Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[Dwffy]

Hi folks,
This is the first time I have used this mode of communication.
Forgive me if I am asking the wrong question in the wrong place. I need help with my cougar controller and I need to know how to find info about this controller. Is there any one out there who can help me solve a few problems with this device, I will be very grateful indeed, if there is I will post my problems and hopefully they will have an answer to my dilemma.
Thanks,

[MPaulHolmes]

This is definitely the place to post it! What's going on with it?

[Dwffy]

Thanks Paul,
Well now I have a Ford Ranger with a Fork lift motor capable of running on 120 volts. I completed the instal last week and had already bench tested the Cougar which seemed to work flawlessly on the bench, however it was not under load. Consequently I proudly fitted my Cougar to the machine, and because I was a bit nervous to hook it up to 120v, I decided to go for 60volt. Tested everything out and it was all systems go. I put the vehicle in reverse and moved out into the alley behind our house and cautiously accelerated and moved off up the alley which is almost level ground. All went well but very slowly. I was in first gear and only travelling at a running pace so I accelerated to see what would happen. It increased speed ever so slowly on applying full throttle and when I turned the corner and started up a slight incline it would not accelerate any more. I tried 2nd gear and it almost stopped. I returned to my garage and proceeded to check everything out. Nothing was even warm to the touch. Batteries were still fully charged and when in neutral and revved up it sounds pretty normal to me. I cannot get it to go much faster even on 120 volts, so I decided to check out the performance using just a contactor connecting 48 volts directly to the motor. It now pulls off so fast in 1st gear it will give a short chirp from the back wheels. This leads me to believe that somewhere in the controller there must be a setting that is stopping the motor from getting a fully supply of juice.
Perhaps now you can analyse what I have said so far and pass some comment. Obviously I will need to give further info, but at this stage I'm not sure what to say, so over to you. (maybe it's the hot Canadian summer here
Thanks, Doug.

[bennelson]

Dwffy, do you have an ammeter on the truck?
That is a must-have on any electric vehicle, and it's also handy from troubleshooting problems like this.

If you don't have an ammeter, you should order one, or at least dig up a simpler one from a junkyard.

[Dwffy]

Hi Bennelson, At the moment I do not have an ammeter fitted. I do have one in my workshop and will fit it tomorrow. What readings should I expect from it?

[MPaulHolmes]

Make sure it's on M-. Acceleration from a stop should have the current go into the hundreds of amps. By the sound of things, the current isn't going very high. I'm really curious to know the software version that you have. Adam (on here it's adamj12b) made some very awesome software called RTD explorer. It can show you what software version you are using, and lets you see various variable settings, etc...

If it's an older version, then RTD won't work. hehe. I can send you another chip if you need it though.

[bennelson]

Yep, for some decent power, you should be in the hundreds of amps.

If it doesn't go over 25 or 50, you have some serious amperage limitation going on somewhere.

Potentially, there is a software amperage limiter in the ReVolt programming, but it's the sort of thing you have to activate, so I doubt it's that, but it's possible.

[Dwffy]

Paul,
I seem to remember that it was probably about the fourth or sixth controller you made up completely. I don't know it that is sufficient info for you. Judging by the amount of heat generated by the system (which is absolutely nil), I cannot imagine that there is much current going throught the system. I will install the ammeter tomorrow and let you have a bit more feedback. I must admit even though I'm experiencing a few problems it is all very exciting. I have been riding up and down the back alley with the hood off. Naturally all you can see are batteries where the engine should be, and people simply stop and stare open mouthed at this silent vehicle. Quite comical really.
Thanks,
Doug.

[MPaulHolmes]

I put it together? oh ya! There's your problem! HAHAHA. OK, you have some really old software I think. It worked fine on my car though, so maybe there's another problem. I have a cunning plan. Is your microcontroller socketed? I should know the answer to this. We can mail you a new microcontroller that is programmed with the most recent software. It definitely isn't behaving how it should. However, let's see if we can narrow down the problem a bit first.

[jmcginley]

Hey Paul

I haven't had a lot of time lately to work on my truck but I did manage to get all the cables and the controller mounted. On Saturday I got far enough to put together some temporary wiring and now I can make motor run and the throttle controls the speed! So far, so good!

John