Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[MPaulHolmes]

Originally Posted by LouMan

I wish Paul and the rest of the crew could restart this thread or start a new 32bit version that would be so awesome.
I have a lot of the files, some where Paul had his laptop stolen and lost everything with me telling him back up dude back up, sometimes I wish I hadn't deleted the several hundred post I made on this thread and others.
If there was a depository were we could all upload all the files we have to this project and Paul or someone was still around to sort thru everything and post all the relevant files I would hunt thru all my files and upload to it, me and Paul has had several private file exchanges that could contribute but if this is a dead and all the key players are gone I don't see how it could work.

It is such a moloncoly feeling to revisit this thread witch was a mainstay of ev conversions to be abandon like it has, even to visit my own conversion thread being abandon is heart breaking, so much has changed in the last few years, several years later my conversion is still sitting on the back burner waiting.

I know life goes on and people's priority's change and one of my deleted post in this thread I posted as a response the revenge of the electric car I posted "Big oil strikes back, that it would be the death of the home grown ev-conversions and ev parts suppliers" witch has come true almost all of my saved internet links to ev parts stores are dead now, I now wish the Ecmodders moderators could repost all my deleted comments but such as life but if Ecomodders can hang in there and keep this site up till the time comes when big oil decides to shoot gas prices back up to the $4gal mark this will be a happening site again but then you ask yourself do you really want high gas prices so you can chat online about your next big ev-conversion or do you hope gas prices stay low?? then you have no reason to visit a site like this again?? me my self I want low gas prices And still see this site and new ev-shops open up all over the place.

Only time will tell, thanks for letting me vent for wanting things to be like it used to be! where guys (and gals) can excitedly log on to show off there latest creations...

Happy Ev-Modding guy's...................

That's a good idea! I can give someone the files I have and they could post them somewhere. I still don't really know how to do that. haha. I'm sorry I haven't really been on here recently. I have just been busy with working and my family. Sabrina has her good and bad days health-wise (she has M.S.). My kids are doing well.

Back in April of last year we had everything we owned stolen, so that slowed us down a bit, but then I got a job as a teacher in the kansas city public schools. My favorite part was a small pond in the front of the room for weeks, so I would have to jump over it each time I would write on the board. And you REALLY wanted to avoid that giant lake, since the bathroom was on the other side of the wall. And there were kids punching other kids. It was pretty messed up. Anyway, my wife was very sick at that time, so I had to leave that to stay with her.

Now I'm working on a startup company with Brook Drumm and Iulian Berca.
It's called Joule Motors. Iulian is designing motors that are the best in the world in their power level. Ridiculously awesome efficiency. This is very exciting for me. I am working now with a new microcontroller family (the pic32mk), which is absolutely awesome. I am doing a prototype controller that is SiC.

[MPaulHolmes]

jedsmd, could you try
rtd-period 100

That should stream the data for your version of the software I think. Here's a list of the commands:
char command0[] = "config";
char command1[] = "save";
char command2[] = "idle";
char command3[] = "restart";
char command4[] = "reset-ah";
char command5[] = "kp";
char command6[] = "ki";
char command7[] = "t-min-rc";
char command8[] = "t-max-rc";
char command9[] = "t-fault-rc";
char command10[] = "t-pos-gain";
char command11[] = "t-pwm-gain";
char command12[] = "c-rr";
char command13[] = "rtd-period";
char command14[] = "pwm-filter";
char command15[] = "motor-os-th";
char command16[] = "motor-os-ft";
char command17[] = "motor-os-dt";
char command18[] = "pwm-deadzone";
char command19[] = "motor-sc-amps";
char command20[] = "bat-amps-lim";
char command21[] = "pc-time";
char command22[] = "mot-amps-lim";

Is it possible that the throttle is dropping out with a dead region? Do you have a 0-5v hall effect, or a 0-5k pot? I think on your code, it will flag a fault and shut everything down if the throttle goes out of range for some minimum amount of time. Or, maybe a current sensor is not making good contact, and that causes the hardware overcurrent to shut down, or maybe the wire to the high voltage + that goes to the control/driver board is having a problem? That would cause a "desaturation" detection fault.

The data that's streamed is:
throttle_ref
current_ref
current_fb
pwmDuty
raw_hs_temp
raw_throttle
faultBits
battery_amps

You definitely want faultBits:
#define THROTTLE_FAULT (1 << 0)
#define VREF_FAULT (1 << 1)
#define UART_FAULT (1 << 2)
#define UV_FAULT (1 << 3)
#define OC_FAULT (1 << 4)
//#define PRECHARGE_WAIT (1 << 5)
#define MOTOR_OVERSPEED_FAULT (1 << 6)
#define HPL_FAULT (1 << 7)

[jedsmd]

Thanks Paul
The rtd-period command is what I was looking for and it is good to have a list of all the commands.

I'm hoping that the controller dropout problem is fixed. I was poking around at things and noticed that the main contactor points where somewhat burnt. I resurfaced those and the truck hasn't acted up since. Sounds like that could have been triggering the "desaturation detection fault" you mentioned. Keeping my fingers crossed as intermittent problems sometimes have a since of humor.

Good luck with your new start-up. I hope you guys create something awesome.
Jerald

[MPaulHolmes]

Oh, yes if the contactor was making intermittent contact, during the times it was not making contact, the pwm would ramp up to 100% trying to force the current feedback to match the throttle position (50% of throttle forces 50% of max current feedback with the PI control loop). Then, with the duty at 100%, if the contactor suddenly made good contact again, BOOM. Dead short circuit for a moment. That would definitely trip the desat or the overcurrent fault.

[bennelson]

Hi Paul,

I still get LOTS of comments on my YouTube videos asking for more information about the Open Revolt controller.

It's too bad that so much in the Wiki got lost.

I'd be happy to post whatever information we can reassemble at my web page, and also do a backup somewhere else.

I do still have that 47 page assembly document.

It would be great to get more of this info all back in one place again and available to the public.

[MPaulHolmes]

Thanks Ben! I will email what I have later today.

[thingstodo]

@Bennelson - any progress on a new wiki?

I have a bunch of files for the cougar (not complete, though). I just sent them to another user (via email) so I know what I have and where it is right now.

And are you ... archiving .. the newer IGBT DC and AC controllers as well? I have much more stuff for those designs.

EDIT - but not the web site or skills to make the info available myself

[Staircase]

Hi Paul, Ben and ThingsToDo,

Is there any update on a wiki/website with the files?
If not, I'd love to grab the files and try find a good spot to host them somewhere that makes it easy for newcomers (like myself) to access and put together.
I can't guarantee I'll be speedy as I'm not entirely amazing at wiki creation but I have a lot of time!
My email is a.thomas[AT]outlook.com.au

Kind regards,
Al

[Georgia Tech]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

@Bennelson - any progress on a new wiki?

I have a bunch of files for the cougar (not complete, though). I just sent them to another user (via email) so I know what I have and where it is right now.

And are you ... archiving .. the newer IGBT DC and AC controllers as well? I have much more stuff for those designs.

EDIT - but not the web site or skills to make the info available myself

Hello,

I am desperately trying to work on the 1000 amp version and I really need all the documentation and schematics and everything for the 1000 amp DC controller. Could you please email these documents to:
r_boulware@hotmail.com ..?
thanks so much!

[Georgia Tech]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

Thanks Ben! I will email what I have later today.

Paul are you still around taking orders for new kits? i would be interested....