Rudman Regulator - Revision history

Rjf: /* Commands */ cleanup.

2007-10-09T00:53:40Z

Commands: cleanup.

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67.171.38.182: /* Commands */

2007-10-08T22:32:14Z

Commands

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Rjf: Category:BEV components, headings, cleanup commands.

2007-10-06T00:34:58Z

Category:BEV components, headings, cleanup commands.

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67.171.38.182 at 22:57, 5 October 2007

2007-10-05T22:57:47Z

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2007-10-05T22:01:06Z

67.171.38.182: New page: '''Rudman Regulators''' Rudman Regulators come in lots of versions. All of them offer two basic functions. They sit on top of a battery and clamp its voltage to some maximum, keeping it...

2007-10-05T21:48:11Z

New page: '''Rudman Regulators''' Rudman Regulators come in lots of versions. All of them offer two basic functions. They sit on top of a battery and clamp its voltage to some maximum, keeping it...

New page

'''Rudman Regulators'''

Rudman Regulators come in lots of versions. All of them offer two basic functions. They sit on top of a battery and clamp its voltage to some maximum, keeping it from being overcharged. This is accomplished by shunting power through a resistor on the regulator. They also optionally send a signal back to a Manzanita Micro battery charger (or other charger) telling the charger to cut back its current because one or more batteries can't accept this level of charging current.

All versions before the MK2-D and the MK3 are no longer available.

The MK-1 versions were relatively simple.

The MK-2 versions are much more feature-rich than the MK-1 versions. They allow the user to set the clamping voltage and the voltage considered "too low." If the "too low" voltage is ever encountered, a red LED lights up and stays lit until the battery is fully charged, as evidenced by the voltage clamping circuit engaging. The voltage clamping circuit lights a green LED when it is active. Furthermore, the MK-2 regs can accept a signal from the charger indicating that the clamping voltage should be raised 10% for an equalization charge. When this is turned on, typically by a DIP switch on the charger, the reg turns on a yellow LED. Lastly, the MK-2 series of regulators have a header for an external temperature sensor and an external load, which is turned on when the clamping circuit is engaged.

The MK-3 versions use an embedded microprocessor to do most of the things that the MK-2 series did, except for the external load. A user can connect a computer (or other device) to the string of regulators and collect data from them, vastly simplifying the task of monitoring a battery pack.

@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 The voltage sensor in the regulator is relatively simple.  It needs occasional calibration to work well.  And since predicting the state of charge in a battery based on voltage depends of fairly accurate voltage readings, it's a good idea to calibrate your reg.
-To calibrate your reg, attach a good, accurate digital voltmeter to it.  Getting good calibration depends on two things.  First, you need to know what voltage the reg is experiencing to four significant digits.  Second, you need to be able to vary the voltage pretty widely so that the two data points that you give it aren't close to each other.  So it's helpful to just connect the reg to a variable power supply rather than a battery.  In a pinch, you could do one data point when the battery is discharged and the one while the battery is nearing charged, but the results won't be as accurate.
+To calibrate your reg, attach a good, accurate digital voltmeter to it.  Getting good calibration depends on two things.  First, you need to know what voltage the reg is experiencing to four significant digits.  Second, you need to be able to vary the voltage pretty widely so that the two data points that you give it aren't close to each other.  So it's helpful to just connect the reg to a variable power supply rather than a battery.  In a pinch, you could do one data point when the battery is discharged and the other one while the battery is nearing charged, but the results won't be as accurate.
 It's also helpful if the RS-232 to regbus adapter you're using to communicate with the regs is on its own separate power supply, so that when you turn the voltage on the reg down, you can still communicate with it.

@@ Line 149: / Line 149: @@
 vcal1 1634
-Now turn down the voltage as low as you can go without browning out the reg (keep it above 9V) and if you're using the same power supply for the adapter
+Now turn down the voltage as low as you can go without browning out the reg - keep it above 9V - and if you're using the same power supply for the adapter, you'll probably need to keep it above 11.5V.
 '''vcal2'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:47, 5 October 2007
Line 105:		Line 105:

	'''retrvolt''' - Retrieves the voltage stored with the "storvolt" command. This would be issued, for example, to each battery after having previously issued a "99storvolt."		'''retrvolt''' - Retrieves the voltage stored with the "storvolt" command. This would be issued, for example, to each battery after having previously issued a "99storvolt."
		+
		+
		+	'''enblhist''' - Enables collection of statistical voltage data. Once this command has been issued, the regulator periodically samples battery voltage and stores it in a histogram which can be retrieved with the "prnthist" command. This is mostly interesting when compared with the histograms from other batteries. You can get a good picture of the relative health of a battery by comparing its voltage curve to that of other batteries in the same string.
		+
		+	Example: 99enblhist
		+
		+
		+	'''dsblhist''' - Disables collection of statistical voltage data. Note that this does not erase previously collected data.
		+
		+
		+	'''prnthist''' - Prints the voltage histogram stored in the regulator. An example is below. In this example, the histogram was enabled for less than a minute and the voltage knob on a power supply was twiddled relatively randomly. It shows that voltage varied between 12.80V and 14.00V, with most of the time spent between 12.8V and 13.2V.
		+
		+	Example: 16prnthist
		+
		+	16 Voltage Histogram
		+	.00V .20V .40V .60V .80V
		+	09V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+	10V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+	11V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+	12V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00018
		+	13V 00015 00001 00006 00004 00003
		+	14V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+	15V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+	16V 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
		+
		+
		+	'''vcal1''' - Input the first verified voltage for calibration.
		+
		+	The voltage sensor in the regulator is relatively simple. It needs occasional calibration to work well. And since predicting the state of charge in a battery based on voltage depends of fairly accurate voltage readings, it's a good idea to calibrate your reg.
		+
		+	To calibrate your reg, attach a good, accurate digital voltmeter to it. Getting good calibration depends on two things. First, you need to know what voltage the reg is experiencing to four significant digits. Second, you need to be able to vary the voltage pretty widely so that the two data points that you give it aren't close to each other. So it's helpful to just connect the reg to a variable power supply rather than a battery. In a pinch, you could do one data point when the battery is discharged and the one while the battery is nearing charged, but the results won't be as accurate.
		+
		+	It's also helpful if the RS-232 to regbus adapter you're using to communicate with the regs is on its own separate power supply, so that when you turn the voltage on the reg down, you can still communicate with it.
		+
		+	Example:
		+
		+	First, disable the reg so that it won't dissipate any energy while you calibrate it.
		+
		+	01disable
		+
		+	Second, turn the voltage as high up as you reasonably can, without going over 17V. Read the voltage off the DVM. Assume you see 16.34V. Enter the following command. Note that there is no decimal point but four digits are supplied.
		+
		+	01vcal1 1634
		+
		+	Now turn down the voltage as low as you can go without browning out the reg (keep it above 9V) and if you're using the same power supply for the adapter
		+
		+
		+	'''vcal2'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:29, 5 October 2007
Line 60:		Line 60:

	When the battery is too low, the red LED will be lit solid and the charger signal to reduce current will be asserted. The charger signal can be used to signal a motor controller to reduce output or, in the case of the Manzanita Micro Plug-in Prius conversion kit, it causes the boost battery to momentarily stop sending current into the Prius.		When the battery is too low, the red LED will be lit solid and the charger signal to reduce current will be asserted. The charger signal can be used to signal a motor controller to reduce output or, in the case of the Manzanita Micro Plug-in Prius conversion kit, it causes the boost battery to momentarily stop sending current into the Prius.
		+
		+
		+	'''gethighv''' - Returns the current high voltage (clamping voltage) set point.
		+
		+
		+	'''readlowv''' - Returns the current low voltage set point.
		+
		+
		+	'''minvolts''' - This command returns the lowest voltage the regulator has observed.
		+
		+
		+	'''maxvolts''' - This command returns the highest voltage the regulator has observed.
		+
		+
		+	'''hstclear''' - This command clears any internal history and resets the status lights. High and low setpoints are unaffected.
		+
		+
		+	'''disable''' - This command disables the regulator's shunting circuit, which is useful for testing.
		+
		+
		+	'''enable''' - This command enables the regulator's shunting circuit.
		+
		+
		+	'''xtrntemp''' - Returns the current external temperature sensor reading, if installed.
		+
		+
		+	'''lights''' - Causes the regulator to put on a light show and print out a banner displaying the current firmware version, along with its serial number and unit ID. This is particularly useful if you're trying to identify which battery the regulator is attached to.
		+
		+
		+	'''btenable''' - Enable the external (battery) temperature sensor. User must supply a temperature at which the regulator will cause the charger to cut back.
		+
		+	Example: 99btenable 115
		+
		+	This would indicate that the regulator should cause the charger to cut back if the battery goes over 115F.
		+
		+
		+	'''btdisabl''' - Disable the external (battery) temperature sensor.
		+
		+
		+	'''storvolt''' - This command causes the regulator to store (latch) its current voltage for later retrieval. This is mostly useful only when broadcast to all regulators, so that they all store their voltage simultaneously. This allows monitoring software (or a human) to get voltages from every battery while they were experiencing the same current, even while current is fluctuating.
		+
		+	Example: 99storvolt
		+
		+
		+	'''retrvolt''' - Retrieves the voltage stored with the "storvolt" command. This would be issued, for example, to each battery after having previously issued a "99storvolt."

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 The commands are as follows:
 '''voltage''' - Displays the current voltage of the battery that the regulators sits on.
 Example:  01voltage  returns  01V 13.83V
 '''status''' - Displays the current state of the regulator, including which features are turned on or off and what is currently happening.  The result is a two-digit hexadecimal number.  Each bit means something.
@@ Line 33: / Line 35: @@
 Battery temp monitoring enabled  - 0x02
 Statistical collection enabled   - 0x01

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:01, 5 October 2007
Line 10:		Line 10:

	The MK-3 versions use an embedded microprocessor to do most of the things that the MK-2 series did, except for the external load. A user can connect a computer (or other device) to the string of regulators and collect data from them, vastly simplifying the task of monitoring a battery pack.		The MK-3 versions use an embedded microprocessor to do most of the things that the MK-2 series did, except for the external load. A user can connect a computer (or other device) to the string of regulators and collect data from them, vastly simplifying the task of monitoring a battery pack.
		+
		+	The MK-3 regulators respond to a set of commands, which can be entered directly from a computer running a terminal emulator program. Windows XP, for example, comes with "Hyperterminal" which is an example of such a program. If you already know all about terminal emulators, consider this as an example. If you don't know what one is, find a computer running XP and go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->Communications->Hyperterminal. Choose a COM port that you have a "null modem" plugged into. Set the baud rate to 9600. Set the format to 8-N-1. Connect the null modem cable to the adapter that is connected to the regulator string.
		+
		+	All commands follow a two-digit number with no space between them. The two-digit number identifies the individual regulator in the string. Using the number 99 addresses all the regulators simultaneously.
		+
		+	The commands are as follows:
		+
		+	'''voltage''' - Displays the current voltage of the battery that the regulators sits on.
		+
		+	Example: 01voltage returns 01V 13.83V
		+
		+	'''status''' - Displays the current state of the regulator, including which features are turned on or off and what is currently happening. The result is a two-digit hexadecimal number. Each bit means something.
		+
		+	The definition of the bits is as follows:
		+
		+	Regulator Disabled - 0x80
		+	Shunting Current - 0x40
		+	Battery voltage is too low - 0x20
		+	Battery voltage is too high - 0x10
		+	Battery voltage has been low - 0x08
		+	Regulator is too hot to function - 0x04
		+	Battery temp monitoring enabled - 0x02
		+	Statistical collection enabled - 0x01