Who have already blowed their Crystalyte controller here?

Doctorbass

Doctorbass

100 GW
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
7,496
Location
Quebec, Canada East
I wonder how many member had to change the fets and/or other component on their controller for other reason than moding it.?

List your name here:





I just neeed to know who and if any have some different experience to share about:
- repair successfull or not?
-how much did it cost to you before it work again?
-did you experience a second blow-up when time to re-test?
-Any other component blowed than the gate driver, fets, motor driver, gate resistor?

Thanks,


Doc
 
I have two that were pre-blown by someone else (saving me the trouble)

On the FETs that blew, about 90% the 10ohm gate resistor blew.
About 25% the two high side drive transistors blew.
One IR2101 gate driver chip blew (guess that's about 10%)

Everything else OK.

After repair the controller is MUCH more robust and runs much cooler.
I've pulled 100 amps at 60v on a set of IRFB3808's, which are not as good as 4110's.
 
Yes

Blown 3 controllers

All times at 72V both times under load.

repaired all successfully, one with just a few fets changed the other with all fets changed for 150V fets. gate driver IC on one had blown.

Changed all the drive transistors in both and all gate resistors as many gate resistors had blown. All repaired controllers now working fine.

Its a good idea to use SMD replacement resistors, you can bridge them with normal resistors, it works but can cause problems should the controller fail again as the gate resistors act like fuses, they are a lot easier to change than people think.

Cheers

Knoxie
 
One blown out of 4, and i think it was just an unlucky controller (blew at 48v only, under no load, and still "fired on 2 cylinders" so to speak).
2 72v20A controllers have proved happy at 84v and 30A, and a 36v happy at 48v and 30A.
I remember when the first one blew (was my first attempt at e-biking) I doubted that I could evcer trust one on a long journey again. Now after some hundreds of miles I am reasured!
 
I ran my stock 72v x 35a controller at 84v from the start, and pretty much ran it full throttle for a good few hundred km's. After getting bored of that, I turned the current limit up and of course the stock FETs blew up. Replaced with IRFB4110s and nearly 3000km later everyone who tries the bike has a huge EV grin. :D
 
Lowell said:
I ran my stock 72v x 35a controller at 84v from the start, and pretty much ran it full throttle...
Click to expand...

84V * 35A = 2940 Watts

Figure peak power efficiency of about 80% and you get 2352 watts.

Translate to horsepower and you get 3.15 hp.

Somehow I don't think you're ever going to be able to go to a bicycle shop and buy such a bike and ride it on the street. (except here in Missouri where 3 hp is theoretically legal)

So, legally, what voltage must they sell a bike and how do they sell the 72 volt versions without getting into trouble? Is it because it's sold online only? Maybe you can buy a 36 Volt controller at a store, but only the 72 Volt online?

I'm just wondering what people KNOW about the legal angles these companies are doing to skirt the law. Is there some kind of "loophole" that people know about?

When you sell stuff online you effectively liberate yourself from local laws, so I'm wondering if that's how they get away with it.

(sort of like setting up offshore bank accounts... that sort of thing... :wink: )
 
I'm just wondering what people KNOW about the legal angles these companies are doing to skirt the law.
Click to expand...

There's no law prohibiting high-wattage controllers. Are you nuts, there'd be no golf carts, or fork lifts, etc, etc....
 
Yeah, they just trust us not to go strapping these things on our bikes and taking them on the street. And we don't.....much :lol:
 
xyster said:
There's no law prohibiting high-wattage controllers. Are you nuts, there'd be no golf carts, or fork lifts, etc, etc....
Click to expand...

:arrow: Not on brushed motors obviously... but on a brushless that is specific to a particular motor one has to wonder how that works.

What does the bike shop do? Do they sell the bike in it's stock legal form and then sell the controller as a separate item along with it? Or are they able to do the "swap" and make the bike at the point of sale illegal if the customer requests the action?

When you buy/sell over the internet you create a separation from point of sale and the location on which the product is used. If you sell out of a bike shop in a particular place with laws that restrict behavior in that place then things are different.

Think about that guy in Florida who posted here that is having to go to court because his ebike did not satisfy some weird local Florida law.
 
safe said:
Think about that guy in Florida who posted here that is having to go to court because his ebike did not satisfy some weird local Florida law.
Click to expand...

"That guy" is Matt, and his bike fails to meet the federal definition of an e-bike, just like yours doesn't : it has no means of human propulsion.

What is "weird" is Missouri law, that doesn't require human propulsion... all the other states do.

:roll:
 
How can Car manufacturers get away with producing cars that can FAR Exceed the posted speed limits... and still call them cars. :wink: It's the driver's responsibility to obay the rules of the road.

No such limits off-road !

I have not blown a controller yet, except the one WE brusless wich i beleive was an early crystalyte product, but was entirely my fault.. reverse polarity ! :oops:
 
Haven't blown a controller yet and only have one. I don't have any connectors so reverse polarity can't happen. My charging jacks are for charging only. I am amazed that some manufactures make non color coded connectors. Its like they just want you to blow your stuff up. Even though they plug in just one way, Its still possible to get a spark or make contact if plugged the wrong way. Want to save money? Use a small piece of red or black color coded electrical tape and mark the plastic. You can also make a shroud out of shrink sleave if needed. You'll be glad you did.
 
My question: Will I join the blown controller club? (I don't really want to)

I have a 48v, 20a Crystalite controller. Will it handle 60 volts?

Dealer says it's only rated to 55v but he has a customer who's
been running many miles at 60v

Anybody tried this?

Thanks,
Roy in Santa Clara

PS: looking for replacement spokes for a 408 C/L
hub in a 26" wheel. Anybody know a quick source?
 
Might be ok at 60v, you'd have to check the spec sheet on the FETs. I plug mine in (100v rated) at 105V every day and no problems.

At the very least, if you're running 72v+ it would be a good idea to check/upgrade the FET mounting hardware.
 
Lowell, thanks. I'll pull it
open and have a look around.

That adjustable current limit
mod sounds really appealing...

R
 
TylerDurden said:
What is "weird" is Missouri law, that doesn't require human propulsion... all the other states do. :roll:
Click to expand...

Not so!

California Code has (2) definitions of electric bicycle, each with different requirements.

1) Has pedals, a throttle, and can't do more than 20mph assisted. Anyone over 16 can drive one of these
2) Pedals OPTIONAL, can't do more than 30mph assisted. Anyone with an M2 'Moped' license can drive one of these.

Our Electric bikes can qualify in either category, depending on how fast you want to be licensed. Gruber's machine (I have trouble categorizing it as a bicycle) would fall under category 2 - he'd need an M2 license but he could drive it.

-JD
 
I've got a blew FET 48V brushed Crystalyte controller. I did not realize I could cause a short by removing a thermal tape inside the aluminum case and let 2 FET & 1 rectifier touching the case. I was originally trying to make the FETs & rectifier to dispense & transfer the heat to the case but then when I start the bike the fuse blew immediately on the battery pack. Now I have the FETs replace & determine one of the FET has short leads of all 3 legs. I know the rectifier is still good because I can still see a red LED light up. Anyway, what else do I need to replace to get my controller fixed besides the FETs that I have already desoldered & replaced? Right now I cannot get any voltage to the motor output leads even with full throttle. I appreciate your help! :cry:
 
Hi Lyen, Have a read through here. Perhaps you blew the gate resistors or drivers... http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=764
 
Yes, see page 4 on the controller thread.

Usually the gate resistors blow. If you're lucky, the 2101 drivers will still work.

Keep in mind during testing that you won't get any output unless it detects changing hall inputs. In other words, you need to connect a motor to test it.

It's a good idea to test with a current limited power source.
 
An old version X-controller was found faulty on one FET driver IR2101s.
All FETs are OK. Reason unknown.

Don't border to repair it because the 3 big cap are absent in this old version.
 
The damaged fets were mostly the same ones, or did they blow randomly?
I.e. the blown mosfets were most frequently the same ones close to a specific phase cable (yellow or blue or black)?

Antonio Zanardo
 
Thanks for your help Fechter! Anyone know the Crystalyte brushed controller uses 2 FETs (STP75NF75). Can you tell me which chip is the driver? There are two chips, one is on a socket (ATMEL AT89C2051-24PL) and one is solder (ST LM339M). Thanks![/img]
 

Attachments

  • 25A36V48VBrushedController.jpg
    25A36V48VBrushedController.jpg
    30.2 KB · Views: 2,883
I've never seen the insides of that model. With a brushed controller, there is probably no need for a IR2101, since the FETs are all low side. The gate driver might be a pair of small TO-92 transistors.

Follow the circuit trace back from the gate resistors and see where it goes.
 
Hey, I've had my 72V 40a controller for almost a month with absolutely no problems.

Been sitting on the bedroom floor while I wait for batteries.. :oops: :lol:

Wonder if some of our more experienced staff could set up a chart or list, with the different models of Crystalyte controllers and the maximum amps (with approx 95% reliability) they can be run at ? Stock models and modified ones.
 
It seems to be sort of hit and miss. I'm not sure we have enough data for useful statistics. Most of the failures occur at voltages higher than 48v, with the stock current limit.

If you reduced the current limit, the survival rate should be better.

With upgraded FETs, the chances of failure are greatly reduced.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Joe's E-bike build
2
Replies
47
Views
4,356
lightbulb010
L
Chalo
Can't believe it still works: ancient Crystalyte controller edition
Replies
4
Views
442
amberwolf
amberwolf
Cyb0rg d3ck3r
New Fat Tire BBSHD Build From Scratch! Need HELP Selecting Components!
Replies
16
Views
507
Bullfrog
B
swbf
NEW Bafang G063 Motor, G06A2 Automatic Transmission Motor, New Display Released
Replies
8
Views
2,455
swbf
swbf
T
[newbie] e-bike vendors and battery lock-in
Replies
4
Views
956
leffex
L
Back
Top