCU to the motor controller.

This is flexible and enables many additional features that have not been discussed (or thought of) as yet.

Too bad it's an expensive solution ...

[flores]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

Sorry about the delay!

No problem, take your time..

[4x4EV]

we should powwow washington represent!!!

[duncan]

Hi Paul
Sorry to hear about your mother in law,

Changing the subject
I would prefer to stick with air cooling - so

Would it be possible to have an output that I could take to an LED on my dash that would tell me if the controller is downgrading due to temperature?

[jedsmd]

Originally Posted by duncan

....Would it be possible to have an output that I could take to an LED on my dash that would tell me if the controller is downgrading due to temperature?

Duncan
This is the solution I found for monitoring controller temperature:

White Universal Car Motor 20LED Analog 52mm Digital Water Temp Temperature Gauge | eBay

There are lots of automotive temperature gauges on Ebay, I picked this one because it works all the way down to 20 degC most of them only go down to 40.

To install I intend to drill a hole in the controller base plate near the IGBTs to fit the sensor tip.

[MPaulHolmes]

Yes duncan, that would be no problem.
We will be leaving for washington tomorrow morning, expecting to arrive on friday. Im going to bring a controller in case theres time to meet with you jedsmd. You know, I hear olympia is actually pretty close to olympia. Haha.
There may be time to test it up there in your truck depending on when the surgery is planned for. We find that out today.
Lol 4x4ev.

[flores]

Originally Posted by jedsmd

Duncan
This is the solution I found for monitoring controller temperature:

White Universal Car Motor 20LED Analog 52mm Digital Water Temp Temperature Gauge | eBay

There are lots of automotive temperature gauges on Ebay, I picked this one because it works all the way down to 20 degC most of them only go down to 40.

To install I intend to drill a hole in the controller base plate near the IGBTs to fit the sensor tip.

We could also include this in the web control panel I'm planning to make.. the controller already knows it's temp.. so no need for extra components there.