Bench Testing controller with psu

[medusa569]

Since I am having to mix and match items that are not in "kit" I'd like to simplistically test the controller without my full fledged battery. I've already fried the connectors of 1 controller twice. Scarey. I'd like to use a minor power source so a psu power source (‌maybe at 12 volt) to see is the controller is getting/ transmitting power. So It would show this via the throttle terminal . Is there any danger to the controller if I tried to do this? It seems like with so many Chinese controllers not having the on off switch that knowing of the unit is functional as is would save me some grief. So hooking up on the 12volt rail on psu amnd measuring throttle for power would seem to indicate the controller is good as is if I‌do get a reading...if not then I need to connect one of these other unamed wires to a power source.

 

[amberwolf]

You'll have to use a PSU that has a minimum of above the controller's LVC voltage or it won't operate.

Additionally, if you want to test that the motor is working, you must use a PSU that can supply the startup and load current. If it cannot, and it is a good current-limiting PSU it will either shutdown safely (hiccup mode) or sag in voltage like a battery would (CC mode). If it is not a good CL PSU it may damage the PSU.

I don't know how the controller can show that it is transmitting power via the throttle terminal, since the power it would "transmit" would be to the motor, so you would have to check the phase wire outputs to see what is happening there, with a 3-channel oscilloscope, or just use a motor and see if it operates correctly. (note that without a motor, if it is a sensored controller it will probably not attempt to operate (for more than an instant) it if it doesn't detect functional hall signals, and even if sensorless probably won't try to drive the motor for more than a moment as it isn't getting any position feedback from it).

Almost all controllers have a form of on/off "switch"--it is the ignition or lock or doorlock or whatever they mistranslate it as, that has to be connected to battery voltage to provide power to the LVPS in the controller that makes 5v/12v/etc to run the brain/etc from. Most displayless (headless) controllers don't ahve an actual switch, just a wire to connect, but anything with a display has this switch inside the display, controlled via it's power button.

If you have a controller with no wiring diagram at all, and you need to determine it's wiring, connecting anythign to a powersource of any kind without knowing what it is can damage or destroy things inside (or your power source). You'd be safer opening it up to trace the wiring.

 

[medusa569]

I'm trying to follow the KISS formula. I‌ only wanted to be assured that the controller had power when connected to a battery. I‌ didn't want to test the whole setup. I've read that most of the chinese cheapies have no thin red wire for ignition. The higher priced ones WILL have it. The one that Voilamart sent me seems to have no such wire. I'll atatch pic. Now after much tribulations it seems that for those that Do have the thin red wire you simply can twist it around the large red power wire before crimping or soldering on the connector and you're good (‌with or without switch). Why don't people just simply say that !? Any way so now i still have to figure out the Voilamart controller but at least I have some other KU123s that I‌ should be able to work with.

 

[amberwolf]

The diagram shows a many-pin connector for a throttle. This implies that the wires necessary are probably on that connector (for a throttle module that has a keyswitch / button / etc built in). Check the Voilamart kits that use this specific controller to see if they also use a keyswitch / button / etc for system power, and then check the wiring diagram for those to see which wires are which, if your controller wiring diagram does not include the actual wiring of each of those connectors, and there isn't a matching diagram anywhere else on the web.

Otherwise you're going to have to open it up and find out where the wires go, before you just start connecting things, to prevent potential for controller/etc damage or destruction.

Either way, if you want to test the controller to see if it powers up, you will need to have at least the minimum voltage needed to run it--that's usually at or above the LVC it's labelled with.

You could try lower voltages, it won't hurt anything...but if it doesn't power up you won't know if it's because the voltage is too low or if it's because it's not yet wired up correctly, etc.

 

[medusa569]

Yea I opened it up and saw no other extra wire. If I‌ had installed it the way the kit supplier sold it the 6 wire throttle connection does have a power wire that would allow te led readouyt to function but then that still wouldn't be the power up for the controller I think. I‌ would think that even though the controlelr wouldn't work as normal it wouldn't take much to measure if ANY voltage (5 volts) would rfegister on the throttle wires after a quick testing with a bench power. IF‌ it showed voltage than I‌thought that would means then there is no power wire for controller to fiddle with as current would flow (‌albeit minimally) to throttle. Since I've never seen any other controller with this kind of weird wiring ( all the others have the thin red wire) I find it very strange this one would have the power up circuit like abckward loop that would hypothetically power up the trottle LED yet somehow in circuitry loop around to power up controller as well? Sounds convaluded to me.
For now I\ll try and get one of the KU123s running and try and decipher the kit controller later although I've not read of anyone else buying thos kit had controller power up issues. Surely not everyone used the twist throttlle that was included.