Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[adamj12b]

Where did you get a schematic for the controller? I haven't seen one available for the car version of the controller yet. I am desperately waiting for it to show up.

-Adam

[MPaulHolmes]

I haven't doubled up the drivers yet. Were the outputs all separated? (not connected to the outputs of any other drivers?) If so, then the plot doth thicken... I know Ian managed to do it with 2 drivers, but their inputs were connected together, and their outputs NOT connected. Each driver drove it's own independent set of fets.

I love your idea of heating the other side of that copper pipe! Man, that is so not fair if you can go 60 mph at 48v. My stupid 72v car only goes 35 or 40.

Matt.. It's very important that we don't lose you, so I will only use duct tape.

Maybe if we drilled a hole, eating up capacitor path real-estate, but then soldered some chunks of 12 or 14 gauge wire along the thin paths of the capacitor side that are remaining after the carnage??? That might work!

[edown]

Paul, I had the inputs all connected and outputs separate, each with a LED (3 total). I was going to drive 4 FETs from each driver.. Even without being hooked to the FETs, the LEDs would put on a light show. When I turn the throttle POT up and down,One might go out then another would dim. With the O-scope it shows it going into some super high frequency mess.. And this happens at the output only, Input is OK????? I tried changing the input resistors ,bigger and smaller, with no help..
The square wave suffers from only one driver, 12 FETs have quit a bit of capacitance..

[edown]

Also, I think you guys are too concerned about surface mounting components. It's a standard way of mounting.. Maybe not the best for power componets.. But time will tell.......................
Evan

[NiHaoMike]

What about make a discrete MOSFET driver?

[edown]

Adam, The schematic is in there some where, but it is an early version.. If you want Email me and I will send you a copy..

down4@comcast.net

Evan

[taffy]

I like the addition of the water cooling pipes, even if not in the release version will look at adding some of my own. Keep up the awesome work guys.

[fritzgutten]

hey all!
just spent the last week reading the entire thread. great work! its awesome that this project is getting such great support and i'm looking forward to building my own unit when its all ready.

if you have any questions about cnc'ing your mill, i could help a little, i converted a small mill to cnc last year, cost was around 500. i think you could use the same package i did for your mill, i went a little big for mine.

also, not sure if it helps at all, but i work as a technical writer/illustrator, if you need any help with documentation/drawings i'd be glad to help.

i'm also a mid level user of autocad, solidworks and nx if you need anythiing that arena.

otherwise i'll just watch and enjoy the show, thanks!

[MPaulHolmes]

I'd love to know how you did the cnc conversion. It's no rush though, as I'll have almost no money until the fall. ya! I'm sure there's lot of stuff you could do if you want! I have a Bill of Materials and a schematic and a pdf of a gerber file sent by the engineer that's doing the lab testing of the control section. I'll post those on the website that my wife is working on, and also on the ecomodder wiki, but I haven't made the time for the wiki yet. If anyone wants to do it, go ahead!

[MPaulHolmes]

I've got the most super-de-duper updated schematic and bill of materials now. I'm ordering the parts tonight to ship to the mad scientist to work in his top secret laboratory to do some testing. Oh maybe that's a bit dramatic. I've just got to get the Ol' spherical feather and thread to put them on the website for me. Just kidding, dear. Then I'll link to that. Then we need a wiki! wiki wiki wiki.......