Fusin 1000W peak Geared Hubmotor kit w/ Cassette Splines/FW

[amberwolf]

Just for giggles I tried to test an MXUS DD motor with this controller, since it's sensorless, but it didnt' work.
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/vi ... 84#p600184
explains why I think it didn't, but basically BEMF from the MXUS at it's lower speeds is probably insufficient for the hall-emulator PCB in the Fusin controller to create a usable hall signal from.

[amberwolf]

On my wya to work today, the display cut power to the controller multiple times, which was the last straw.

I was able to finally look at it a few of those times, with little traffic on the roads, and each time it was flashing the battery level meter on "empty", even though it is fully charged (or nearly so, not even 0.1Ah out of the 10Ah pack used up the first time it did this, and not even 1Ah used the last time just before pulling into work).


So at lunch instead of eating I cut the wire on the display connector that feeds the power back to the controller's enable line, and connected the controller side of that wire directly to the power line to the display on that connector, so that anytime the keyswitch on the headlight assembly is on, the controller is on. Display can now do whatever malfunction it likes and it won't shut the cotnroler off.


I reconnected th speedo sensor wire to the controlelr/analyst, so that I will get the speed display there, too, if i want it. Not much use isnce the display doesn't update it all the time, and it is such a slow update anyway.


I have scheduled a vacation for a week starting July 8th, so hopefully I will have time to catch up on a lot of projects, including troubleshooting the lockups that I think are likely comm error issues. Only thing I have to do before doing projects is move my bedroom from the room I'm currently in to one on the opposite end of the house (as it is easier to cool that room), which is at least a whole day's project, maybe two, shuffling all the stuff around including the internet cabling. Gonna confuse the dogs for a while, I bet.

[amberwolf]

I forgot to post last night (thought I did, maybe I typed it up and didn't save it?) that the motor and controller system worked perfectly after the above mod, no cutouts, however the BIKE sucked.

I suspect someone messed with it, because I had the following problems found when I was leaving work, none of which were a problem when I got there:
--front wheel QR lever was undone and unscrewed several turns.
--front left brake pad was UPSIDE DOWN and loose.
--brake switch on rear was loose, flopping around.
--rear derailer was severely misadjusted, would not stay on a gear.
--turn signal flasher wouldn't engage correctly because the little holder I have it in was crushed.
--headlight wire was pulled off the switch, and the switch itself broken, body pulled off the bracket I'd mounted it on.
--front tire extremely low
--front shock completely airless.
--something else but I can't remember right now.

All were relatively easy to fix or to work around, except the shock, as I can't hand pump it up--the pumphead won't fit down into the well to go over the valve stem. I have to use the electric pump at home for that. The shock does lose a little air each day but I had just aired it up the day before, and when i aired it up after getting home it did not lose any more than normal thru today. So someone probably let the air out deliberately.

Same with the tire, except I could hand pump taht up fine.

Headlight swithc easly bypassed by twisting the wires together. QR fork tightned, brake pad reinstalled correctly and aligned/tightened. Rear Brake switch tightened up. Uncrumpled the plastic holder for the blinker, and it works ok, though not as well as before. I think the bimetallic sheets of the blinker itself are slightly bent or misaligned.

Have to replace the headlight swithc, maybe tonight or tomorrow. I didn't have the camera with me to get pics before fixing everything so I could ride home, so I only have a pic taken tonight of the broken switch.

DSC06872.JPG (40.69 KiB) Viewed 785 times

What bothers me is that I don't know anyone I work with that dislikes me at all, much less enough to try to kill me (by loosening the front wheel and the brake pad, which could've jammed in the wheel and locked it, with the QR loose).

So that means it was probably a customer, and I don't know any of them that dislike me that much either. Or just some random person that likes to screw around with cyclists or ebikers. But it's in the store, in the warehouse in back. I think if it were out front where everyone can see it it might've not happened, but in the back room there's no one to see, most of the time.



Tonight I put the motro thru it's most severe test so far--the same one that overheated the old 36V version 1 Fusin: riding slowly, 8-12MPH, heavy load on the bike, frequent stops/starts. Had about 72lbs of dog food on the bike--6 on the rear rack on top of the ammocan pack, and the rest on and in the front baskets.

Was not really a smart thing to do, as I could not actually "ride" the bike normallly--any kind of turn was nearly disastrous, and I dropped the bike twice when I lost my grip on the bars. I just stepped off so didn't get hurt, but both times I had to take the stuff off the bike, put it upright against a pole and tie the brake handles down to keep it from rolling, then relaod everything and restrap it down. But I couldn't wait on the food--it was a "get it now or never" super deal, and is why i really like having the ability to haul such cargo on CrazyBike2. I just never know when this kind of thing will come up.

I had to do what I never lke doing, and rode the sidewalks almost all teh way home--only after I crossed Dunlap was I on roads, and that's almost no traffic (one car passed me). 1/8 mile of parking lots, and the rest sidewalk.


Made it home ok, no damage to cargo or bike, other than more scratches and little dings from the fall-overs. Oh, and the CA's button connector somehow got knocked loose in one of hte falls, so I had to open it up and reseat it (not off all the way, just enough to mae the buttons not work).

[GrayKard]

Damn, sorry to hear that someone vandalized your bike while at work. Need a security camera back there in the storeroom.

Great review, keep it coming!

Gary

[amberwolf]

Thanks--we do have one...just not at the end I have to park the bike at. When parked out front, it's right in the view of two cameras--but it's all the people going by since it's right next to the doors that do more to keep people from messing with it. But the higher-ups that manage multiple stores want it parked inside the store nowadays (used to be they didn't want it taking up space inside).

Anyway, it just teaches me to be vigilant about checking things before a ride.

[amberwolf]

I put the bike thru another heavy cargo load, though only about 60lbs of dog food this time. Small bags in the baskets, one small bag on the rear rack on top of the pack, and the largest bag on the front baskets over the top of everything.

This time I had it balanced well enough, with enough of the weight lower on the bike to make it rideable at normal speeds on the road, though corners I still slowed way down for, so I woulnd't have to lean into them much, just in case.


The one recurring problem with this kind of load is bottoming out the front shock, and not having enough pressure to rise back up unless I standover the bike and pull the bars upward to lift against the cargo weight--very hard for me to do. But it happens at just about any 1" or greater bump or hole. I don't really have a fix for it, but then again I hadn't intended this bike to do this kind of work...just that like always, when I find a good deal on stuff I need, I have to take it and haul it with whatever I'm riding at the time, somehow.

Still, the Fusin motor and controller are doing a great job even like this. Only 25Wh/mile, even with that load at normal 20MPH cruising speeds and 15-16MPH average speeds. Controller gets pretty warm at slower to middling speeds with these loads in this heat (>100F after dusk), and the motor starts cool but gets fairly warm (more than bodyheat warm) by the end of the ride, and continued to warm up after I got home, till it was hot, but not uncomfortably so, about 10 minutes or so later.


I still want to make a tool to open the motor up, and see what it's like in there. I have had several ponderings on it; I mostly just need time to actually cut pieces and file them, weld them together, and test out the idea. Dunno if that will be any time soon.

I have another idea but it'd require someone to CNC something out of aluminum block or something. It'd be like a freewheel removal tool, with a nut on one end, hollow to fit over the axle, and the castellations on the other end to fit into the Fusin cover.

[amberwolf]

Motor and controller still working fine, after disconnecting the Fusin analyst display's ability to shtdown the controller. Still get wierd stuff o n the display, but at least it doesnt' affect anything.

Nearing 200 miles on the kit now. No further spoke or nipple problems yet.

[amberwolf]

pulled a trailer full of dogfood home today (big clearance sale due to rearrangement of foods at work, discontinuing some and getting new ones). about 170lbs plus trailer weight, still performing fine for motor/controller. I put the taillight from the kit on the trailer, held down with one of the straps holding hte food to the trailer. Some of the bags were damaged so I put them in the big styrofoam containers we get fish in, and tied everything else around that.

Uneventful trip, just the kind I like.

[dnmun]

whatta load!

the reason the wheel was loose may be that someone was attempting to steal the wheel and never got it off. around here they steal everything off of a bike left out. wheels and saddles and racks. i see bike carcasses locked to poles all the time.

[amberwolf]

possible, but they'd have to have been in the store's back room doing it, while we're open and people were around. If I'd had it outside i might understand--theft is not uncommon around here.

[deVries]

I still want to make a tool to open the motor up, and see what it's like in there.

Yeah baby.

Can you find out the price for just the motor or motor w/controller??? ... but NOT the Bermuda Triangle Analyst.

What's the max amp rating on their controller? What is the max amps/volts Luis says the motor can take?

Thanks.

[amberwolf]

I'll ask about the price, but last I heard they were going to make a different controller for this kit. Why, I don't know, since it works just fine like it is even with my abuse. Fusin does seem to make fine controllers for their purpose; neither I nor Dogman have killed one with our abuses of the kits, old or new style. (neither has anyone else I know of, even the few I know of that have broken plastic gears or clutches).


AFAIK the only specs on the present motor and controller are those in his thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38825
Controller is limited to 18A battery current. I've actually seen peaks of slightly higher than that on the CA, but not by enough to matter, and sustained isn't even that high.

It's a "48V" controller, with 63V caps, and these FETs:
Uses STMicroelectronics FETs, the STP80NF70
http://www.st.com/internet/analog/product/244896.jsp
http://www.st.com/internet/com/TECHNICA ... 276203.pdf
68 V
0.0082 Ω
98 A
so I wouldn't go higher than that.

LVC on the controller I determined in a previous post, but cant' find it just at the moment. If you locate it I'll edit it into this post here.

Since it's a 6FET, then phase current cant' possibly be higher than 98A, and is certainly much less than that. I've forgotten the ratios due to thermal capacity and whatnot worked out for FETs in general in other threads, but I would guess less than 1/5 of that, so probably no more than battery current, realistically, for "continuous" phase currents.

The motor could probably take a lot more voltage and current for a short period, but heat buildup inside will be a problem simply because it is a geared motor--there's so many layers of stuff to heatsoak thru before the heat can escape that it would probably damage the windings or halls if run far over it's "rating". I expect even running it constantly at 1000W would do it in. If it were oil-cooled (which will be attempted at some point after the main testing for the review), it could probably shed enough extra heat to get a significant amount of extra useful power thru it, but given that it is probably designed for low phase currents, it'd have to be higher voltages and thus higher speeds, driven as a mid-mounted motor rather than in a hub, if you wanted to use that power at street-legal speeds as I would.

Forced-air-cooling would also probably help, but again I don't know for sure how much. Partly depends on the internal design of the motor.




More performance notes, on just passing the 250-mile mark:
(EDIT: oops...that's 190 miles--I forgot to subtract the 60 miles I used the CA on CrazyBike2 for various testing and shopping trips that I can't use this bike for. )

Since last night on the way home there was no wind at all and nearly zero traffic to watch out for, I did 0-20MPH acceleration tests, and came up with 7 seconds, no pedalling, as an average, along the whole nearly flat route at each complete stop I had to make for traffic signals/etc. That's quick enough for most people, I think. I'd prefer quicker take-off just so I can get out of the way of traffic if necessary, but mostly that isn't needed from a dead stop.



I also wanted to note something I think I forgot to before, and that's that this controller doesnt' have any drain-down resistors, so it does keep the caps charged up when disconnected, as long as you turn off the keyswitch for the lights/etc., first, even with the Fusin "analyst" display still attached (since that is powered off the keyswitched voltage line).

[amberwolf]

What's the max amp rating on their controller? What is the max amps/volts Luis says the motor can take?

He didnt' answer on the volts part--I presume that like most motors it doens't really matter on that; it could probably handle a higher voltage than would be practical to run it at.

The amps he said 18-20 peak, but didnt' say if that was battery amps at controller, or phase amps (which is what I asked about). I'm waiting on a clarification to be sure, and also clarification on the price. Language barrier sometimes makes it hard to be sure of answers without asking twice in different ways.

[amberwolf]

Can't get an answer on phase current or internals of the motor; 18-20A is simply the current limit of the controller.

I asked price for a tool to open it up, but either the language barrier is preventing understanding, or he doesn't really want to sell one to anyone but a dealer (and I don't know who those are, either). I guess I'll have to make my own.

He did say that the "analyst" display won't be part of the kit till they're sure it'll work reliably. Based on discussions with him about the issue, I'm the only one that's had a problem with it in the testing so far, and the problem appears to be communications. All of the data that is displayed on it is based on info generated at the controller, and sent serially to the display, including battery voltage. So if data isn't sent by the controller properly or received by the display, or RF or other electrical noise interferes with it on the AFAICR unshielded wires, it could cause all the issues I see with it.

I think I am going to try an experiment with adding a shielded cable for the analyst display to controller, and see if that helps.

[amberwolf]

Still riding this for work commute, though I rode CrazyBike2 for a few days here and there until I crashed and broke it's frame, whcih is partly fixed but untested.

Today is a workload day for this bike and kit: 20.25 miles on a Freecycle trip to pick up another old bike, a microwave that can probably be fixed, and a light small computer-desk chair that can be converted into a 'bent type seat for a bike--all hauled together on the little Bell trailer.

DSC06980.JPG (60.67 KiB) Viewed 570 times

DSC06981.JPG (67.93 KiB) Viewed 570 times

As soon as it's done recharging (anytime now) I'll be heading back out for another 5-mile trip to pickup about a hundred pounds of dog food I found on clearance and have "on hold" for me (don't get to do that very often), plus some groceries, using the trailer again. Might need a second trip for the groceries, not sure there's room for them plus the dog food. (at least, not safely).

After that, I head over to a friend's house a few miles away, again with the trailer, this time with the Nishik-E's frame (I'm too tired to just pedal it over) on it, so we can work out sewing up a triangle bag for it out of that messenger bag I got a while back, and see about something similar for his bike(s).

I figure I'll put nearly 40 miles on it total, today, with three battery cycles. (one deep, two partial)


I did have the slippage issue again, when I hit a pothole wiht the trailer that I managed to avoid on the bike, and it yanked the hitch from the position in the pic below back to rub on the brake rotor. Had to stop and reclamp it. Problem si that the chainstays are tapered. I really should weld a "stop" just in front of the rotor in case this happens again, or better yet just behind where the clamp needs to hold on, so it can't slip at all. Wouldn't need to be anything more than just a tack weld itslef--no additional material needed, just a bump on the tube.

DSC06982.JPG (52.08 KiB) Viewed 570 times

On the trailer loading, I secured the bike frame and tires first by running the top tube of the trailer thru them, so that even if straps came loose or whatever, I could not lose them off the trailer. Then everythign was velcro-strapped to each other, and the microwave and chair bungeed down (as my velcro straps aren't long enough).

DSC06983.JPG (48.17 KiB) Viewed 570 times

Load shifted enough to rub on a tire once, and on the spokes another time, when hitting bumps and potholes that couldn't be avoided with all the tires at once. Each time had to stop and mvoe things back. I need to put some angle-iron and stiff "fenders" or something along the edges of the flatbed, just along where the tires are, so they cannot be rubbed by the load. No time to do it today, though, as I would first have to locate the angle stuff I know I have around here. (I have aluminum from server cases and rackmounts that would be perfect, if I knew where it was).


The chair has a mesh back over a tube frame, and a lightly padded tube frame seat; I'd just have to cut off or maybe unbolt the stand from it. I am tempted to weld a seatpost to it and use it on THIS bike.

DSC06984.JPG (65.45 KiB) Viewed 570 times

DSC06985.JPG (69.68 KiB) Viewed 570 times

On the firs tlong trip I pedalled a fair bit on the way back, and a little bit on the way there once the headwinds started, as I was afraid I'd run out of power if I only motored. Naturally, whihle I was loading upt he trailer on the first stop, the winds died down, leaving still hot air melting me even in the shade. Thought I was going to pass out by the time I got moving again, and then it wasnt' so bad. By the time I loaded up the second stop, winds began blowing back the other way, so I had headwinds going home, too.

They were worse than the ones on the way there, so rather than the ~20Wh/mile at about 17MPH average I got on the way there, I was reduced to about 13-15MPH most of the way, and tired enoguh to be closer to 10MPH the last couple of miles, with even stronger headwinds, and creeping up to over 7Ah (out of max 10Ah possible, but only charged to maybe 95% at most, and I wouldn't want to run them dead, so call it 9Ah really useable, and 8Ah is my cutoff for longevity/safety as I still havent' installed the Methods' LVC/HVC system I have sitting here. :/ )

Ride data for long trip:
1h 49m 11s trip time
20.25miles
21.8mph max (coasting downhill on the freeway underpass at Bell road on the way there)
11.1mph avg

19.4Wh/mile
7.31Ah
392.35Wh
29.91Amax

58.1Vstart
51.8Vrest
49.8Vmin

I heard the charger shut off while typing this, so off I go now....

[amberwolf]

Newsflash: If you forget to put sunscreen on, and ride with a shortsleeve shirt for several hours at midday in Phoenix summer, you will get a heckuva sunburn. I realized that I had not put it on about an hour after posting the above, as it really started to hurt as I loaded the dogfood and groceries into the trailer. My arms are the only really bad part; I smeared aloe vera on them from the plants I keep in the yard for this purpose, and it helps tremendously.


Second newsflash: Always pay attention to your connectors when plugging them in. I almost destroyed the controller tongiht. I was so tired when I finally got home a couple of hours ago (almost midnight) that when I finally got done with feeding/caring for dogs and feeding myself, that I forgot to even plug in th ebike to charge it. So in the middle of typing this post I remembered that, and got up to do it.

Then the dogs let me know the charger stopped, so I got up to take it off and hook the controler bakc up (as I just unplug that to hook the charger in so I can use the CA to monitor charge as regen current so power usage should always return to near zero; if it doesn't I know immediately something went wrong with charging.)

However, I'm so wiped out that I kinda just did it by rote...and forgot that I don't have andersons on the controller's power connector yet, just the bullets, which don't have any keying to keep from plugging htem in backwards. Usually, I turn on a light and look. This time, because I'm stupid, I did it by feel just like I do with all my keyed andersons...and BLAM ZAP KAPOW there was lightning in the almost completely dark room lit only by the CA's reflected light off the walls) as it vaporized a little bit of connector tips:

DSC07008.JPG (36.08 KiB) Viewed 1108 times

Thankfully, the cotnrolelr is tougher than I expected, and it still seems to work fine, although I didn't actually test ride the bike it does spin up the wheel as expected. I had the "ignition" key off, so therew as no power to the lowvotlage section or MCU, etc., just the FEts and main caps and stuff. Hopefully those are ok and not damaged wating to fail. Guess I'll find out eventually.


So...now for the rest of the day bfore that:

The grocery/dogfood run was successful; I didn't write down the stats, but I didn't have to pedal this trip, despite the 114lbs of dogfood, 30-ish of trailer, and the rest of the groceries (10-ish pounds).

DSC06987.JPG (73.73 KiB) Viewed 1108 times

DSC06988.JPG (57.82 KiB) Viewed 1108 times

Only one REALLY stupid person on this trip; most people were at least reasonable drivers, if very impatient with each other (and sometimes me). Big white car, dunno what kind. I was approachihg the red light at Cheryl, southbound on the two-lane-each-way Metro Pkwy West, when the car a ways behind me in my lane *accelerated* (approaching a red light, mind you) and swerved around me mostly into the LEFT lane, and then swerved back around me to make a RIGHT turn onto Cheryl, without slowing or stopping for hte red light, just as I stopped behind the crosswalk lines.

At least they did swerve around me, and there wasnt' anybody in his path on the street he turned onto. Lots of other people ROARing past, even though they didnt' even have to go around me, as they were already in the other lane, and never went into my lane at all even after passing me. Several people runnng red lights, some like the other idiot above and not even stopping for htem at all, some stopping or at least slowing before they went thru (usually straight thru, a couple turning left or right). Dunno what the deal is, but it was a lot worse than usual.


After a much less eventful rest of the ride home, and I got all the food inside and put away, let teh dogs out to do their thing, I went back out to a friends house to work on a test method of putting the Nishk-E's bags onto the frame securely; more info in that thread, but pic here of the frame with the bags on it. I forgot to take a pic of the bike on the trailer, but it was done the same way as the bike in the previous post.

DSC07001.JPG (61.21 KiB) Viewed 1108 times

One of his cats certainly liked it, mistaking it for a hammock.

DSC07003.JPG (54.33 KiB) Viewed 1108 times

[amberwolf]

So far no problems with the controller despite the momentary accidental polarity reversal.

Today was the bike's first real dunking; it was pouring rain pretty hard on the ride home, starting with a hard sprinkle when I left work tonight and quickly turning into a "can't see to ride" torrent, where all I coudl see was lights of signage and other cars, for about a mile and a half, then it went back to the drizzle.

No problems with it so far; we'll see if it is still ok in the morning; I gotta be at work way early tomorrow.

Well, actually there is *one* problem I have to diagnose after a nap (cuz I'm too tired to competently work on a battery right now): The ammo can pack only charged up 5o 57.4V (instead of 58.3V) before the charger stopped with a green light. I don't know why it would stop, unless the charger doens't just detect end of charge by voltage, but also by current, and something caused the pack to stop drawing current at that point.

We'll see in a while; for now the pack is disconnected from charger and bike.

[amberwolf]

I have found that it's pretty consistent--pack stops charging at the same voltage each time, and if i unplug hte charger from AC and pack till it's light goes out, then plug back in, it charges another 200mAh or so, then stops again. Repeat for another 200mAh or so, and it's basically fully charged at that point.

I have watched the packs via balance leds on a batterymedic during charging, and it looks normal to me, nothing out of balance with the others within a couple of hundredths of a volt. I don't see a pack problem, so I'm guessing it's a charger issue. I'll have to see how the charger works on the pack on CB2, see if the same thing happens there.


In other news, the bike itself hasn't had any rain-based problems, though the CA's buttons stopped working again--it's probably the connector vibrated loose again. I ought to tape it down or stick some foam in there to keep it still.


I used the bike and trailer setup to haul a kennel/crate from our rescue partner at work; it has a broken door that needs more wire welded onto it. Probably spend a bit of time Thursday fixing it and hauiling it back up there; that's my next day off. I'm finding one issue with the trailer is that the "frame" of it isn't stiff enough side-to-side, and I should add some sort of removable triangulation brace (so I can still fold it up).

[amberwolf]

I have misplaced the camera, so no pic yet, but the rain on the ride home the other day seems to have damaged the CA buttons themselves; corroding some of teh traces in the silver/plastic button assembly on the front. I will probably go the route I have seen one other person go, and replace them with clicky buttons, though mine will likely be from a VCR I recently disassembled for salvage of various parts. I might be able to silicone them under the original button cover to waterproof them, at least sufficiently for the very infrequent rains we have here.

Rest of the bike hasnt had any problems from it, including even the Fusin display unit (or at least, no worse problems than it had before).

[amberwolf]

Foudn the camera, so here's a pic of the CA buttons.

DSC07082.JPG (25.19 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

Will document the fix here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19540

[amberwolf]

Fusin has sent their new controller design, a 9FET; it's still on the way. Could arrive anytime now. Also sent me some spare spokes (hopefully spare nipples, too, since those are what has actually failed; we'll see when it gets here).

As I understand it, the reason for sending the new controller is that it does not use the Fusin analyst display at all (although it may be capable of doing so--if it is, I will hook it up after I have thoroughly tested the controller itself, to see if the communication problems are in the display or the controller).

Wish I coudl've convinced them to send me the tool to open the wheel motor up, but I guess they only want to sell that to their dealers when motors actually need service. Can't blame them I guess, but it won't stop me from opening it, just delay me as I make my own tool (eventually).

I have not been riding this bike the last week or so, but have been using CrazyBike2 since fixing it's frame (broken in a crash/skid). I'll be riding this one again once the new stuff arrives and is installed.

I have to go back over the data but I think I have nearly 250 miles on this one now--halfway thru what I'd consider a fair amount for a review. So far the actual motor and controller, the key parts of the kit, have been great, just like the older Fusin stuff I've used.

I'd definitely recommend them.

[amberwolf]

Fusin's new 9FET arrived today just before I had to leave for work, so I have only had time to open the box (at lunch) and take pics (just now, before I go feed the dogs and myself).

DSC07140.JPG (37.46 KiB) Viewed 967 times

The new one appears the same size (by my *completely infallible* memory ) as the old one,

DSC07141.JPG (25.31 KiB) Viewed 967 times

with the same type and array of connectors, which Fusin said are keyed and colored the same as the old one.

DSC07145.JPG (47.52 KiB) Viewed 967 times

It also should work with the Fusin analyst display, so I will use this as a chance to test if the old controller or the display was causing the communications issues between them that caused the "lockups" and whatnot.

It's specs are not any different than the original one other than the much higher LVC (40V vs 34V, so this one cannot be used with a common 36V pack),

DSC07144.JPG (30.96 KiB) Viewed 967 times

so I'm not really sure why they would go to 9FETs over 6FETs, but I'm all up for higher reliability and extra overhead for loaded-current-handling, which the paired-leg FETs in the 9FET ought to provide.

Pics of the insides later, after it's been tested.


The 4 spokes/nipples on top are the 220mm needed for the disc side, and the slightly shorter 4 on the bottom are for the chain/sprocket side. It's a comfort to have them, as I am sure I will eventually break some once I get to really abuse testing it after the primary review.

[amberwolf]

Hooked it up in place of the old one, one connector at a time so I couldn't mix them up.

Turned on fine, and runs the motor wheel off-ground fine.

Fusin analyst display hooks up and works; I temporarily undid the mod that bypasses it's ability to turn off the controller, so I could see how it behaves on this one.

Just before I started swapping controllers, a storm began brewing, and got to lightning and high gusty winds (but only light sprinkles), and stayed that way for all the time I had for testing this tonight, so there's no on-road testing yet. Grateful for the storm, as it brought outisde temperatures down to 85F, the same as it is in my AC-cooled room, although it's very humid out there. Hopefully stays like this all night so it cools off the house and ground and streets outside, to make it a bit cooler thru tomorrow. But it wasn't safe to go riding out in the winds, so I wil ahve to do that later.


Anyhow, there is indeed a difference with the Fusin analyst display on this one vs the old one: This new controller is not sending the speed data It *does* tell the display when the overspeed has occured (like if I run the wheel at WOT off-ground), because the display blanks the speed, and flashes its' usual error 24 (I think, had a little involuntary nap since then so can't recall exactly). However, it does not turn off the controller--the wheel still keeps going at whatever speed that is WOT off-ground. Can't tell ya since it's not displaying any speed, just 0 MPH.

I have not yet tried KPH instead, nor have I tried differnet wheel diameters, nor have I tried lowering the speed limit from the max. These shoudl not change anything in whether or not the display will do it's other functions, but I need to try them for completeness.


At a first guess, something is different in how this controller is programmed to send data out to the display.

The speed sensor in the motor is obviously working, and the controller is obviously responding to it as it knows when it has gone too fast and tells the display that this limit has been reached, but it is not telling the display what speed it is going, either before or after the overspeed.

It *does* tell it what the present watt usage is, and that appears to be working normally.

I re-connected the old controller and verified that the display does indeed still do what it is supposed to with that one--it does display the speed and it does cut off the controller when overspeed occurs, and it does blank the speed display (which I find very annying) and until I let off the throttle and it goes to coast mode and redisplays the speed, still with the error code instead of a wattage.

I re-connected the new controller, and again it does not display the speed or respond to an overspeed by shutting off power to the controller.

I forgot to do one more test: try the throttle without turning on the display first, which will tell me if the controller is even wired inside to let the display unit cut it's power off, as that is the only thing I can think of that would disable the ability of the display to do this--if the wire is already bypassed inside the controller, like I did temporarily externally on the display cable itself (and returned to original for testing the new controller).


I'll have to roadtest this to see whether the analyst works correctly (other than the above) with this controller, or if the same issues as before start cropping up randomly as previosuly happened iwth the old controller.

I also should check (at least with a meter) whether or not the controller's "ignition" power comes thru the display connector or if it is tapped directly from the keyswitch input. If the former, it will let me more fully test the display's interaction with this new controlller. If the latter, I'd have to move the wire to match the old one, to fully test the display with this controller.

[amberwolf]

I verified on a test ride that the speedo does not display any speed from the new controller. The old one does.

It does blank the speedo and flash the display when overspeed is reached, as expected.

It does not change the overspeed limit, when altered in setup, to any of the available speeds in the range. The old one does.

It does not disable the controller when overspeed is reached. The old one does. The new one simply keeps going faster and faster if you keep holding the throttle WOT; I dunno what the max speed is as I let go of the throttle once I was way faster than comfortable with on this bike, probably 26-27MPH? Dunno for sure.

It does disable the controller when the analyst is not powered up--utnil you hold the Mode button just like before, the controller does not respond to throttle.

It does change the PAS level; each of the 10 levels works as expected for PAS, except I forgot to test level 0 (which turns off the controller, basically). Level 1 is just a little assist, level 2 is more, etc., thru 9 which is full power PAS, whcih is like pedalling along and then suddenly a second or two later your throttle suddenly goes WOT without you doing it. Very disconcerting--the PAS needs to not have any delay, especially since it has the same delay in STOPPING the assist after you cease pedalling, whcih could cause a crash for inexperienced riders. But this is no different than the original controller, so it is working as expected, if not as desired.

It does display the wattage correctly, just like the old one, so I know for sure between that and the overspeed flashing that the new controller does indeed talk to the analyst correctly, it's just not sending some data (like speedo) or is sending it in a way the analyst doesnt' understand.


So something is different about this controller's programming or wiring or design, so that it does not properly work with the Fusin analyst display unit; I'll have to open it up later to find out if it is a wiring issue.


Oh, another tidbit: the odo data is kept in the analyst display, probably in flash. Dunno how to reset it, or if it can be. It was still the same reading that it had been when I last used it on the old controller (a while back).

[amberwolf]

Longer test of the new controller today; whcih worked just fine, as did the motor. I definitely like this setup, other than the display.


Display unit actually displayed a speed reading several times during the 8-mile ride, but it didnt' correspond to my actual speed at any of thsoe times. As little as 2MPH while going at least 15, as much as 40MPH while going only 17-18.

It also cut off power to the controller each time this happened, even if the displayed speed was very low. I verified the cutoff speed is still set to the max KPH it allows; once this had happened half a dozen times or so I stopped and redid the mod to the wire harness that lets power bypass the display's control line and go right to the controller's "keysiwtch" input; I was in traffic and this was becoming a serious safety problem, especially the two times it would not cut power back in until I power cycled the system.

It did not have these problems again after redoing that mod.


First four miles was to the light rail, then rode the light rail to almsot end of line, got off and rode to a friend's house another four or so miles. Total of only about 5Ah used, of the 8 or so safely usable in the ammocan pack.

Brought charger with me in case I had to recharge and ride back, but he took me home in his truck with teh bike in the bed. Good thing, since the charger connector malfunctioned; I didnt' crimp it properly and it pulled out--I was able to fix it and start the recharge process anyway, but it teaches me another lesson, to not bet my ride back on being able to recharge at the destination.


On the light rail I had two conversations about ebikes. First was with a student learning electrical stuff; corrected a few misconceptions about ebikes and ebike law and such, but he was fairly interested in the bike.

Second was an older gentleman that suggested I put an alternator on there to recharge it while I was riding. I attempted a few times to explain simply that it's physically impossible to get back enough energy from this to even break even, and get the same range you would have without it, and that in reality you would end up with a *shorter* range by doing this, due to inefficiencies causing losses in each stage of power conversion. I don't think I got thru to him on that. It's really hard to dissuade people from such impossible ideas! I suggested he come over to the forums here to read thru the discussions (including number crunching) that people have had about this subject. I dont' think he will visit; he didn't seem interested enough.

Eventually I mentioned that people have used pedal-generators to recharge the battery, but that even then it's more efficent ot run thru the chain directly. Then that people ahve put gas-powered generators on there for longer range than just the batteries, but it still takes fuel. We ended up joking about having Star Trek antimatter reactors on them or the Mr. Fusion from Back to the Future, as the only good compact solution that *might* someday be possible to power things without big heavy batteries.


On my second half of the ride after the light rail, going down Dobson, at one of the side streets there was a bike leaning on a pole and a few feet away a group of paramedics and police officers standing around a sheet-covered body on a gurney. There were no other people around, so I suspect the body was the cyclist. The bike appeared undamaged, so I don't know what actually happened.


Most poeple were actually fairly nice on the roads, considering their speed limits were 45MPH and the best I'm allowed to do is 20; most of the impatient people changed lanes and passed, rather than lane-splitting or roaring past me, on those stretches with no bike lane or with one only inches wide that could never really be called a bike lane (but is apparently intended to be).

OTOH, there were places where the bike lane suddenly and without announcement simply had it's left line go diagonally into the curb, ending it. Those were fun. Always in places you couldn't clearly see that this was coming, too, until you were within a few car lengths of it--hard to plan where to go like that. Not really anythign taht stupidly done up in Phoenix, and this is Tempe which is supposed to be bike friendly!


All in all was an interesting ride, but if I could I'd rather ride the whole distance on the bike rather than do the light rail. Air conditioning or not, it's not fun to sit there and be jerked back and forth at each start or stop, listening to the babble of people angry about this or that, or hearing them spout off about something they know nothing about as if they did, or having phone conversations that ought to be private out in public. Definitely would be better to ride in the heat. I just have to put airless "solid" tubes in the tires on CrazyBIke2, so not to have to worry about flats, and then carry enough battery for the whole trip there and back (in case I can't recharge for some reason).