Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller - Page 286 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

bennelson · 01-04-2010, 12:33 AM

Today's exciting news is that I (finally) got the most current version of the ReVolt Open Source (Cougar) Controller firmware loaded into the controller.

Along with that I now also have the RTD Explorer latest version installed, to be able to view data from the controller AND tweak its parameters in real-time!

Special thanks to Adam for helping walk me through all the steps to get it going.

The really weird thing is that BEFORE working on upgrading the controller, I ran into a problem where it wouldn't output ANY current to the motor. I ended up removing the controller for bench-testing. Eventually, we tracked the problem down to one of the setting in the controller (throttle_ramp_rate?) to being set to ZERO. How it got set to that, I have NO idea - some crazy bug? Who knows!?!?

I also didn't like that fact that it was rather difficult to see either of the LEDs on the controller with the metal cover in place. I solved the problem by drilling two holes through the case, just above the LEDs. (packaging tape will keep rain out for now) I would eventually like to have a clear plastic cover for the controller to show off its cool circuit-board guts!

With the new software and firmware installed, I only had time for one quick ride around the block before having to call it a day. I am pretty excited about all the new settings I can tweak, and how the controller runs the main contactor now.

-Ben

squiggles · 01-04-2010, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennelson

I also didn't like that fact that it was rather difficult to see either of the LEDs on the controller with the metal cover in place. I solved the problem by drilling two holes through the case, just above the LEDs.
-Ben

Ben, go to the Digikey website and search for "light pipes". You might find just the thing for extending the leds out to the case.

bennelson · 01-04-2010, 10:52 AM

Here's a short video from right after I got the new software and firmware running.

-Ben

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVpGwqIWmu8

jackbauer · 01-04-2010, 12:31 PM

Just been messing about the controller and the mega168. Had an idea (i know never a good thing!). Could we implement an output to drive a car's fuel gauge? in my bmw the gauge is resistance driven. 50r = E , 240r = F. So given that the micro knows ah consumed could we do a setup where we could tell it the ah of the pack (adjusted for peukert) and the micro could mabey o/p a pwm with duty proportional to energy consumed? That way it could be made to drive nearly any type of gauge (even aftermarket) via a few resistors?

edit: to avoid a hardware mod could mabey use the precharge o/p?

wakinyantanka · 01-07-2010, 05:57 PM

Hi Guys,
Wanted to ask if anyone has modified the unit to deliver more amps for weekend racing and what not?

If so, what was done and what were the results?

MPaulHolmes · 01-07-2010, 06:20 PM

I made a 700amp version that seems to work fine, using 120amp schottky freewheel diodes. I'm also doing a SR version that will hopefully be able to handle over 1000amp for short periods of time. I did a layout and routed it, but I want to add 2 drivers for high side and 2 for low side, instead of just 1 each.

jyanof · 01-08-2010, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

...but I want to add 2 drivers for high side and 2 for low side, instead of just 1 each.

cool! do you plan on using 10 ohm gate resistors instead of 20 ohm?

MPaulHolmes · 01-08-2010, 05:06 AM

DEFINITELY. The funny thing is, I think you have 30 or 33 Ohm resistors in yours. haha. I'm not sure though. The main reason I want to drop the gate resistor size is the new mosfets have like 2 times the gate charge as the ones we're using now. I wonder what the voltage spikes would be for 10Ohm, 1000amp. I guess double the current, double the spike, and cut in half the gate resistance double the spike? So maybe the spikes would be 4 times as bad as now? But the gate charge is bigger so maybe the turn on time would be about the same, so maybe we'd only have to worry about the 1000amp?

wakinyantanka · 01-08-2010, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

I made a 700amp version that seems to work fine, using 120amp schottky freewheel diodes. I'm also doing a SR version that will hopefully be able to handle over 1000amp for short periods of time. I did a layout and routed it, but I want to add 2 drivers for high side and 2 for low side, instead of just 1 each.

Very Nice. Is that air cooled or liquid cooled?

mrbigh · 01-08-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPaulHolmes

I made a 700amp version that seems to work fine, using 120amp Schottky freewheel diodes. I'm also doing a SR version that will hopefully be able to handle over 1000amp for short periods of time. I did a layout and routed it, but I want to add 2 drivers for high side and 2 for low side, instead of just 1 each.

Paul, How far in design and PCB completion are you on this revision?