Mingo09 said:
- 50 volt triangle battery. Lithium-ion.
- Cells are Samsung ICR18650-22p.
- Configuration is 14 series, 6 parallel
[2.1Ahx6p=12.6Ah, 3C rated so 3x12.6A=37.8A Max Continuous]
[for longer life, de-rate to 66% = 37.8 x 0.66 = 24.9A Continuous]
- 25 amp 6fet 3077 infineon controller
Ya - the V3 is a bit of a complicated device and the Guide isn't always easy sledding.... Here's some hints that may help make the Guide make more sense.
Mingo09 said:
1) To what should I set my max amps? I’ve got them at 25 now. Does the fact that I have a 25A controller mean I should limit amps to 25?
Normally you will set
PLim->MaxCurrent to the smaller of your controller max rating or the 'continuous' current your battery can supply. If you are using your 3-speed switch so the top position is 'boost', then you would set it to the smaller of the controller rating or the 'max continuous' discharge current. We'll do this the 'safe' way here. Your controller is 25A and your 'safe' de-rated battery current is also 25A so
PLim->MaxCurrent=25A. (The Guide uses the simple approach and just suggests the controller max rating.)
Mingo09 said:
2) To what should I set my max Watts? I’ve got them at 1250.
The Guide does not describe setting this during installation, because there is normally no need. Power is dependent on the loaded circuit voltage and the current so unless you have a special situation, this is essentially just another flavor of Amps limiting - which you already have. So, to minimize issues with running into two different limits that are trying to do the same thing, leave it at the default max. The Guide indicates that you should not make any changes other than those specifically mentioned - just because there is a setting, doesn't mean it should be changed... (well, at least until 'CA-savviness' happens...).
This is some extent also based on the idea that the bike will be configured for Current Throttle (Power Throttle is not widely used - more special case stuff...) and the WOT current for Current Throttle is defined by
PLim->MaxCurrent. If you really wanted to use Power Throttle then
PLim->MaxWatts would need to be configured since it has a similar WOT relationship in that case. We'll assume you are not using Power Throttle.
Mingo09 said:
3) How do I set my Auxiliary pot? It doesn't work at all right now. When it’s plugged into the CA, and I toggle between the settings nothing happens at any speed or at any throttle setting.
In setup mode, the Aux Post window reads 4.99V; Min Aux in reads 1 Watt; Max Aux in reads 4 Volts. Is this good? If not, what should I set it to.
AuxPot is an input to which you can connect many different things - you didn't say, but I'm guessing you have a CA 3-position switch.
As described in section 5.6 of the Guide, AuxPot can be used to accomplish one of these different things:
- change presets
- limit Amps
- limit power
- limit speed
- limit PAS Assist
There are a few considerations in play here:
- There can be a small hiccup when switching presets on the fly since the CA may be transitioning across very different configurations. This is not a big deal, but it is a possibility and might be noticeable depending on the presets. However, changing presets allows many parameters to be changed at once and so is the only option in such cases.
- Changing limiting on the fly is smooth without any behavioral artifacts beyond the limit change itself (e.g. you are flying at WOT, need a boost to handle a hill, and so notch the 3-speed switch up to 'Go baby, Go!" - the bike accelerates w/o any glitch.). If you are changing only a single (limiting) parameter, then this offers the best choice for a smooth integrated feel.
- Setting preset parameter values is entirely menu-driven and simpler than setting limits for the off-the-shelf 3-position switch (other controls may be simpler to set up).
So - first - decide on a strategy...
- You didn't mention that you have PAS or want to otherwise differentiate presets, so we'll assume a simple throttle-only no-frills installation where only a single parameter needs to be changed via AuxPot.
You didn't mention, but I'm assuming you want to control the available power. This leaves you with three options: presets, current limiting, or power limiting. The Guide describes in section 5.6(5) that AuxPot limiting should be the same as the throttle limiting, and we are assuming you will go with Current Throttle, so that leaves two options: presets and current limiting.
You mention that AuxPot is set for (min,max) = (1V,4V) and looking in section G1 we see that this is the setting for presets (bottom of page 73). So, it seems EM3EV has pre-configured your 3-position switch for presets, which from (c) above is the easiest to set up for non-techies - so, we'll do that.
Second, make the needed settings to make the strategy work:
- To control presets, you need:
- Aux->Function = Presets
- PrSt->PresetCnt = 1,2&3
- optionally choose names for your presets using PrSt->#1Name, etc
Now when you flip the switch, a transient 'Preset' screen should pop up briefly.
Next you will need to configure all parameters to be the same in all presets - EXCEPT for PLim->MaxCurrent which will be different in each preset. Section 2.4.2 describes the global vs per-preset concept and indicator. For instance, you might set up limits of 7A, 15A, and 25A. Of course you can jiggle other parameters as well, but only introduce one change at a time so that you know which change caused the observed effects.... (a basic precept of all tuning).
Flipping the switch should now switch presets and the particular preset will set the
MaxCurrent available. (Easy-peasy (?))
Using presets is easiest to grasp. If this seems fine, then you are good to go. Otherwise, you can switch AuxPot to Current Limit mode instead and follow the steps in section G1 - substituting
Amps for
PASWatts everywhere. This will work in all presets and you will need to switch presets using the console buttons (Hot-Swap, section 2.2) - or may opt to only have a single preset.
Mingo09 said:
5) I have experimented with setting the max watts at a lower level (750), but this makes acceleration really lurchy and unpleasant. Is there a more elegant way to tamp down power without getting lurchy? This is a pretty fast setup for bike trails. I can't figure how to calm it down without ruining my throttle response.
If you complete the Basic installation steps, you will have set the ramping and
AGain settings (no need to mess with
WGain, since the Watts limit will not be in play because it's set to the default max (see above). The ramping can be set to a lowish value to go easy on the MAC clutch with smooth getaways, but it you want a responsive throttle, this may have a fast (large)
ThrO->UpRate.
AGain may need to be reduced to avoid surging as described in the Guide. If you didn't complete these installation steps, revisit them before doing anything else.
Using PassThru throttle gives the most responsive throttle, but switching to Current Throttle will make the throttle much more manageable at the cost of a bit of lag. In any case, all of the throttle setup, etc should be initially undertaken in PassThru mode. Once everything is working - throttle has no dead zones, you can reach WOT w/o issue, ramping is good, and there is no surging when current limiting is in play - then you can move on to try Current Throttle. That may require tinkering
PLim->AGain again, but at least you know that everything was A-Okay before you tried it and that no other wiring or configuration issues are in play.
So - lots of options... Have at it.
EDIT: Details if you want them:
Looking for a moment at what makes 'good' limits for the three settings, we need to back up to the battery/controller limits. Two plans were briefly mentioned above in the initial MaxCurrent question. It's easiest to describe the difference in terms of US Navy nomenclature: 'Full Speed' and 'Flank Speed' (aka 'Military Speed').
- 'Full Speed' is the fastest the ship can run without inducing failures. It can run at Full Speed as long as there is fuel.
- 'Flank Speed' is faster than 'Full Speed' and is the maximum speed the ship can attain - used if the captain is willing to risk damage (case of imminent attack, etc).
From the perspective of battery and controller specs these terms might be viewed as:
- 'Flank Speed': Amps = the smaller of the controller rating and the battery Max Continuous battery current
- 'Full Speed': Amps = the smaller of the controller rating and the Continuous battery current
Here's how these might play out with regard to possible switch settings:
- For a 'safe' build (setting 3 = Full Speed, 2 = mid-setting, 1 = bike-path), the idea is to set MaxCurrent so that all three settings always have the battery/controller running in 'safe' operating regions.
- For an edgier build (setting 3 = Flank Speed, 2 = Full Speed, 1 = bike-path), set MaxCurrent so that settings 1 and 2 are the 'normal' use and 3 is the once-in-a-while 'boost' mode. Here the rider directly manages battery life by normally running in 1 or 2 but has available 3 for (infrequent/brief) occasions where it's important to Go! by flogging the battery. The bike will do it - but at a cost if done for long periods.
The first is a good setup for the wife, GF, or uninformed 'other' rider; the second gets the most out of the build by putting battery longevity in the hands of the rider (not a setup to lend to a 'friend' to ride). These are just two illustrative cases - many variations are possible...
In your case, the controller is the limiting factor in both setups so there's really no choice (as per usual, EM3EV has put together a nicely matched controller, battery, motor combo that is pretty bulletproof). However, if you were to upgrade to a 9 or 12 FET controller that could push 30-40A out-of-box, then the second approach might look attractive with settings of maybe 12A, 25A, (30/35)A. Running in the settings 1 or 2 is 'safe' for your battery for normal riding and an occasional boost from setting 3 will let you push the battery and controller to the max.
Particularly in the case of MAC or other gear motors, the max current the motor can handle without damaging the clutch or quickly overheating enters into the settings as well, but that's an easy extension of the basic battery/controller current decisions presented above. Overheating effects can be managed with the CA temperature sensor and automatic power rollback, but staying away from overheating in the first place is advisable since it takes a long time for gear motors to shed heat and move out of the rollback condition.
Anyhow - these kinds of decisions and reliance on the particulars of the controller, battery, and use are what make a simple 'one-size-fits-all CA setup' impossible.
