3 speed switch tricks

[melodious]

I have a "run of the mill" 3 speed throttle switch from cellman (others sell them as well). It's hooked up to a CA which is then hooked up to a 40A controller w/50V 25Ah battery. A few questions...

Are you able to program these 3 switches to any level? Or are they predetermined levels?

In my dream setup, I'd like to have a switch for 1. 250W limit 2. 750W limit or 20mph speed limit 3. max

 

[teklektik]

I have a "run of the mill" 3 speed throttle switch from cellman (others sell them as well). It's hooked up to a CA which is then hooked up to a 40A controller w/50V 25Ah battery. A few questions...

Are you able to program these 3 switches to any level? Or are they predetermined levels?

In my dream setup, I'd like to have a switch for 1. 250W limit 2. 750W limit or 20mph speed limit 3. max

The hookup can be different for a CA V2 and V3. Do you have a V2?

• The CA V2 can be configured to do either Current or Speed limiting via the switch but not both, so your mixed bag of limits isn't really achievable.
  
  The CA V3 can be configured to limit Current, Power, Speed, or PAS via the switch, but again, you must choose a limit mode via configuration and as with the V2 cannot mix modes.
  
  However, in the V3 case, there are 3 different 'presets' or groups of configuration settings, so you can have one preset that uses the switch for Speed limiting and another that uses it for Power. You can 'hot swap' presets quickly from the front two buttons.
  
  Another alternative for the V3 is to use your external 3-position switch to swap presets instead of limit levels. Here the three presets can be set up any way you want and flipping the switch switches between them instead of using both hands to monkey the CA console buttons to 'hot swap'. Unlike the case with using the switch for limiting, switching presets with the switch has a very brief delay as the CA shifts gears to the new preset.

If you can post back and describe what you have and want to do, the rest is easy...

 

[jimw1960]

The trick I use is to unplug the 3-speed switch from the kit and then store it permanantly in the nearest waste receptacle. I then replace it with a brain-controlled, five fingered wrist actuator which allows me to choose from an infinite number of speed/power settings.

 

[melodious]

Thanx for the input teklektik. I'm still in the midst of covering your uber thread with the V3 CA. Much of it goes over my head, but I can sometimes sort out the tidbits that us simple folk can easily get "under out belt". I try to take the CA v3 one step at a time and try not to make too many changes all at once, but rather, make small moves and learn from there before moving on.

I'm glad the CA v3 has the ability to do speed and/or current (amps) and/or watts. I know there is a programmable area where you can have between 1-3 named presets (i.e. legal, low, medium, off-road). My problem at the moment is setting up each of the 3 I have named, in my case, 1. economy 2. legal 3. high with it's corresponding limits.

From the few rides I've taken, I think my switches are amp limitting. For instance, 1. 20amp limit 2. not sure 3. 40amp (max)

 

[teklektik]

Much of it goes over my head, but I can sometimes sort out the tidbits that us simple folk can easily get "under out belt". I try to take the CA v3 one step at a time and try not to make too many changes all at once, but rather, make small moves and learn from there before moving on.

From the few rides I've taken, I think my switches are amp limiting. For instance, 1. 20amp limit 2. not sure 3. 40amp (max)

Okay - sounds like you have the V3 - which Paul sets up pretty nicely. This is a good choice and will give you extra options for future tinkering as well (like plug and play PAS wheel from ebikes.ca - PAS_12P at the store).

If you haven't already, I recommend that you download the manual and Errata doc from here.
Also download the Setup Parameter forms from here.

Print out the Setup parameter form and go through all sections of your CA Setup and record all 'different' settings on the form. These are the values that Paul entered that are not V3 'default'. Save the form away so you can always restore the V3 to Paul's configuration. This should give you confidence to wail away the adjustments with wild abandon...

The big question is: Do you want your switch to set the limits within a preset or use it to switch among three presets?

• The way your switch is built, if set up to adjust limits, it can be adjusted to give one set of proportional values (e.g. 30% 60% 100% of MaxCurrent, MaxPower, or MaxSpeed) that will be in play across all presets. This might be Current in all presets or Current, Power, and Speed in the three - but the ratio will always be the same. OR - if you set it up to switch presets, then you just configure the three presets any way you want and use the switch to swap. If you want all Current or Power settings, then using 'limits' is better since switching while underway is seamless - if you need to have two set for Power limits and one set for speed then the 'preset' method is what you need, but there is a brief hiccup when you change the switch.

So - which way do you want to go for a first try: switching limits or presets?

 

[melodious]

So - which way do you want to go for a first try: switching limits or presets?

How about 30% 60% & 100% speed with all the thrust my 40amp can contribute? I can ramp the initial throttle position via physically with small wrist motions. Until I figure out my throttle inputs :wink: .

 

[teklektik]

Also- just to get a head start: please post back with your present settings under AUXPOT for these Setup parameters:

Aux->Function =
Aux->ScaleLim =
Aux->MinAuxIn =
Aux->MaxAuxIn =

Thanks!

 

[teklektik]

Okay - I believe your switch is built the same as the Grin Tech switch so you would be using the setup technique in Appendix D.1 of the Guide. This uses the table on page 49 for setup. Here you identify the proper table cell by using the LOW% as the column and HIGH% as the row.

Unfortunately, 30%,60% is out of range for that switch.... something close might be 32%,66%.

Looking that cell up in the table we see two values: 0.88 and 3.31.
Set the AuxPot parameters like so:

• Aux->Function = Limits
• Aux->MinAuxIn = 0.88 (from table)
• Aux->MaxAuxIn = 3.31 (from table)

Go to the Setup AuxPot section preview screen and flip the switch and you should see 32%, 66%, and 99%.

These next four settings can be set differently in each of the three presets:

• Go to the AUX POTsection and set Aux->ScaleLim = SpeedLim
• Go to the SPEED LIMS section and set SLIM->MaxSpeed to whatever you wish as the 'hi' switch position (99%).
• Go to the POWER LIMS section and set PLIM->MaxCurrent to 99.0 Amps so the controller is doing the limiting, not the CA.
• Go to the POWER LIMS section and set PLIM->MaxPower to 9900.0 Watts so the controller is doing the limiting, not the CA.

You may have dial in some gain adjustments if the bike speed surges or jitters when trying to limit the speed, but give this a try first....

As you can see, you can set AuxPot->ScaleLim for other types of limiting and the respective MAX value will become the 99% limit for the switch. As mentioned above, this theoretically could be different limiting for different presets, but the fixed % ratios may detract from the appeal of that setup....

 

[jateureka]

subscribed

 

[deffx]

Or you could just reprogram the cellman infinion controller for 3 speed switch values? and do away with the CA

I prefer not use the CA now as i like less stuff on my handle bars. I also know from using it roughly what im pullin in certain circumstances and my range on certain trips . allbeit i only have a 2.3

 

[d8veh]

For me, the main advantage of the three-speed switch is that it allows you to get 120% speed on some controllers with sensored motors, The CA can't do that. It only allows 100% max.

On Lsdzs controllers and the KU series that you get from BMSBattery, and others, when you select position 3, the timing sequence of the output FETs is changed to allow the motor to run at up to 20% faster, which is really useful if your winding speed is a bit lower than what you want.