ebike.ca sells usb programming dongles for bms

[auraslip]

http://ebike.ca/store/store_batteries.php

I think it's interesting. Does anyone have a source for the bms boards. I know the O2 chip only does up to 13 cells, but it might be just the ticket for 12s lipo packs.

[neptronix]

What a steal at $125...

I think the ggoodrum boards, and other various lower cost alternatives could use a look if you want to go the BMS route.

[docnjoj]

Well there are Cheaper BMS's out there but I don't think you can buy Fechter and Gary's boards now. Ping still sells them much cheaper but if the Grin one uses all cells instead of just a few to drain power it might be worth it. Justin usually releases solid stuff!
otherDoc

[neptronix]

hm, i guess i never knew what was going on with those boards. They always seem in development and availability has been questionable

I'm sure cell_man could supply some variant of what he puts in his a123 packs.
There are other 3.6-3.8v nominal BMSes available from ev-assemble, bmsbattery, powerizer, and all-battery.

[dnmun]

justin may not use the O2 micro BMS board, but they have very small output FETs, the balancing shunt resistors are small so the shunt current is small, and the way they worked with the lifepo4 required the shunts to drain the high cell down to 3.65V from 3.9V before it turned on the charging FET again. slow.

maybe that all can be reprogrammed if someone ever gets access to the O2 micro code, but i doubt if you can push more than 40A through the output FETs. of course this may be a different BMS from the ones i have worked on. to use it for 12S they use a short across the 13th cell from #12.

[docnjoj]

Whoops Nep! I had a touch of "oldtimers disease". I didn't realize this was just for the dongle. $125 is sure a lot of money for a programming cable.
otherDoc

[auraslip]

For the ability to program a bms, $125 is a steal. Compare to building one of the DIY bms at $300+ in parts plus hours of your time.

[neptronix]

I think buying a proper BMS designed to cut off at 4.15v and 3.2v for around $100 is pretty nice ... just around the cost of the programming device itself, or less.

http://emissions-free.com/catalog/i12.html



These seem to be pretty hardy units. I've never heard of anyone ever having problems with cell_man's packs.
I wonder if cell_man can be sweet talked into getting these built for non-lifepo4 voltages.

[chroot]

ilia brouk has LiPo BMS boards when I stopped by his shop and he showed me the new BMS for LiPo. I haven't see the assmebled with the BMS yet and you might want talk to ilia (ebikessf) to find out. I was told that he started using LiPo batteries for less cost than the LiFeP04 for better reduce sag and more ampere output but less cycle lifetime.

I forgot addition, ilia does carry the BMS boards for LiFeP04 12S, 16S and 20S maybe 24S and Last time I saw was plenty of 12S, 16S and few left 20 and 24S bms.

[Bazaki]

I wonder why it is so hard to find a BMS for lipo, the one that nep_tronix showed would be perfect, but then indeed with HVC 4,15v and 3,0 LVC (or 3,2)
I have never found one for Lipo.