Kelly vs Sabvoton Controller review 2017

7bigjohn

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It would be wonderful for us new to Ebikes to learn from the experience of people that have owned both. Please list your simple Pros and Cons for each or submit your full reviews. Thanks in advance for participating. :D
 
I own 2 Sabvoton, a 72150A new generation and a 72200A (software unlocked to 200A), previous version
I've also got a Kelly KHB12401.

So far, I tested all those controllers on a 72V 35Ah lead acid battery, on my electric motorbike, with 16 inches 3000W QS V3 high speed motor.

I'll only talk about the 72200 vs the 12401, since the 72150 is pretty much the same as the 72200, only with less power.

My opinion:
Hardware set up: I really don't like how the connectors are done on the Kelly. They need screws and bolts, they protrude a lot outside of the controller box and they need very careful insulation. On the sabvoton, the connection of power wires if pretty much fool proof, you're less likely to make bad contacts between terminals.
About the low power wiring, they are pretty much the same, the indication markings on the Sabvoton are a bit clearer though (I had a hard time figuring out what was the ignition wire on the Kelly... it was a pink wire marked "PRW", I thought it was a red wire marked "B+" which would have been far more logical).

Size and heat: The kelly is quite bigger and heavier. So far, according to my tests, they are heating pretty much the same.

Software and configuration:
Connection to the controller is a bit easier on the Kelly, no need to select the right port, it is done automatically. The Kelly manual notice is stupid as shit, it mentions that you should absolutely remove all wiring from the controller and supply it with 10-30V to make any programming, while it is actually not necessary at all and works perfectly fine even when all the wires are connected to the machine. Completely moronic advice.
The software itself quite sucks, there are actually very few things you can actually program, seemed to be more of a gadget feature to me than a real programming thing. You need to restart the controller after each mod. You cannot do any mod on the fly, and there is basically no information provided on the software regarding the controller current status (actual operating voltage, temperatures, actual current consumption, hall sensor position, throttle voltage... nothing). The slide regen can only be set up to 20% of max power, which, on my quite heavy bike, translates into no regen feeling at all. It is not fool proof either, since one time after a wrong set up of the throttle voltage, the bike went full speed directly after power up. Pretty scary. This never happened on the sabvoton, no matter what stupid parameters I ever entered.
On the Sabvoton, you need to find out each time which port your controller is connected to, before trying to connect. It is pretty easy, just need to check in "printers and devices", but a bit annoying, it would be better if this step was automated just like it is on the Kelly. This is pretty much the only downside of this software, since otherwise it is pretty nice. Lots of parameters can be modified, in real time (you just click "OK" and then the new parameter will work instantly, no need to restart), it provides a lot of useful real time information, like operating voltage, throttle voltage, current consumption, motor rpm, etc. You can set up a new motor in a matter of seconds, just using the "Hall sensor test" mode, the regen settings can be set up very high (100A max if I recall correctly), which is awesome on my machine. It also have a lot of nice features such as the field weakening, which allows you to reach a greater speed, at the cost of efficiency. The user interface could be a bit clearer with explanations on what each parameter is actually doing, but this is not much better on the Kelly software anyway.

Driving experience:
-You have to understand here that those two controllers have a very different technology. Square wave for the Kelly and Sinewave for the sabvoton. Kelly is also doing square wave controllers, but I never have the opportunity to own one so far.

Kelly: the start up is quite rough from 0-5km/h, lots of vibrations, lots of horrible noise like the thing is gonna explode. This is normal on square wave controllers, but not really nice. The start up torque is good, given the weight of my machine. Once passed 5kmh, and until about 30km/h, the motor sound is really fun and nice, sounds almost like a Formula one engine. There is plenty of torque and it doesn't take much time to reach 30. Passed that speed, the sound becomes less audible and the torque seems to decrease, or at least to reach a flat curve, until you reach the top speed, which on my machine was 97km/h. On deceleration, the slide regen was not noticeable since it can only be set up to a very low value. I don't use the regenerative breaking so I cannot say if this works fine, but I saw in the software that it can be set to 50% of controller max power, which is not actually very high too.

Sabvoton: Very smooth start, no vibration, no noise whasoever. Extremely easy to control, it feels like a gas powered engine. The total absence of noise is pretty much amazing. The start up torque from 0-20kmh feels a tiny bit lower than the Kelly, but passed this point the power and torque seem to go up more and more, until about 70km/h where it starts to hit the top of the curve. I reached 115kmh without the flux weakening enabled, in less time that what I needed to reach 97kmh with the Kelly. The regen was set up to 75A, and it feels pretty strong, works well. I really enjoyed the ride with this controller, The only thing I actually liked on the Kelly was the sound from 5-30km/h. To me the Sabvoton feeled far superior.

Conclusion:
Well, in my opinion, at least between these two controllers, the Sabvoton is the clear winner. But my test was not at all imparial, the kelly is rated at 120V and was only running at 72V, so it is potentially way more powerful than the sabvoton. So in terms of pure power, I think the kelly would be the clear winner with the appropriate battery.
In terms of driving feeling, the Sabvoton is far superior because much smoother and has a very nice throttle feeling, without any lag.
In terms of hardware design and safety, the Sabvoton is better
In terms of software, the Sabvoton if way better.

So for me, sabvoton is the best. I just wish they do an even more powerful version of their awesome controllers.
 
Did the Sabvoton allow you better initial torque control/acceleration?
I know I had issues on my kelly rejecting my values for how long it would take before allowing full current.
for example I would specify from 0A to full current rating in 0.1s but it would ignore that and go to a default value that was much tamer for "safety"
 
Ratking said:
Dui said:
I own 2 Sabvoton, a 72150A new generation and a 72200A (software unlocked to 200A), previous version.

How did you manage to unlock the controller? Is there a update or what must be done?

I wish I had the answer to this question... I've bought it unlocked, no Idea how this was done, the seller didn't know either. :(
 
Dui said:
I own 2 Sabvoton, a 72150A new generation and a 72200A (software unlocked to 200A), previous version
I've also got a Kelly KHB12401.

So far, I tested all those controllers on a 72V 35Ah lead acid battery, on my electric motorbike, with 16 inches 3000W QS V3 high speed motor.

I'll only talk about the 72200 vs the 12401, since the 72150 is pretty much the same as the 72200, only with less power.

My opinion:
Hardware set up: I really don't like how the connectors are done on the Kelly. They need screws and bolts, they protrude a lot outside of the controller box and they need very careful insulation. On the sabvoton, the connection of power wires if pretty much fool proof, you're less likely to make bad contacts between terminals.
About the low power wiring, they are pretty much the same, the indication markings on the Sabvoton are a bit clearer though (I had a hard time figuring out what was the ignition wire on the Kelly... it was a pink wire marked "PRW", I thought it was a red wire marked "B+" which would have been far more logical).

Size and heat: The kelly is quite bigger and heavier. So far, according to my tests, they are heating pretty much the same.

Software and configuration:
Connection to the controller is a bit easier on the Kelly, no need to select the right port, it is done automatically. The Kelly manual notice is stupid as shit, it mentions that you should absolutely remove all wiring from the controller and supply it with 10-30V to make any programming, while it is actually not necessary at all and works perfectly fine even when all the wires are connected to the machine. Completely moronic advice.
The software itself quite sucks, there are actually very few things you can actually program, seemed to be more of a gadget feature to me than a real programming thing. You need to restart the controller after each mod. You cannot do any mod on the fly, and there is basically no information provided on the software regarding the controller current status (actual operating voltage, temperatures, actual current consumption, hall sensor position, throttle voltage... nothing). The slide regen can only be set up to 20% of max power, which, on my quite heavy bike, translates into no regen feeling at all. It is not fool proof either, since one time after a wrong set up of the throttle voltage, the bike went full speed directly after power up. Pretty scary. This never happened on the sabvoton, no matter what stupid parameters I ever entered.
On the Sabvoton, you need to find out each time which port your controller is connected to, before trying to connect. It is pretty easy, just need to check in "printers and devices", but a bit annoying, it would be better if this step was automated just like it is on the Kelly. This is pretty much the only downside of this software, since otherwise it is pretty nice. Lots of parameters can be modified, in real time (you just click "OK" and then the new parameter will work instantly, no need to restart), it provides a lot of useful real time information, like operating voltage, throttle voltage, current consumption, motor rpm, etc. You can set up a new motor in a matter of seconds, just using the "Hall sensor test" mode, the regen settings can be set up very high (100A max if I recall correctly), which is awesome on my machine. It also have a lot of nice features such as the field weakening, which allows you to reach a greater speed, at the cost of efficiency. The user interface could be a bit clearer with explanations on what each parameter is actually doing, but this is not much better on the Kelly software anyway.

Driving experience:
-You have to understand here that those two controllers have a very different technology. Square wave for the Kelly and Sinewave for the sabvoton. Kelly is also doing square wave controllers, but I never have the opportunity to own one so far.

Kelly: the start up is quite rough from 0-5km/h, lots of vibrations, lots of horrible noise like the thing is gonna explode. This is normal on square wave controllers, but not really nice. The start up torque is good, given the weight of my machine. Once passed 5kmh, and until about 30km/h, the motor sound is really fun and nice, sounds almost like a Formula one engine. There is plenty of torque and it doesn't take much time to reach 30. Passed that speed, the sound becomes less audible and the torque seems to decrease, or at least to reach a flat curve, until you reach the top speed, which on my machine was 97km/h. On deceleration, the slide regen was not noticeable since it can only be set up to a very low value. I don't use the regenerative breaking so I cannot say if this works fine, but I saw in the software that it can be set to 50% of controller max power, which is not actually very high too.

Sabvoton: Very smooth start, no vibration, no noise whasoever. Extremely easy to control, it feels like a gas powered engine. The total absence of noise is pretty much amazing. The start up torque from 0-20kmh feels a tiny bit lower than the Kelly, but passed this point the power and torque seem to go up more and more, until about 70km/h where it starts to hit the top of the curve. I reached 115kmh without the flux weakening enabled, in less time that what I needed to reach 97kmh with the Kelly. The regen was set up to 75A, and it feels pretty strong, works well. I really enjoyed the ride with this controller, The only thing I actually liked on the Kelly was the sound from 5-30km/h. To me the Sabvoton feeled far superior.

Conclusion:
Well, in my opinion, at least between these two controllers, the Sabvoton is the clear winner. But my test was not at all imparial, the kelly is rated at 120V and was only running at 72V, so it is potentially way more powerful than the sabvoton. So in terms of pure power, I think the kelly would be the clear winner with the appropriate battery.
In terms of driving feeling, the Sabvoton is far superior because much smoother and has a very nice throttle feeling, without any lag.
In terms of hardware design and safety, the Sabvoton is better
In terms of software, the Sabvoton if way better.

So for me, sabvoton is the best. I just wish they do an even more powerful version of their awesome controllers.

Those KLS-H Kelly controllers look good though, completely weather sealed (IP66), sinewave, have canbus support, bluetooth support, higher voltage and more current. They also have some neat features like separating eBrake cut-off and regen, so you can have your brakes cut power to the motor, and have a separate thumb throttle do regen. I'm thinking of picking up a KLS-H8430, as it has all the features I want and need.

Kelly offers quite a few sinewave controllers, even eBike specific ones, why did you choose a non-sine one?
 
atarijedi said:
Those KLS-H Kelly controllers look good though, completely weather sealed (IP66), sinewave, have canbus support, bluetooth support, higher voltage and more current. They also have some neat features like separating eBrake cut-off and regen, so you can have your brakes cut power to the motor, and have a separate thumb throttle do regen. I'm thinking of picking up a KLS-H8430, as it has all the features I want and need.

Kelly offers quite a few sinewave controllers, even eBike specific ones, why did you choose a non-sine one?

I've got a used one, second hand. That's why i didn't chose a sine wave, I simply hadn't the opportunity.
Those controllers are super expensive if you buy a new, probably around 500$ in the US, I guess.

I suppose that the KLS sinewave ones of similar power are even more expensive than the KHB... While the sabvoton is around 250 bucks...

I never tried the KLS series so far, so I cannot say if they are good or not. My review is very subjective and obviously biaised since both controllers are quite different, but it is just my own experience, I'm actually genuinely interested to read any comparison between a KLS and a sabvoton, if anyone tried both.

I also tried a big 250A continuous Lingbo sinewave controller. It seemed far inferior to me than the sabvoton. Lots of throttle lag, weird regen, seemed somewhat less powerful or barely equivalent to a 150A sabvoton, seemed very inefficient in terms of power consumption, the programming software wasn't good.... So far the sabvoton remains my absolute favorite.

The reliability of the sabvoton is pretty good too. I haven't heard of anyone breaking it so far. I've used mine for two and a half years, riding full power every day, no matter what the weather is (super hot, heavy rain, snow, you name it). I've got a few issue recently (controller stop working randmoly, while showing no error message), but I'm not 100% sure this is a controller issue. Anyway, given how I threated it, I can say that this controller is pretty much rock solid. Not sure it is the same about kellys, I've heard many people frying theirs. Could also be because I know much more people owning Kellys than Sabvotons.

In my opinion, the only issue with the sabvoton is heat dissipation. At least for the new design. The old design doesn't heat nearly as much.
The new sabvotons need some air flow, otherwise you'll reach the temperature limit in about 30minutes of hard riding during the hot days of summer. On my machine, the controller was encased at the rear, with no air flow whatsoever, so I had to build a water cooling system.
This won't be an issue for ebikes, since they are lightweight, but could be an issue for scooters or motorbikes since heavy weights means big amps for a longer time.
 
Now I'd really want to see a comparison between a Kelly sine wave and a sabvoton :p

As for how to unlock the sabvoton, from what I've read, you need to ask the OEM to ship the controller with unlocked firmware.
 
ZBlu said:
Now I'd really want to see a comparison between a Kelly sine wave and a sabvoton :p

I would be happy to make one.
Just send me a sinewave Kelly, or send me a check so I can purchase one for testing :D :D
 
Dui said:
ZBlu said:
Now I'd really want to see a comparison between a Kelly sine wave and a sabvoton :p

I would be happy to make one.
Just send me a sinewave Kelly, or send me a check so I can purchase one for testing :D :D

I have Kelly KLS 7230s. But I d like to know if Sabvoton has immediate and precise throttle response ? Because I am not completely satisfied with Kelly. It is OK, but there is some small delay for throttle response, not big but is.

Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)
 
Klasik said:
I have Kelly KLS 7230s. But I d like to know if Sabvoton has immediate and precise throttle response ? Because I am not completely satisfied with Kelly. It is OK, but there is some small delay for throttle response, not big but is.

Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)

On the Sabvoton you can program the throttle response delay. So you can put it to zero if you want (though I would recommend you to put it at something like 50ms, not zero, to smooth out a bit while riding at constant speeds). This is something that you cannot do on Kellys, from what I know, and this is one of the major reasons why I prefer Sabvoton over Kelly.

As explained here above, I have the 72150 Version, but unlocked to produce 200A instead of 150A.
About reliability, the Sabvoton is a rock, I made countless stupid things with it, ride it everyday at full throttle for 40 to 50 km under all kind of weathers, it endured every possible bad treatment, even a miswiring of positive and negative wirings once (KABOOM), and it is still working after about 3 years of this treatment. So yes, I have total confidence in its reliability. But it is just my personal experience, far from being a scientific assessment.
 
Klasik said:
Dui said:
ZBlu said:
Now I'd really want to see a comparison between a Kelly sine wave and a sabvoton :p

I would be happy to make one.
Just send me a sinewave Kelly, or send me a check so I can purchase one for testing :D :D

I have Kelly KLS 7230s. But I d like to know if Sabvoton has immediate and precise throttle response ? Because I am not completely satisfied with Kelly. It is OK, but there is some small delay for throttle response, not big but is.

Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)

What number did you program into the TPS dead low setting of the Kelly controller parameter ? My throttle response on my Kelly 7218s was also poor, and I was told to change the TPS dead low setting to " 5" . I'm trying to find other Kelly users that want to work together and figure out what all these programmable paramaters mean and what is the best settings to input for them, for best overall performance of ones ebike setup. The Kelly manual isn't very understandable IMHO.
 
speedmd said:
The 72150 is 150 amp draw going by the spec sheet. 350 phase amps. http://www.sabvoton.com/product/72v-6kw-brushless-motor-controller.html#.WagOHEqGORs

If it ends up being too big- powerful for my lightweight ebike, it may end up on a golf style - work cart I have in the works.

Nothing can ever be too powerful. :D
Anyway, it is a programmable controller, so you can always limit its power in two clicks. Plus it is incredibly easy to control, don't worry, nothing like the jerky square wave stuff.

I think it should be the perfect beast for a super power ebike. For an electric scooter it is pretty good, but I sometimes wish it had a bit more power (it can compete with 250CC motorbikes from 0-80, but I cannot follow a 600cc accelerating full throttle). That being said, I never tried the 200Amps version on my scooter, only the 150A. The 200A is installed on my electric motorbike right now and performs pretty well, but the motorbike is quite heavy with its big lead acid battery, I bet the scooter with its super light lithium battery would be a real beast if I ever decide to put it in there...
 
Change throttle delay, also throttle release delay are possible to adjust, but it doesnt work good. I tried to draw what my piece is doing, and it is really really annoying. Anybody has the same problem ? Anybody knows the solution ?
 

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I think with these Kelly controllers, the tps settings are dependant upon what specific brand throttle you are using...and its ohm rating and initial voltage out put and ending voltage output. If you do not get those TPS parameters correct for your individual throttle manufacturer , then your throttle response/ performance can be awful. FWIW..Ive tried contacting the manufacturer of Kelly controllers, and ask some of these questions, and they do answer back, but because of different language they speak, it can be difficult to understand their advice.

IMHO...it would be great if someone that knew about these programmable Kelly controllers and all the parameter settings, offered a plain easy to understand document or youtube video, explain it all.
 
rumme said:
Klasik said:
Dui said:
ZBlu said:
Now I'd really want to see a comparison between a Kelly sine wave and a sabvoton :p

I would be happy to make one.
Just send me a sinewave Kelly, or send me a check so I can purchase one for testing :D :D

I have Kelly KLS 7230s. But I d like to know if Sabvoton has immediate and precise throttle response ? Because I am not completely satisfied with Kelly. It is OK, but there is some small delay for throttle response, not big but is.

Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)

What number did you program into the TPS dead low setting of the Kelly controller parameter ? My throttle response on my Kelly 7218s was also poor, and I was told to change the TPS dead low setting to " 5" . I'm trying to find other Kelly users that want to work together and figure out what all these programmable paramaters mean and what is the best settings to input for them, for best overall performance of ones ebike setup. The Kelly manual isn't very understandable IMHO.

I think I have TPS dead low 20, and TPS dead high 70. I understand these as limits for throttle, corresponding to 0-5V throttle output signal. Every throttle is a bit different, but real values are probably more like 1-4 V. So 1V corresponds to TPS dead low 20 (20%), and upper 4V as TPS dead high will be lets say 80 (80%). Thats how I understand it.
 
[Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)[/quote]

What number did you program into the TPS dead low setting of the Kelly controller parameter ? My throttle response on my Kelly 7218s was also poor, and I was told to change the TPS dead low setting to " 5" . I'm trying to find other Kelly users that want to work together and figure out what all these programmable paramaters mean and what is the best settings to input for them, for best overall performance of ones ebike setup. The Kelly manual isn't very understandable IMHO.[/quote]

I think I have TPS dead low 20, and TPS dead high 70. I understand these as limits for throttle, corresponding to 0-5V throttle output signal. Every throttle is a bit different, but real values are probably more like 1-4 V. So 1V corresponds to TPS dead low 20 (20%), and upper 4V as TPS dead high will be lets say 80 (80%). Thats how I understand it.[/quote]

for my maguara twist throttle, I was told to set the TPS dead low to 5% .....because at a higher setting, the throttle would not send power to the motor until it had been turned 1/2" of twist....which I did not like it that way.
 
rumme said:
[Also maybe I d like to know, which model do you have, and if you have any other issues with Sabvoton ? :)

What number did you program into the TPS dead low setting of the Kelly controller parameter ? My throttle response on my Kelly 7218s was also poor, and I was told to change the TPS dead low setting to " 5" . I'm trying to find other Kelly users that want to work together and figure out what all these programmable paramaters mean and what is the best settings to input for them, for best overall performance of ones ebike setup. The Kelly manual isn't very understandable IMHO.[/quote]

I think I have TPS dead low 20, and TPS dead high 70. I understand these as limits for throttle, corresponding to 0-5V throttle output signal. Every throttle is a bit different, but real values are probably more like 1-4 V. So 1V corresponds to TPS dead low 20 (20%), and upper 4V as TPS dead high will be lets say 80 (80%). Thats how I understand it.[/quote]

for my maguara twist throttle, I was told to set the TPS dead low to 5% .....because at a higher setting, the throttle would not send power to the motor until it had been turned 1/2" of twist....which I did not like it that way.[/quote]

So your magura is for sure different than my throttle. Maybe sends signal range like 0,2-4,0 V , so you go TPS low 5% and TPS high 80%. Mine throttle sends signal lets say like 0,9-4,0 V , so I go TPS low 20% and TPS high 80%.

And 0V will correspond to 0%, and 5V corresponds to 100%. But these are only my deduction. If I will set TPS low to 5, my throttle would send some power to motor already, without turning it.
 
I'm getting the 36 mosfet sabvoton controller will report back with more information about it once installed and run in.
 
Klasik said:
Change throttle delay, also throttle release delay are possible to adjust, but it doesnt work good. I tried to draw what my piece is doing, and it is really really annoying. Anybody has the same problem ? Anybody knows the solution ?
are you saying that your throttle is OVERSHOOTING? if so, i have the very same problem. i fully open the throttle, the motor revs up to whatever the fully openend throttle "allows", then when i RELEASE the throttle the motor immediately REVS UP higher than before for maybe half a second, and then goes down to zero as you would expect it.
this was the main feature to ditch the controller. no reaching full rpm and this over boost when releasing the throttle made it unsuitable to ride.
 
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