I like this much more! Now I'll be able to afford one. The DSP and DC/DC would make it way too expensive for me.
Is it possible too get a list of all the features? or do we have to wait for CanopySound to drop the list in their webshop.
@lutkeveld i would throw my own mother under the bus too get one.
@lutkeveld i would throw my own mother under the bus too get one.
From my last post:
- 20W MPPT solar charger using LT3652
- DC/DC for 5V USB output (2A) along with a USB charge controller chip so it'll happily charge ipods/ipads/whatever.
- TPA3118D2 amplifier w/fixed highpass frequency.
- Microcontroller handling low battery shutdown and general board mount duties.
Quiescent current is very low (tens of uA) - the self discharge of the battery you've connected the amp to will probably be greater, and if you've got a solar panel hooked up anyway, you're golden. The +5V USB output runs all the time, unless the battery deeply discharges.
The card drives a bicolor LED. This blinks out a pretty simple color code:
Blinks once every 5 seconds: amp is off
Blinks once every 2 seconds: amp is on
Long blink: battery is charging
short blink: battery isn't charging
green blink = battery is well charged (60%+)
amber blink = battery has juice left (20%+)
red blink = battery is either low (<20%+) or dead.
(These %'s aren't fully nailed down yet).
The amp (and USB +5V) switch off when the battery reaches a "further discharge might damage it" state.
There's a contact closure (pin connect to ground) input to turn the amp on that can be connected to a panel mount switch.
The MPPT charger can do 20W (1.67A into a 12V battery), and the MPPT power point is fixed at 17V which is close to the MPPT point on pretty much every "12V" panel out there. You can also plug in a 19.5V laptop adapter or 24V DC supply to charge the battery, maximum input voltage is 32V.
Mechanically the card's 6x10cm, and should fit in a Hammond 1590N box - though I'd suggest a larger box to make room for cable glands etc.
The terminal blocks are 2 piece plug-in ones (Phoenix Combicon PST headers, PT plugs) that can be plugged in either horizontally or vertically, so you can prewire a terminal block to your wiring harness then plug it into the card (I actually use these because it makes production testing a lot easier, but I like to think it's a feature 😉)
- 20W MPPT solar charger using LT3652
- DC/DC for 5V USB output (2A) along with a USB charge controller chip so it'll happily charge ipods/ipads/whatever.
- TPA3118D2 amplifier w/fixed highpass frequency.
- Microcontroller handling low battery shutdown and general board mount duties.
Quiescent current is very low (tens of uA) - the self discharge of the battery you've connected the amp to will probably be greater, and if you've got a solar panel hooked up anyway, you're golden. The +5V USB output runs all the time, unless the battery deeply discharges.
The card drives a bicolor LED. This blinks out a pretty simple color code:
Blinks once every 5 seconds: amp is off
Blinks once every 2 seconds: amp is on
Long blink: battery is charging
short blink: battery isn't charging
green blink = battery is well charged (60%+)
amber blink = battery has juice left (20%+)
red blink = battery is either low (<20%+) or dead.
(These %'s aren't fully nailed down yet).
The amp (and USB +5V) switch off when the battery reaches a "further discharge might damage it" state.
There's a contact closure (pin connect to ground) input to turn the amp on that can be connected to a panel mount switch.
The MPPT charger can do 20W (1.67A into a 12V battery), and the MPPT power point is fixed at 17V which is close to the MPPT point on pretty much every "12V" panel out there. You can also plug in a 19.5V laptop adapter or 24V DC supply to charge the battery, maximum input voltage is 32V.
Mechanically the card's 6x10cm, and should fit in a Hammond 1590N box - though I'd suggest a larger box to make room for cable glands etc.
The terminal blocks are 2 piece plug-in ones (Phoenix Combicon PST headers, PT plugs) that can be plugged in either horizontally or vertically, so you can prewire a terminal block to your wiring harness then plug it into the card (I actually use these because it makes production testing a lot easier, but I like to think it's a feature 😉)
I measured 2 drivers. Could do more if you want a larger sample size but I am quite surprised a how consistent they are:
Re = 7.763 and 7.803 ohms
Le = 0.367 and 0.0.393 mH
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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Image didn't show up in previous post and my 30 minute edit time expired.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Looks like Li-Ion/Polymer, LiFePO4, SLA Chemistries is supported.
LT3652 - Power Tracking 2A Battery Charger for Solar Power - Linear Technology
The charger's set up to peak charge up to 14.4V, then float charge at 13.8V.
This will work with 6S lead acid and 4S LiFePO4 battery packs. LiPo packs aren't supported as they require cell balancing, which this card doesn't do.
This will work with 6S lead acid and 4S LiFePO4 battery packs. LiPo packs aren't supported as they require cell balancing, which this card doesn't do.
Thanks for the info. Got a bunch of other things to get off my plate, but I'll work on a crossover design sometime for that.
I thought the need for balancing with lipo packs was because of the very high discharge rates in the RC world? But it is a property of the chemistry? I've read something about LiFe being self-balancing; cells passing on the current when they're full.
It is less about discharge rate and more about the cell to cell variances. Over time the cells will go out of balance. Self balancing can only happen if the cells are in parallel, regardless of chemistry.
I know, but with high discharge rates cell balance will vary much quicker than with 'normal' discharge rates. Why would a 3S lipo require balancing and 4S LiFe not? If somebody has some articles on this subject I would like to read them.
I would also balance the LiFe. More importantly, the LiFe can tolerate a float charge. That is a no-no with LiPo.
From the A123 website:
A123 has developed and validated an automotive-grade electronics and software set for battery management, designed to ensure the safe and reliable operation of large battery systems. The distributed system consists of a Battery Control Module, Current Sense Module, Monitor and Balance Electronics, and an Electrical Distribution Module. Features of the BMS include industry standard CAN and Diagnostic interfaces, SOC and SOH algorithms, Charge Management, and Safety Management. The BMS components can be reused use across energy and power systems to enable rapid design and development of a cost effective system. The BMS can be optimized for specific customer needs if required.
TI has some good background reading too but I don't know if they have anything specific to LiFe.
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Balancing becomes more important the harder you push the batteries. In the capacities used in a Boominator which is about 10Ah LiFePO4 even the full 2A charge rate it's not a big issue as it's C/5 max charge rate and C/20 max discharge rate (on "12V").
In a Boominator Mini set up where the usual battery capacity is 2600-3300mAh, I'd advise getting a balancing circuit. The come pretty cheap on e-bay/aliexpress.
In a Boominator Mini set up where the usual battery capacity is 2600-3300mAh, I'd advise getting a balancing circuit. The come pretty cheap on e-bay/aliexpress.
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I am noodling a project and would like to leverage some of your expertise here if I may. Are you relying in the TPA311x differential inputs or using separate op amps for your ground loop break?