Paul and Sabrina's Cheap 3 Phase Inverter (AC Controller) with Field Oriented Control

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by P-hack

reminder the compiler has probably changed dramatically and the binaries still need hardware re-validation, as well as validating the optimization level is correct and operates the inverter hardware correctly.

I think there is no optimization involved - I think Paul said that the free version of the compiler does not support it.

It's kinda scary to work on binaries that do not match the source. When the compiler does weird stuff to save a couple of cycles ... how do you troubleshoot? Was it something your code did or something that the compiler did by itself?

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

I'm looking forward to getting the controller board back home, connected up and talking with my laptop.

Got home today .. will work on it tomorrow

USB to serial - got one from Fry's last week. Nothing in my way except time!

[Astro]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

I think there is no optimization involved - I think Paul said that the free version of the compiler does not support it.

It is good though that the micro controller Paul chose has enough grunt to be able to do what it has to do using the unoptimised code.
I did read up on what the optimised compiler does that the unoptimised one doesn't.
I was surprised to find that its not so much that the paid one does more optimisations but that the free one has de-optimisations added.
I will see if i can locate the articles.

Edit: Found one of the articles. It is for the xc8 compiler but i imagine the xc16 would have similar (de) optimizations.
Optimization of Microchip PIC XC8 compiler in Free and Pro mode | T4F

[P-hack]

wow, don't be evil microchip!

[4x4EV]

been away for awhile, just finished designing a oscilloscope/ 8 channel logic analyzer, isp programmer integrated into a micro atx computer case that i laser cut from acrylic. school days for life, next qtr i will have access to the machine shop where i am going to work on milling alum base plate for the dual igbts and water cooled peltier cooling system i designed last year. game on

side note. got accepted into Embry Riddle Aeronautical university. Engineering Technology.

SpaceX is the plan

great progress guys
i still have my board from paul to solder up, and ive gotten alot of practice with some smaller projects ive had recently, so feeling more confident with that now

[Astro]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

Nothing in my way except time!

Know how that is, every time i plan a day to work on the car somebody double books me.
I have become the go to technology guy for my family and friends. I am happy to help but it seems like there is always somebody that has a 5 minute job that ends up consuming my whole day. I tried to slow down the requests by accepting bottles or rum as payment. But it hasn't worked. Apparently even at 1 bottle per favour i am still cheap.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by Astro

Know how that is, every time i plan a day to work on the car somebody double books me.
I have become the go to technology guy for my family and friends. I am happy to help but it seems like there is always somebody that has a 5 minute job that ends up consuming my whole day. I tried to slow down the requests by accepting bottles or rum as payment. But it hasn't worked. Apparently even at 1 bottle per favour i am still cheap.

My problem is not so much family and friends. It's spring and my wife has a big honey-do list

But I've post-poned most of the tasks for several months ... so it's my fault. I had progress in the past, and now I'm paying for that!

[thingstodo]

The honey-do list is coming to an end (heh heh ... the list is never ending .. anyone married will catch the humor)

A few things have gotten done. Some have been pushed off for a while. I think I can start on the project again Sunday evening, and still be married

The encoder I am using will work for the unloaded 5 HP motor with a plastic coupler. The 24V -> 5V voltage divider appears to work OK on my scope. I'm cautiously optimistic. This next week I'll be getting the throttle (pot with fixed resistors in series), the encoder (with voltage divider) and the serial interface working.

The encoder only has a 5/8 through hole and the motor shaft is 1.125 inches. I can't locate the 1 inch encoder that I was going to use on my car ... likely 'put away' somewhere that 'I'll remember for sure'. I hate getting OLD!

After that, get the induction motor spinning and put on a bit of a friction load .. that's about as far as I'll get with this motor.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

...The encoder only has a 5/8 through hole and the motor shaft is 1.125 inches. I can't locate the 1 inch encoder that I was going to use on my car ... likely 'put away' somewhere that 'I'll remember for sure'. I hate getting OLD!...

I get the 'put away' pain as well.
But it isn't always my failing memory that causes items to hide away.
My old desk was a just a trestle table. Each time there was some sort of family event i would arrive home from work to find my "desk" gone. Anything that was on it was either sitting in a pile on the floor or dumped in boxes and stored away under the stairs.
This included my PC, electrical test equipment and all the bits and pieces for all the projects i was working on.
I am embarrassed to say how many times i had to purchase something again just because it had been "put away" "somewhere" for me. Then of course the missing part would invariably be found just after the replacement part had arrived.
I have since replaced the trestle desk with one i welded up using vast quantities of box section steel. Nobody moves my desk any more.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by thingstodo

This next week I'll be getting the throttle (pot with fixed resistors in series), the encoder (with voltage divider) and the serial interface working.

Throttle is connected. The voltage signal seems reasonable. I have it at about 2.5V right now.

The serial interface is connected (through a breadboard). I got the prompt "AC controller firmware. ver. 1.0" at 38400 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. It shows the config when you type in CONFIG.

I'll solder up the permanent cable later this week and document the pinout.

Picture 1 - an overall picture

Picture 2 - controller and breadboard

Picture 3 - laptop winterm display

Next up is the encoder.