Regarding the Lyen controller, there is a mod to the low-voltage regulator input divider to allow greater than 84V (I think) operation. I used a switch on mine to simply short across the added resistor for lower voltage operation, and then I turn the switch off to allow "greater than 72V pack" use, for experiments. I think that is in my DGA thread; the idea's essentially copied from Methods' controllers (even using a switch from one).
THe caps and FETs are already 100V caps in the important places IIRC, so it could take a pack up to 100V hot off the charger. What base (nominal) voltage that pack would be depends on it's chemistry. For NiMH, that'd be like an 80V pack, I guess. For Lithium @4.2V/cell hot off charger, assuming around 4V nominal, that'd be something like 96V pack. If it's more like 3.7V nominal, then an 88V pack. For A123 I think it'd be a 91V pack. For Thundersky maybe 89V. Assuming I did the math right, which is a big assumption.
As for what might be wrong with the ECP controller, it could be a few things depending on what actually happened during regen. If it had overvoltage, beyond what various components in there can handle, any or all of them could've popped. The major ones to check are the FETs, the low-voltage regulator (often an LM317), the input and phase caps, maybe also the oens on the LVR. I'd also carefully check all the small traces for burn-thru.
It's possible for a FET to die in a way that doesn't leave it's resistances sufficiently different from normal to tell, when not under power. There are some posts around that describe how to test them with a meter for actual on/off states when out of circuit, but you'd have to desolder them all to do that. Or at least desolder the gates and then stick a really tiny insulating tube in there over the gate pin, so it doesnt' touch the barrel or pad of the PCB. (we used to do that at Honeywell for testing thru-hole parts, especially UVPROMs, for various problems; we used teflon tubing since we already had it for wire-wrap construction/repairs, and because it's pretty stiff in short lengths and easy to slide between metal surfaces.)
THe caps and FETs are already 100V caps in the important places IIRC, so it could take a pack up to 100V hot off the charger. What base (nominal) voltage that pack would be depends on it's chemistry. For NiMH, that'd be like an 80V pack, I guess. For Lithium @4.2V/cell hot off charger, assuming around 4V nominal, that'd be something like 96V pack. If it's more like 3.7V nominal, then an 88V pack. For A123 I think it'd be a 91V pack. For Thundersky maybe 89V. Assuming I did the math right, which is a big assumption.
The Ecitypower controller probably is fixable; depends on exactly what's wrong. I'm still learning to troubleshoot and fix controllers, both analog and MCU-based; I have a few here I am pretty sure I can fix if I ever have enough time when my crazy sister is not around (very rare these days, unfortunately--I tend to barely have enough consecutive time to keep my DGA running and do a few experimental upgrades on it!).friedwires said:
As for what might be wrong with the ECP controller, it could be a few things depending on what actually happened during regen. If it had overvoltage, beyond what various components in there can handle, any or all of them could've popped. The major ones to check are the FETs, the low-voltage regulator (often an LM317), the input and phase caps, maybe also the oens on the LVR. I'd also carefully check all the small traces for burn-thru.
It's possible for a FET to die in a way that doesn't leave it's resistances sufficiently different from normal to tell, when not under power. There are some posts around that describe how to test them with a meter for actual on/off states when out of circuit, but you'd have to desolder them all to do that. Or at least desolder the gates and then stick a really tiny insulating tube in there over the gate pin, so it doesnt' touch the barrel or pad of the PCB. (we used to do that at Honeywell for testing thru-hole parts, especially UVPROMs, for various problems; we used teflon tubing since we already had it for wire-wrap construction/repairs, and because it's pretty stiff in short lengths and easy to slide between metal surfaces.)
