[DIYguy]

I think one of your programmable inputs would be fine. I am not worried at all about someone defeating it. I would like something like a key switch under the hood. Valet on, or off. Valet settings adjustable in software. If I take it to the paint shop... it will be set to move the truck around the shop/lot only. If my daughter drives it.... I dunno, but there will be something set up in there! (boyfriends are the most worry.... ) lol

[dimitri]

Originally Posted by DIYguy

Also, I just got overwhelmed with all the features of this BMF thing. I really want the ability to limit motor voltage and low battery voltage.

Gary,

no need to be overwhelmed with Soliton1, its very simple. Its just a handful of voltage and current settings, many of which can be left default anyway. Just figure our min pack voltage that you don't want to go below and max battery current that you don't want to go over, those are 2 most important ones. Motor current and voltage should limit themselves nicely based on battery limits anyway.

Default slew rate of 600 A/s is fine, and you can play with it later if need be.

[DIYguy]

Thanks Dimitri. I guess I meant that I was overwhelmed with the prospect of having all these nice features. I'm not too worried about the setting etc. Well, one thing is that my battery pack is 192 volts nominal and my motor is a GE advanced 13 degrees. So, it may take most of that .... or not, but programmable limits are very nice. Actually, everything about this unit is pretty nice.

[bipole]

Could someone expand on this spec from the Manual?


"342V max allowed battery voltage with full current available at up to 200V
(slight derating above that)."

There are only a few hv controllers to compare to, one at 320kw and one at 640kw. I'm getting ready to buy and would like to compare apples to apples (in kw) at the 'racing warranty' spec.

[Tesseract]

Originally Posted by bipole

Could someone expand on this spec from the Manual?

"342V max allowed battery voltage with full current available at up to 200V (slight derating above that)."

QC/calibration for each controller is done at 252V/1000A, but the design was proved at 300V and 1000A and the IGBTs are meant to be used in 230VAC VFDs, so they expect to see a bus voltage of, ta-da, 340VDC.

Originally Posted by bipole

There are only a few hv controllers to compare to, one at 320kw and one at 640kw. I'm getting ready to buy and would like to compare apples to apples (in kw) at the 'racing warranty' spec.

The Zilla Z2K still claims the highest peak power, but the time period it can deliver such for is not specified, and allowed current is reduced with increasing voltage, starting at 192V (not unusual, that, just pointing it out).

If you need high power for longer than about 10-20 seconds, and/or over the full range of duty cycle, though, then the Soliton1 may be back in contention. Read page 3 of the Zilla owner's manual.

There are other differences as well but whether they are important in your application is unknown. Shoot me a PM or an email to jsj [at] evnetics.com if you want to run it past me. I am, I think I have well-established here, a straight shooter and if your application isn't an ideal fit then I'll say so.

[EVComponents]

Originally Posted by Tesseract

If you need high power for longer than about 10-20 seconds, and/or over the full range of duty cycle, though, then the Soliton1 may be back in contention. Read page 3 of the Zilla owner's manual.

The entire question is largely meaningless. There are very few DIY conversions that would ever approach the limits of a Zilla Z2K controller. Most people are limited by their motor well before they ever reach the performance limits of a Z2K.

The only ones are a few serious racers and they are using multiple motors and in some cases even twin Z2K controllers.

For a daily driving commuter, a Z1K (LV or HV) or Soliton are more than enough.

[DIYguy]

Its nice to see the straight up answers... I like it.

[280z1975]

Was that just some civility I read on a forum ... what's the world coming to!

[Tesseract]

Originally Posted by DIYguy

I think one of your programmable inputs would be fine. I am not worried at all about someone defeating it. I would like something like a key switch under the hood. Valet on, or off. Valet settings adjustable in software. If I take it to the paint shop... it will be set to move the truck around the shop/lot only. If my daughter drives it.... I dunno, but there will be something set up in there! (boyfriends are the most worry.... ) lol

There's a "ghetto" way to implement Valet mode and I can't believe dimitri didn't think of it since it's the flip-side of his idle kludge: just wire a resistor in series with the +5V line to the throttle pot and put a toggle switch across it to short it out for "normal" mode. Calibrate the throttle with the switch closed (resistor shorted) so that when the switch is open the max throttle is limited proportionally.

For example, if your throttle pot is 5k and you put a 1k resistor in series with the 5V line then the max motor amps would then be reduced to ~83% of whatever is programmed; a 4.7k resistor would knock 'em to near 50%, etc.

Now, this won't change the ramp rate, which is probably something that a "real" valet mode would alter, but it also can't be defeated by plugging in a laptop - you have to know where the switch is that shorts the resistor out.

[DIYguy]

Originally Posted by Tesseract

There's a "ghetto" way to implement Valet mode and I can't believe dimitri didn't think of it since it's the flip-side of his idle kludge: just wire a resistor in series with the +5V line to the throttle pot and put a toggle switch across it to short it out for "normal" mode. Calibrate the throttle with the switch closed (resistor shorted) so that when the switch is open the max throttle is limited proportionally.

For example, if your throttle pot is 5k and you put a 1k resistor in series with the 5V line then the max motor amps would then be reduced to ~83% of whatever is programmed; a 4.7k resistor would knock 'em to near 50%, etc.

Now, this won't change the ramp rate, which is probably something that a "real" valet mode would alter, but it also can't be defeated by plugging in a laptop - you have to know where the switch is that shorts the resistor out.

Sounds like it would work ok... only thing is, using my exaple, I would have to get the soldering iron out each time I wanted to change the valet setting...which admittedly would likely not be often.

I suppose the cream would be a whole new set of operating perameters... ramp rate, max amp, min battery ... although one likely doesn't need all of that.

(i could always throw my other controller in each time ... ouch!)