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

[flores]

Are there beta testers for this controller already? How many boards did you order?

[Astro]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

haha, I know!

Oh I just submitted the AC control/driver board a minute ago. I paid extra for the setup fee so the board will be white. I thought it would look cool. silver and white, with black silkscreen.

A white PCB, now you're going to have to give the controller an appropriate name.

Maybe Arctic Fox? The controller is definitely going to be cool enough.

[MPaulHolmes]

There are 2 beta testers so far, and another person who got just the board. I ordered 5 altogether. The arctic fox... ooh. That's good. Way better than what I had in mind. I'll have to make sure no one chants "white power" while driving their car though.

The mean time between failure for the capacitors I'm using in the driver section is 6900 years. haha. A bunch of 22uF MLCC 1210 package caps. They are rated up to 125degC too. The electrolytic caps are usually the weak link in a driver section.

[MPaulHolmes]

The boards will ship from China on August 31st. I just did a BOM, and the cost to populate the control/driver board is $140.63. That's with none-too-cheap parts either in quantity 2 (2 beta testers). Not too bad considering 6 VLA500-01's would be like $264. I think if there were 10 at the same time, it would be more like $100 each.

[e*clipse]

Add me as a beta tester if it isn't too late.

In fact, I actually need two. LOL!

PM me and let me know what I can do to help!

- E*clipse

[Astro]

@Paul
Maybe we can get enough beta testers to get the quantity over the 10 limit to get the reduced component cost. Especially if they are going to order multiple controllers.

How is the original ballpark figure of $850 looking? The cost of the IGBT's seem to have gone up quite a bit. I knew i should have bought extras. At the time i was thinking there was a good chance of me letting the smoke escape from at least one. But then i thought their price was more likely to go down as newer units were released.
Glad i bought the ones i did and didn't wait until the controller design was completed.

@e*clipse
Two controllers. Is that for two vehicles or for one vehicle with two drive motors?

[flores]

I'm interested too, for a beta board.

[MPaulHolmes]

There are some inexpensive 600v 400amp igvts on Ebay at the moment:
Mitsubishi Power x CM400DU 12F 1GBT IGBT Module 400A 600V | eBay

They did call them _Mitsubishi_ (I added underscores so it would cease to be a link) Power X instead of Powerex, which is a little disturbing. haha. But at least from the picture it appears to be the same as the 3 I have. He takes a "best offer". And all the Feedbacks he has (at least on the first page) dealing with that IGBT were for people who made an offer, and it was accepted. The Board is designed to plug straight into either a 600v 600amp IGBT or a 600v 400amp IGBT. The spacing of the gate and emitter spade connectors are the same for them.

I'm asking them if I can change it from 5 to 10 boards.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

There are some inexpensive 600v 400amp igvts on Ebay at the moment:
Mitsubishi Power x CM400DU 12F 1GBT IGBT Module 400A 600V | eBay

Found that allpraisebob is selling a 6 pack of the 400A IGBTs for less than $300 delivered.
This is the same guy that i bought the 6 IGBTs i sent to Paul so likely they are genuine.
Box of 6 New Powerex mistubishi CM400DU 12nF IGBT Modules 600V 400A | eBay

[MPaulHolmes]

Yes, he bought those at an auction directly from Mitsubishi I think. Or from a company that had a bunch of unopened mitsubishi igbts.