openinverter.org wiki - User contributions [en]

Main Page Old

2022-12-08T14:17:43Z

Mjc506: Started a 'required knowledge' section, Category:Request_for_Review

= Before you begin: =
'''Please take the time to read.'''

You undertake '''your''' project at '''your own risk.'''

'''The information provided on this wiki and the support forums is intended as information only'''. The Open Inverter project and contributors to the forums and this wiki take no responsibility for how you use the information on this site, nor any liability for injuries, or death, that may result from your actions.

'''Developers's time is best spent developing;''' '''Support is best found in the forums''' - Developers of various projects are often bombarded with private messages and emails. Managing these emails and questions is a extremely large undertaking. Please read, and take the time to understand the information available here and across the web if you don't understand a topic. Developers are not your personal support team, unless you want to pay them directly for their time.

'''Consider donating to the many developers''' that have made all this possible and to help keep making things possible:

[https://www.patreon.com/openinverter www.patreon.com/openinverter],

https://www.evbmw.com/,

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/celeron55

[https://openinverter.org/forum/index.php '''Always check the forums'''], new developments and solutions are coming along every day, questions being answered, or perhaps you can answer. we work better as a community sharing our knowledge...

'''...update this wiki.''' Answers and solutions should find their way here so they don't remain buried in a 30 page long support thread. To edit the wiki, login with your forum credentials.

'''Welcome to the open inverter community'''
= Legalities=
*[[Legalities|Legalities around conversion projects]]
Different countries have different legislation, if you want your car to certified for the road in your country please take the time to review this section. It might save you going down the wrong direction and creating something that can never be driven, or incur costs.
= Introduction =
The open inverter started as a scratch built inverter and control board led by Johannes Hübner who designed and built his open open source AC motor controller dubbed the "open inverter".

Since then, the community has established and documented hardware and software approaches to reuse OEM inverters with the Open control board, and has more recently started on controlling OEM inverters over CAN, a process which doesn't require replacing any internal parts.

The main goal of the open inverter community is to reverse engineer many of these components for use in a variety of projects such as:

* EV conversion
* Energy storage
* Power generation
* Charging infrastructure
* etc.

Open inverter projects now span over many different areas surrounding PEV, HEV, and PHEV components, such as:
* Motor Controllers
* 1-3 phase power converters
* DC/DC converters
* buck/boost converters
* Battery Management Systems (BMS)
* Vehicle integration
* etc.

As a result, there is a growing collection of open source software and hardware designed for the never ending list of OEM parts.

There's a variety of methods of repurposing these OEM components. Methods here are generally chosen with future proofing in mind , reducing chances of firmware or software updates from the manufacture "bricking" or blocking the open source control efforts.

such efforts include:

* Mainboard/brain replacement
*[[Getting started with CAN bus|CANBUS/LINBUS]]
*[[wikipedia:Synchronous_serial_communication|Sync serial]]
*[[wikipedia:FlexRay|FlexRay]]
*[[wikipedia:Pulse-width_modulation|PWM]]
* Sirmware/software reprogramming
* etc.

Resulting in many bespoke boards running the main open inverter software or other open/semi-open source code designed to ether replace OEM motherboards or VCUs.

This has lead to a large collection of different boards and software, many with redundant features. To unify many of these development projects, the community at large is focused on making a set of standard VCUs and replacement control boards which handle the ever growing list of OEM components.

=== Many of the VCU and replacement boards consist of these 3 main parts: ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Hardware
!Firmware
!Web Interface
|-
|The design and development of the [[Main Board Version 3|control hardware]] based around an STM32F103 chip. This provides the control signals to the power stage and on to the attached components.
|The development of the code that goes on the STM32F103 chips and determines, amongst other things what signals are sent to the power stage and the attached components.
|Using an ESP8266 chip, the development of a simple [[Web Interface|web based interface]] to adjust the parameters on the firmware chip and to display values returned from the chip, for example motor speed (RPM).
|}

= Getting Started =

'''Please note:''' Performing a 'full' EV conversion can often be more straight forward than trying to make small modifications to OEM vehicles - an OEM system will normally require a set of components all talking to each other and keeping each other happy! Trying to, for example, add a different battery charger, or bypassing certain restrictions will often require significant reverse engineering of the existing system to ensure that the new component(s) do not cause errors or problems in the system which can avalanche into significant problems! A full EV conversion, in comparison, can usually focus on just keeping one component happy at a time (although integrating these different components can still require a lot of work).

The Community is focused on the electrical systems required for an EV, and may not be best placed to assist with mechanical issues specific to your vehicle.

===Glossary of Terms===
It is recommended you read the '''[[Glossary of Terms]]''' before you begin. Often you'll find TLAs (three letter acronyms) peppered through the support forum and on this wiki, take the time to familiarise yourself with them before hand, remember this exists, or bookmark/favourite it so you can referent back to it.

===EV conversions:===
A few main parts are needed for an EV conversion, such as:
*[[Motors]]
*[[:Category:Inverter|Inverter]]
**('''Note:''' ZombieVerter projects require a matched pair of Inverter and Motor as they would have come out of a vehicle)
*[[Batteries]]
*[[:Category:Charger|Chargers / Charge Controllers]]
*[[:Category:DC/DC|DC/DC Converters]]
*[[:Category:HVJB|HV Junction Box]]
*[[Heaters]]
*[[:Category:HVAC|HVAC]]
*Brake Assist
**Vacuum Pumps
**Electronic Brake Boosters
*[[:Category:Power Steering|Power Steering]]
*[[Rapid Charging]]

Existing information on these items can be found on the [[EV Conversion Parts]] page.

===OEM Parts: ===
A variety of [[:Category:OEM|OEM]] parts members of the community have reversed engineered for custom use cases:
*[[:Category:BMW|BMW]]
*[[:Category:Chevrolet|Chevrolet]]
*[[:Category:Ford|Ford]]
*[[:Category:Hyundai|Hyundai]]
*[[Isabellenhütte Heusler]]
*[[:Category:Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes-Benz]]
*[[:Category:Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]]
*[[Nissan]]
*[[:Category:Opel|Opel/Vauxhall]]
*[[:Category:Tesla|Tesla]]
*[[Toyota|Toyota/Lexus]]
*[[:Category:VAG|VAG (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, ...)]]
*[[:Category:Volvo|Volvo]] 

===Required skills/Knowledge===
[[Category:Request_for_Review]]
To perform a successful EV conversion, you may require the following skills and/or knowledge (this is not an exhaustive list)

*You will need to have the skills, knowledge and tools required to perform significant mechanical work on your vehicle. A service or workshop manual will be useful.
*Basic DC electrical knowledge, such as using a multimeter, soldering, identifying components.
*A willingness and ability to troubleshoot problems (mechanical, electrical, code...).
*Safety in relation to high voltage DC systems. '''HV DC can be more dangerous than AC mains voltages!'''
*Basic understanding on the purposes of various EV components (motor, inverter, DC-DC...)
*A grasp of 3 phase motor control concepts can be useful (especially if using an openinverter control board)
*An understanding of CAN (and other digital communication systems) will be very useful
*The legal restrictions and requirements for your country/state

===FAQ===

*[[Common Inverter FAQ]] - questions common to all hardware variants
*[[Tesla Inverter FAQ]] - questions regarding Tesla Large Drive Units and Small Drive Units
*[[Electronics Basics]] - general advice for troubleshooting electronic circuits
*[[I want a cheap ev conversion|cheap EV conversions]] - this entry point for the penny pinchers
*[[I want a powerful ev conversion|performant EV conversions]] - where torque trumps money

=Mechanical Design Database=
[[Mechanical design database]]

here you will find measurements, models, files, etc for a variety of components such as:

*adapter plates
*motor couplers
*drive shaft flanges
*battery mounts
*etc.

=Open Inverter Projects=

===Open Inverter (Core Project/s)===
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''ZombieVerter VCU'''
*[[ZombieVerter VCU]]
*[[Web Interface (ZombieVerter VCU)|Web Interface]]
*[[OEM component compatibility]]
|Designed around a matched pair of Inverter and Motor taken from the original OEM vehicle the ZombieVerter is there to make those two components believe they are still in the original vehicle and are fed necessary commands to act as if they still are and interpret and responses back from the equipment for feedback (regen / rpm / etc)
|-
|'''Open Inverter Hardware'''
*[[Hardware Theory of Operation]]
*[[Schematics and Instructions]] - for the "vanilla" inverter kit.
*[[Mini Mainboard]]
*[[Main Board Version 3]]
*[[Main Board Version 2]]
*[[Main Board Version 1]]
*[[Sense Boards]]
*[[Gate Driver]]
*[[Sensor Board|Legacy Sensor Board]]
*[[OEM Repurposing]]
|Quite flexible in its application. The Open Inverter can be used to build a custom inverter itself where you supply the high power and high voltage components to create your own inverter, or to be used as the basis to take over control of OEM inverters so that they can drive nearly any attached motor to that inverter.
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Open Inverter Software'''
*[[Using FOC Software]]
*[[Downloads]]
*[[Features]]
*[[Web Interface]]
*[[Battery Charging]]
*[[Errors]]
*[[CAN communication]]
*[[Parameters]] (Tune your inverter)
*[[Configuration Files]]
*[[Software Theory of Operation]]
*[[Open Inverter Testing]]
|Two of the more important software aspects to master are below.
|-
|'''CAN communication'''

Common across boards is the ability to communicate with a CAN Bus, which is a 'control area network' or a technical way of saying how various components, sensors, controls, etc communicate with one another within the car. '''Read more about [[CAN communication|CAN Communication]]'''

There is also a project to standardise the messages across the various control boards, [[Introduction CAN STD|read more]]
|-
|'''Parameters'''

The openinverter firmware uses a set of about 70 parameters to adapt it to different inverter power stages, motors and position feedback systems. Also it lets you calibrate the throttle pedal, change regenerative braking settings and so on.

Parameter definitions can be found here: [[Parameters]]

Working parameter sets can be found in the [https://openinverter.org/parameters openinverter parameter database]
|}

===Open Inverter Related Projects (Control Boards/VCUs)===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Project
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''[[Tesla|Tesla Small Drive and Large Drive Units:]]'''
|Commonly there is a large drive unit and small drive unit available from the Model S. 
These combine the inverter and motor into a single package.

The control boards for these replace the existing control board within them.
|-
|'''[[Lexus GS450h Drivetrain]]:'''
|The GS450h contains a gearbox (where the motors are located).
Using the [[ZombieVerter VCU]], the inverter and the gearbox itself provide

a powerful set up suitable for rear wheel drive set ups, replacing the existing longitudinally mounted gearbox.
|-
|'''[[Toyota Prius Gen3 Board|Prius Generation 3 Inverter:]]'''
|A cheap available inverter from the popular Prius hybrid, this
board goes inside that inverter and allows you to control the features of it.
|-
|'''[[Auris/Yaris Inverter:]]'''
|Similar to the Prius board, there's subtle differences between them
and therefore the need for a separate board.
|-
|'''[[Nissan Leaf Gen2 Board]]'''
|Replaces the nissan OEM logic board with a rev 3 openiverter main board
|-
|[[Ford ranger ev board|'''Ford ranger ev board''']]
|openinverter kit for the ford ranger ev
|-
| colspan="2" |[[OEM Repurposing|'''All Control Boards / OEM Inverters''']]
|}

===Use inverter as a battery Charger===
Both the open inverter and some OEM inverters can be used as a battery charger, further saving on component costs. You can read more about how the open inverter and the theory of charging [[Battery Charging|here]].

===Open Inverter Renewables Projects===
Recently added to the forums are projects and discussions around turning the Open Inverter project towards capturing, storing and using renewable energy.

=Open Inverter CAN std.=
*[[Introduction CAN STD|Introduction]]
*[[CAN table CAN STD|CAN table]]
*[[Getting started with CAN bus]]

=Conversion Projects=
*[[VW Polo 86C Conversion]]
*[[Touran Conversion]]
*[[Audi A2 Conversion]]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=326&hilit=gt86 toyota gt86 nissan leaf motor]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=210 Porsche Boxster 986 Tesla conversion]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=11 Further Projects on the forum]

Main Page Old

2022-12-08T14:03:08Z

Mjc506: Added a warning to the 'Getting started' section about trying to modify OEM EVs, and mechical issues on donor vehicles

= Before you begin: =
'''Please take the time to read.'''

You undertake '''your''' project at '''your own risk.'''

'''The information provided on this wiki and the support forums is intended as information only'''. The Open Inverter project and contributors to the forums and this wiki take no responsibility for how you use the information on this site, nor any liability for injuries, or death, that may result from your actions.

'''Developers's time is best spent developing;''' '''Support is best found in the forums''' - Developers of various projects are often bombarded with private messages and emails. Managing these emails and questions is a extremely large undertaking. Please read, and take the time to understand the information available here and across the web if you don't understand a topic. Developers are not your personal support team, unless you want to pay them directly for their time.

'''Consider donating to the many developers''' that have made all this possible and to help keep making things possible:

[https://www.patreon.com/openinverter www.patreon.com/openinverter],

https://www.evbmw.com/,

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/celeron55

[https://openinverter.org/forum/index.php '''Always check the forums'''], new developments and solutions are coming along every day, questions being answered, or perhaps you can answer. we work better as a community sharing our knowledge...

'''...update this wiki.''' Answers and solutions should find their way here so they don't remain buried in a 30 page long support thread. To edit the wiki, login with your forum credentials.

'''Welcome to the open inverter community'''
= Legalities=
*[[Legalities|Legalities around conversion projects]]
Different countries have different legislation, if you want your car to certified for the road in your country please take the time to review this section. It might save you going down the wrong direction and creating something that can never be driven, or incur costs.
= Introduction =
The open inverter started as a scratch built inverter and control board led by Johannes Hübner who designed and built his open open source AC motor controller dubbed the "open inverter".

Since then, the community has established and documented hardware and software approaches to reuse OEM inverters with the Open control board, and has more recently started on controlling OEM inverters over CAN, a process which doesn't require replacing any internal parts.

The main goal of the open inverter community is to reverse engineer many of these components for use in a variety of projects such as:

* EV conversion
* Energy storage
* Power generation
* Charging infrastructure
* etc.

Open inverter projects now span over many different areas surrounding PEV, HEV, and PHEV components, such as:
* Motor Controllers
* 1-3 phase power converters
* DC/DC converters
* buck/boost converters
* Battery Management Systems (BMS)
* Vehicle integration
* etc.

As a result, there is a growing collection of open source software and hardware designed for the never ending list of OEM parts.

There's a variety of methods of repurposing these OEM components. Methods here are generally chosen with future proofing in mind , reducing chances of firmware or software updates from the manufacture "bricking" or blocking the open source control efforts.

such efforts include:

* Mainboard/brain replacement
*[[Getting started with CAN bus|CANBUS/LINBUS]]
*[[wikipedia:Synchronous_serial_communication|Sync serial]]
*[[wikipedia:FlexRay|FlexRay]]
*[[wikipedia:Pulse-width_modulation|PWM]]
* Sirmware/software reprogramming
* etc.

Resulting in many bespoke boards running the main open inverter software or other open/semi-open source code designed to ether replace OEM motherboards or VCUs.

This has lead to a large collection of different boards and software, many with redundant features. To unify many of these development projects, the community at large is focused on making a set of standard VCUs and replacement control boards which handle the ever growing list of OEM components.

=== Many of the VCU and replacement boards consist of these 3 main parts: ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Hardware
!Firmware
!Web Interface
|-
|The design and development of the [[Main Board Version 3|control hardware]] based around an STM32F103 chip. This provides the control signals to the power stage and on to the attached components.
|The development of the code that goes on the STM32F103 chips and determines, amongst other things what signals are sent to the power stage and the attached components.
|Using an ESP8266 chip, the development of a simple [[Web Interface|web based interface]] to adjust the parameters on the firmware chip and to display values returned from the chip, for example motor speed (RPM).
|}

= Getting Started =

'''Please note:''' Performing a 'full' EV conversion can often be more straight forward than trying to make small modifications to OEM vehicles - an OEM system will normally require a set of components all talking to each other and keeping each other happy! Trying to, for example, add a different battery charger, or bypassing certain restrictions will often require significant reverse engineering of the existing system to ensure that the new component(s) do not cause errors or problems in the system which can avalanche into significant problems! A full EV conversion, in comparison, can usually focus on just keeping one component happy at a time (although integrating these different components can still require a lot of work).

The Community is focused on the electrical systems required for an EV, and may not be best placed to assist with mechanical issues specific to your vehicle.

===Glossary of Terms===
It is recommended you read the '''[[Glossary of Terms]]''' before you begin. Often you'll find TLAs (three letter acronyms) peppered through the support forum and on this wiki, take the time to familiarise yourself with them before hand, remember this exists, or bookmark/favourite it so you can referent back to it.

===EV conversions:===
A few main parts are needed for an EV conversion, such as:
*[[Motors]]
*[[:Category:Inverter|Inverter]]
**('''Note:''' ZombieVerter projects require a matched pair of Inverter and Motor as they would have come out of a vehicle)
*[[Batteries]]
*[[:Category:Charger|Chargers / Charge Controllers]]
*[[:Category:DC/DC|DC/DC Converters]]
*[[:Category:HVJB|HV Junction Box]]
*[[Heaters]]
*[[:Category:HVAC|HVAC]]
*Brake Assist
**Vacuum Pumps
**Electronic Brake Boosters
*[[:Category:Power Steering|Power Steering]]
*[[Rapid Charging]]

Existing information on these items can be found on the [[EV Conversion Parts]] page.

===OEM Parts: ===
A variety of [[:Category:OEM|OEM]] parts members of the community have reversed engineered for custom use cases:
*[[:Category:BMW|BMW]]
*[[:Category:Chevrolet|Chevrolet]]
*[[:Category:Ford|Ford]]
*[[:Category:Hyundai|Hyundai]]
*[[Isabellenhütte Heusler]]
*[[:Category:Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes-Benz]]
*[[:Category:Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]]
*[[Nissan]]
*[[:Category:Opel|Opel/Vauxhall]]
*[[:Category:Tesla|Tesla]]
*[[Toyota|Toyota/Lexus]]
*[[:Category:VAG|VAG (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, ...)]]
*[[:Category:Volvo|Volvo]] 

===

===FAQ===

*[[Common Inverter FAQ]] - questions common to all hardware variants
*[[Tesla Inverter FAQ]] - questions regarding Tesla Large Drive Units and Small Drive Units
*[[Electronics Basics]] - general advice for troubleshooting electronic circuits
*[[I want a cheap ev conversion|cheap EV conversions]] - this entry point for the penny pinchers
*[[I want a powerful ev conversion|performant EV conversions]] - where torque trumps money

=Mechanical Design Database=
[[Mechanical design database]]

here you will find measurements, models, files, etc for a variety of components such as:

*adapter plates
*motor couplers
* drive shaft flanges
*battery mounts
*etc.

=Open Inverter Projects=

===Open Inverter (Core Project/s)===
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''ZombieVerter VCU'''
*[[ZombieVerter VCU]]
*[[Web Interface (ZombieVerter VCU)|Web Interface]]
*[[OEM component compatibility]]
|Designed around a matched pair of Inverter and Motor taken from the original OEM vehicle the ZombieVerter is there to make those two components believe they are still in the original vehicle and are fed necessary commands to act as if they still are and interpret and responses back from the equipment for feedback (regen / rpm / etc)
|-
|'''Open Inverter Hardware'''
*[[Hardware Theory of Operation]]
*[[Schematics and Instructions]] - for the "vanilla" inverter kit.
*[[Mini Mainboard]]
*[[Main Board Version 3]]
*[[Main Board Version 2]]
*[[Main Board Version 1]]
*[[Sense Boards]]
*[[Gate Driver]]
*[[Sensor Board|Legacy Sensor Board]]
*[[OEM Repurposing]]
|Quite flexible in its application. The Open Inverter can be used to build a custom inverter itself where you supply the high power and high voltage components to create your own inverter, or to be used as the basis to take over control of OEM inverters so that they can drive nearly any attached motor to that inverter.
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Open Inverter Software'''
*[[Using FOC Software]]
*[[Downloads]]
*[[Features]]
*[[Web Interface]]
*[[Battery Charging]]
*[[Errors]]
*[[CAN communication]]
*[[Parameters]] (Tune your inverter)
*[[Configuration Files]]
*[[Software Theory of Operation]]
*[[Open Inverter Testing]]
|Two of the more important software aspects to master are below.
|-
|'''CAN communication'''

Common across boards is the ability to communicate with a CAN Bus, which is a 'control area network' or a technical way of saying how various components, sensors, controls, etc communicate with one another within the car. '''Read more about [[CAN communication|CAN Communication]]'''

There is also a project to standardise the messages across the various control boards, [[Introduction CAN STD|read more]]
|-
|'''Parameters'''

The openinverter firmware uses a set of about 70 parameters to adapt it to different inverter power stages, motors and position feedback systems. Also it lets you calibrate the throttle pedal, change regenerative braking settings and so on.

Parameter definitions can be found here: [[Parameters]]

Working parameter sets can be found in the [https://openinverter.org/parameters openinverter parameter database]
|}

===Open Inverter Related Projects (Control Boards/VCUs)===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Project
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''[[Tesla|Tesla Small Drive and Large Drive Units:]]'''
|Commonly there is a large drive unit and small drive unit available from the Model S. 
These combine the inverter and motor into a single package.

The control boards for these replace the existing control board within them.
|-
|'''[[Lexus GS450h Drivetrain]]:'''
|The GS450h contains a gearbox (where the motors are located).
Using the [[ZombieVerter VCU]], the inverter and the gearbox itself provide

a powerful set up suitable for rear wheel drive set ups, replacing the existing longitudinally mounted gearbox.
|-
|'''[[Toyota Prius Gen3 Board|Prius Generation 3 Inverter:]]'''
|A cheap available inverter from the popular Prius hybrid, this
board goes inside that inverter and allows you to control the features of it.
|-
|'''[[Auris/Yaris Inverter:]]'''
|Similar to the Prius board, there's subtle differences between them
and therefore the need for a separate board.
|-
|'''[[Nissan Leaf Gen2 Board]]'''
|Replaces the nissan OEM logic board with a rev 3 openiverter main board
|-
|[[Ford ranger ev board|'''Ford ranger ev board''']]
|openinverter kit for the ford ranger ev
|-
| colspan="2" |[[OEM Repurposing|'''All Control Boards / OEM Inverters''']]
|}

===Use inverter as a battery Charger===
Both the open inverter and some OEM inverters can be used as a battery charger, further saving on component costs. You can read more about how the open inverter and the theory of charging [[Battery Charging|here]].

===Open Inverter Renewables Projects===
Recently added to the forums are projects and discussions around turning the Open Inverter project towards capturing, storing and using renewable energy.

=Open Inverter CAN std.=
*[[Introduction CAN STD|Introduction]]
*[[CAN table CAN STD|CAN table]]
*[[Getting started with CAN bus]]

=Conversion Projects=
*[[VW Polo 86C Conversion]]
*[[Touran Conversion]]
*[[Audi A2 Conversion]]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=326&hilit=gt86 toyota gt86 nissan leaf motor]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=210 Porsche Boxster 986 Tesla conversion]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=11 Further Projects on the forum]

Main Page Old

2022-12-08T13:53:02Z

Mjc506: Capitalisation

= Before you begin: =
'''Please take the time to read.'''

You undertake '''your''' project at '''your own risk.'''

'''The information provided on this wiki and the support forums is intended as information only'''. The Open Inverter project and contributors to the forums and this wiki take no responsibility for how you use the information on this site, nor any liability for injuries, or death, that may result from your actions.

'''Developers's time is best spent developing;''' '''Support is best found in the forums''' - Developers of various projects are often bombarded with private messages and emails. Managing these emails and questions is a extremely large undertaking. Please read, and take the time to understand the information available here and across the web if you don't understand a topic. Developers are not your personal support team, unless you want to pay them directly for their time.

'''Consider donating to the many developers''' that have made all this possible and to help keep making things possible:

[https://www.patreon.com/openinverter www.patreon.com/openinverter],

https://www.evbmw.com/,

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/celeron55

[https://openinverter.org/forum/index.php '''Always check the forums'''], new developments and solutions are coming along every day, questions being answered, or perhaps you can answer. we work better as a community sharing our knowledge...

'''...update this wiki.''' Answers and solutions should find their way here so they don't remain buried in a 30 page long support thread. To edit the wiki, login with your forum credentials.

'''Welcome to the open inverter community'''
= Legalities=
*[[Legalities|Legalities around conversion projects]]
Different countries have different legislation, if you want your car to certified for the road in your country please take the time to review this section. It might save you going down the wrong direction and creating something that can never be driven, or incur costs.
= Introduction =
The open inverter started as a scratch built inverter and control board led by Johannes Hübner who designed and built his open open source AC motor controller dubbed the "open inverter".

Since then, the community has established and documented hardware and software approaches to reuse OEM inverters with the Open control board, and has more recently started on controlling OEM inverters over CAN, a process which doesn't require replacing any internal parts.

The main goal of the open inverter community is to reverse engineer many of these components for use in a variety of projects such as:

* EV conversion
* Energy storage
* Power generation
* Charging infrastructure
* etc.

Open inverter projects now span over many different areas surrounding PEV, HEV, and PHEV components, such as:
* Motor Controllers
* 1-3 phase power converters
* DC/DC converters
* buck/boost converters
* Battery Management Systems (BMS)
* Vehicle integration
* etc.

As a result, there is a growing collection of open source software and hardware designed for the never ending list of OEM parts.

There's a variety of methods of repurposing these OEM components. Methods here are generally chosen with future proofing in mind , reducing chances of firmware or software updates from the manufacture "bricking" or blocking the open source control efforts.

such efforts include:

* Mainboard/brain replacement
*[[Getting started with CAN bus|CANBUS/LINBUS]]
*[[wikipedia:Synchronous_serial_communication|Sync serial]]
*[[wikipedia:FlexRay|FlexRay]]
*[[wikipedia:Pulse-width_modulation|PWM]]
* Sirmware/software reprogramming
* etc.

Resulting in many bespoke boards running the main open inverter software or other open/semi-open source code designed to ether replace OEM motherboards or VCUs.

This has lead to a large collection of different boards and software, many with redundant features. To unify many of these development projects, the community at large is focused on making a set of standard VCUs and replacement control boards which handle the ever growing list of OEM components.

=== Many of the VCU and replacement boards consist of these 3 main parts: ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Hardware
!Firmware
!Web Interface
|-
|The design and development of the [[Main Board Version 3|control hardware]] based around an STM32F103 chip. This provides the control signals to the power stage and on to the attached components.
|The development of the code that goes on the STM32F103 chips and determines, amongst other things what signals are sent to the power stage and the attached components.
|Using an ESP8266 chip, the development of a simple [[Web Interface|web based interface]] to adjust the parameters on the firmware chip and to display values returned from the chip, for example motor speed (RPM).
|}

= Getting Started =

===Glossary of Terms===
It is recommended you read the '''[[Glossary of Terms]]''' before you begin. Often you'll find TLAs (three letter acronyms) peppered through the support forum and on this wiki, take the time to familiarise yourself with them before hand, remember this exists, or bookmark/favourite it so you can referent back to it.

===EV conversions:===
A few main parts are needed for an EV conversion, such as:
*[[Motors]]
*[[:Category:Inverter|Inverter]]
**('''Note:''' ZombieVerter projects require a matched pair of Inverter and Motor as they would have come out of a vehicle)
*[[Batteries]]
*[[:Category:Charger|Chargers / Charge Controllers]]
*[[:Category:DC/DC|DC/DC Converters]]
*[[:Category:HVJB|HV Junction Box]]
*[[Heaters]]
*[[:Category:HVAC|HVAC]]
*Brake Assist
**Vacuum Pumps
**Electronic Brake Boosters
*[[:Category:Power Steering|Power Steering]]
*[[Rapid Charging]]

Existing information on these items can be found on the [[EV Conversion Parts]] page.

===OEM Parts: ===
A variety of [[:Category:OEM|OEM]] parts members of the community have reversed engineered for custom use cases:
*[[:Category:BMW|BMW]]
*[[:Category:Chevrolet|Chevrolet]]
*[[:Category:Ford|Ford]]
*[[:Category:Hyundai|Hyundai]]
*[[Isabellenhütte Heusler]]
*[[:Category:Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes-Benz]]
*[[:Category:Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]]
*[[Nissan]]
*[[:Category:Opel|Opel/Vauxhall]]
*[[:Category:Tesla|Tesla]]
*[[Toyota|Toyota/Lexus]]
*[[:Category:VAG|VAG (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, ...)]]
*[[:Category:Volvo|Volvo]] 
===FAQ===

*[[Common Inverter FAQ]] - questions common to all hardware variants
*[[Tesla Inverter FAQ]] - questions regarding Tesla Large Drive Units and Small Drive Units
*[[Electronics Basics]] - general advice for troubleshooting electronic circuits
*[[I want a cheap ev conversion|cheap EV conversions]] - this entry point for the penny pinchers
*[[I want a powerful ev conversion|performant EV conversions]] - where torque trumps money

=Mechanical Design Database=
[[Mechanical design database]]

here you will find measurements, models, files, etc for a variety of components such as:

*adapter plates
*motor couplers
* drive shaft flanges
*battery mounts
*etc.

=Open Inverter Projects=

===Open Inverter (Core Project/s)===
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''ZombieVerter VCU'''
*[[ZombieVerter VCU]]
*[[Web Interface (ZombieVerter VCU)|Web Interface]]
*[[OEM component compatibility]]
|Designed around a matched pair of Inverter and Motor taken from the original OEM vehicle the ZombieVerter is there to make those two components believe they are still in the original vehicle and are fed necessary commands to act as if they still are and interpret and responses back from the equipment for feedback (regen / rpm / etc)
|-
|'''Open Inverter Hardware'''
*[[Hardware Theory of Operation]]
*[[Schematics and Instructions]] - for the "vanilla" inverter kit.
*[[Mini Mainboard]]
*[[Main Board Version 3]]
*[[Main Board Version 2]]
*[[Main Board Version 1]]
*[[Sense Boards]]
*[[Gate Driver]]
*[[Sensor Board|Legacy Sensor Board]]
*[[OEM Repurposing]]
|Quite flexible in its application. The Open Inverter can be used to build a custom inverter itself where you supply the high power and high voltage components to create your own inverter, or to be used as the basis to take over control of OEM inverters so that they can drive nearly any attached motor to that inverter.
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Open Inverter Software'''
*[[Using FOC Software]]
*[[Downloads]]
*[[Features]]
*[[Web Interface]]
*[[Battery Charging]]
*[[Errors]]
*[[CAN communication]]
*[[Parameters]] (Tune your inverter)
*[[Configuration Files]]
*[[Software Theory of Operation]]
*[[Open Inverter Testing]]
|Two of the more important software aspects to master are below.
|-
|'''CAN communication'''

Common across boards is the ability to communicate with a CAN Bus, which is a 'control area network' or a technical way of saying how various components, sensors, controls, etc communicate with one another within the car. '''Read more about [[CAN communication|CAN Communication]]'''

There is also a project to standardise the messages across the various control boards, [[Introduction CAN STD|read more]]
|-
|'''Parameters'''

The openinverter firmware uses a set of about 70 parameters to adapt it to different inverter power stages, motors and position feedback systems. Also it lets you calibrate the throttle pedal, change regenerative braking settings and so on.

Parameter definitions can be found here: [[Parameters]]

Working parameter sets can be found in the [https://openinverter.org/parameters openinverter parameter database]
|}

===Open Inverter Related Projects (Control Boards/VCUs)===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Project
!Description / Notes
|-
|'''[[Tesla|Tesla Small Drive and Large Drive Units:]]'''
|Commonly there is a large drive unit and small drive unit available from the Model S. 
These combine the inverter and motor into a single package.

The control boards for these replace the existing control board within them.
|-
|'''[[Lexus GS450h Drivetrain]]:'''
|The GS450h contains a gearbox (where the motors are located).
Using the [[ZombieVerter VCU]], the inverter and the gearbox itself provide

a powerful set up suitable for rear wheel drive set ups, replacing the existing longitudinally mounted gearbox.
|-
|'''[[Toyota Prius Gen3 Board|Prius Generation 3 Inverter:]]'''
|A cheap available inverter from the popular Prius hybrid, this
board goes inside that inverter and allows you to control the features of it.
|-
|'''[[Auris/Yaris Inverter:]]'''
|Similar to the Prius board, there's subtle differences between them
and therefore the need for a separate board.
|-
|'''[[Nissan Leaf Gen2 Board]]'''
|Replaces the nissan OEM logic board with a rev 3 openiverter main board
|-
|[[Ford ranger ev board|'''Ford ranger ev board''']]
|openinverter kit for the ford ranger ev
|-
| colspan="2" |[[OEM Repurposing|'''All Control Boards / OEM Inverters''']]
|}

===Use inverter as a battery Charger===
Both the open inverter and some OEM inverters can be used as a battery charger, further saving on component costs. You can read more about how the open inverter and the theory of charging [[Battery Charging|here]].

===Open Inverter Renewables Projects===
Recently added to the forums are projects and discussions around turning the Open Inverter project towards capturing, storing and using renewable energy.

=Open Inverter CAN std.=
*[[Introduction CAN STD|Introduction]]
*[[CAN table CAN STD|CAN table]]
*[[Getting started with CAN bus]]

=Conversion Projects=
*[[VW Polo 86C Conversion]]
*[[Touran Conversion]]
*[[Audi A2 Conversion]]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=326&hilit=gt86 toyota gt86 nissan leaf motor]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=210 Porsche Boxster 986 Tesla conversion]
*[https://openinverter.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=11 Further Projects on the forum]

Alternators

2021-04-15T16:20:15Z

Mjc506: Ty[po

Automotive alternators are widely available, very low cost (even free, reclaimed), and designed to operate for long lifetimes in aggressive engine-bay environments. Although not an obvious choice, and unsuitable for driving cars, they can be an interesting choice for low power applications (motorcycles, garden equipment, ancillaries).

There are a huge variety of alternators available, so the below is based only on the few types the author has experience of. Some experimentation is likely to be required!

They have a separate field current, and act as a Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (SPMSM) which the OpenInverter firmware is currently not optimised for - they will run happily using the FOC firmware though, and it is only a very simple code edit required to get the best from them.

== Construction ==
Alternators are, in fact, polyphase machines connected to a rectifier, together with a regulator which adjusts a field current to maintain the desired output. The field current is passed to a rotor winding via two slip rings to generate the magnetic field. These slip rings last much longer, and produce less electrical noise than, typical motor brushes, as there is no commutation. Currents and voltages are also low, typically reaching a couple of amps.

Clearly, trying to make an alternator spin by applying DC voltage to its external connections will not work, they are not DC machines.

Removing the regulator and rectifier (sometimes these are separate, but more often are one unit, often including the brush holders) is generally easy, as these parts are generally what causes an alternator to fail in normal service (the diodes etc are most affected by heat and vibration). Happily, removing the regulator and rectifier exposes the phase connections for us to use!

Some alternators have permanent magnet rotors, or even rotors with both field coils and permanent magnets. A permanent magnet rotor is slightly easier to drive (no field current to worry about) but is less flexible. An alternator with only a field coil and no permanent magnets is more 'adjustable' and can be driven very hot (you only have to worry about insulation temperature rating) without permanent damage. An alternator with both a wound rotor and permanent magnets will run without field current, and also generate a stronger field, but you have to watch the temperature so as not to demagnetise the magnets, and also field current polarity to work with, and not against, the magnets.

== Alternator types ==
Focusing only on automotive alternators (alternators are of course available from the marine and aviation fields, but these tend to be much more expensive and difficult to find), units are commonly available in 12 or 24V applications, and with various current ratings, depending upon the vehicle they are specified for.

=== Voltage ===
It may be tempting to chose a higher voltage alternator, to 'better match' your pack voltages. Some 24V alternators, however, are simply 'normal' 12V alternators with different regulator/rectifier modules fitted. Some may have different windings and a lower Kv, which may be useful - experimentation needed!

=== Current rating ===
An alternator with a higher current rating will likely handle higher phase currents better. Unfortunately, some newer higher output alternators are actually 6 phase, rather than 3 phase. Constructing a 6 phase inverter, or combining adjacent phases to make the alternator 3 phase, would be possible, but may be difficult to do successfully. It can be difficult to determine the number of phases in a particular alternator before beginning disassembly.

=== Max rpm ===
As with any motor, it is important not to exceed the maximum rpm (too much!), but this is rarely listed on the alternator specification. You can calculate it but finding the/a vehicle it is fitted to, find the engine redline rpm, crankshaft pulley diameter, and measure the alternator pulley diameter. You should then be able to calculate what rpm the alternator is turning at the engine redline. This would be a sensible limit!

=== Pulley ===
Some modern alternators come fitted with a pulley that free-wheels in one direction (has a Spragg clutch) - this allows, for example, a car engine to rapidly decelerate while changing gears without loading the alternator and belt. Of course, that means you get either no drive, or no regen (depending on your vehicle and drivetrain)! Look for an alternator with a solid pulley - the one-way pulleys have what looks like a bearing visible from the front (sometimes covered with a plastic cap), solid pulleys should be fairly obvious.

== Driving the alternator ==
Once the rectifier is removed and you have access to the phase windings, you may need to connect them into star or delta configuration (it seems the the stator coils tend to be generic, exposing all 6 connections, and the rectifier 'chooses' how to connect them up), and then wire the three phases to the inverter. In addition (for alternators with a field coil), you will also need to provide power to the rotor through the brushes. Use a current-regulated supply - 5A is plenty to drive the rotor into saturation, start with ~1.5 - 2A.

=== Position feedback ===
Alternators don't need position feedback in their intended service, so we'll have to add our own. Any device suitable for the FOC firmware will work, but some will be easier to mount than others. The Melexis sin/cos encoder ICs are simple to interface with, and simply require accurate axial mounting ~5mm above the end of the shaft, to which a small diametrically magnetised (across the diameter) circular magnet is affixed. Using the slip ring end of the shaft is likely to be the simplest. You may need to adjust the axial alignment of the IC later while the motor is running to minimise offset/vibration.

=== Inverter configuration ===
Flash the FOC firmware and do the normal checks. Connect your current regulated supply to two of the phase connections and the field, the motor should 'snap' to a position. Turn the rotor by hand over 360°, counting the 'cogs' - this is your polepairs. Set the position feedback (encoder/resolver) to suit your hardware, and wire everything up. Complete syncoffset calibration, and your alternator should now be a motor!

=== Enhancements ===
As previously noted, the OpenInverter FOC code is optimised for IPMSMs (Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors), which require some Id. SPMSMs like the alternator require no Id. [https://github.com/mjc-506/stm32-sine/commit/d95329d993c0b43ea142e061be9735d34d3b58b4 Here is a github commit to a fork of the standard OpenInverter code that adds a parameter to chose between IPMSM and SPMSM, and sets Id to 0 for the latter.] (this may need adjusting to suit other parameters added to the main code)

You will not need field weakening! Set fwkp = 0.

=== Field control ===
With the motor spinning at a fixed but reasonably low throttle/speed, adjust the your field current. You should find that motor rpm increases as field current decreases and visa versa. Likewise, peak torque will increase with field current, up until the rotor saturates (usually by ~5A). You can calculate the Kv and Ki for different field currents by driving the rotor at a set speed (with a battery drill perhaps) and measuring (peak) phase voltage and frequency/rpm. This may be useful later when driving something to get the best out of the motor at different speeds.

Alternators

2021-04-15T16:19:39Z

Mjc506: Added link to SPMSM code edit

Automotive alternators are widely available, very low cost (even free, reclaimed), and designed to operate for long lifetimes in aggressive engine-bay environments. Although not an obvious choice, and unsuitable for driving cars, they can be an interesting choice for low power applications (motorcycles, garden equipment, ancillaries).

There are a huge variety of alternators available, so the below is based only on the few types the author has experience of. Some experimentation is likely to be required!

They have a separate field current, and act as a Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (SPMSM) which the OpenInverter firmware is currently not optimised for - they will run happily using the FOC firmware though, and it is only a very simple code edit required to get the best from them.

== Construction ==
Alternators are, in fact, polyphase machines connected to a rectifier, together with a regulator which adjusts a field current to maintain the desired output. The field current is passed to a rotor winding via two slip rings to generate the magnetic field. These slip rings last much longer, and produce less electrical noise than, typical motor brushes, as there is no commutation. Currents and voltages are also low, typically reaching a couple of amps.

Clearly, trying to make an alternator spin by applying DC voltage to its external connections will not work, they are not DC machines.

Removing the regulator and rectifier (sometimes these are separate, but more often are one unit, often including the brush holders) is generally easy, as these parts are generally what causes an alternator to fail in normal service (the diodes etc are most affected by heat and vibration). Happily, removing the regulator and rectifier exposes the phase connections for us to use!

Some alternators have permanent magnet rotors, or even rotors with both field coils and permanent magnets. A permanent magnet rotor is slightly easier to drive (no field current to worry about) but is less flexible. An alternator with only a field coil and no permanent magnets is more 'adjustable' and can be driven very hot (you only have to worry about insulation temperature rating) without permanent damage. An alternator with both a wound rotor and permanent magnets will run without field current, and also generate a stronger field, but you have to watch the temperature so as not to demagnetise the magnets, and also field current polarity to work with, and not against, the magnets.

== Alternator types ==
Focusing only on automotive alternators (alternators are of course available from the marine and aviation fields, but these tend to be much more expensive and difficult to find), units are commonly available in 12 or 24V applications, and with various current ratings, depending upon the vehicle they are specified for.

=== Voltage ===
It may be tempting to chose a higher voltage alternator, to 'better match' your pack voltages. Some 24V alternators, however, are simply 'normal' 12V alternators with different regulator/rectifier modules fitted. Some may have different windings and a lower Kv, which may be useful - experimentation needed!

=== Current rating ===
An alternator with a higher current rating will likely handle higher phase currents better. Unfortunately, some newer higher output alternators are actually 6 phase, rather than 3 phase. Constructing a 6 phase inverter, or combining adjacent phases to make the alternator 3 phase, would be possible, but may be difficult to do successfully. It can be difficult to determine the number of phases in a particular alternator before beginning disassembly.

=== Max rpm ===
As with any motor, it is important not to exceed the maximum rpm (too much!), but this is rarely listed on the alternator specification. You can calculate it but finding the/a vehicle it is fitted to, find the engine redline rpm, crankshaft pulley diameter, and measure the alternator pulley diameter. You should then be able to calculate what rpm the alternator is turning at the engine redline. This would be a sensible limit!

=== Pulley ===
Some modern alternators come fitted with a pulley that free-wheels in one direction (has a Spragg clutch) - this allows, for example, a car engine to rapidly decelerate while changing gears without loading the alternator and belt. Of course, that means you get either no drive, or no regen (depending on your vehicle and drivetrain)! Look for an alternator with a solid pulley - the one-way pulleys have what looks like a bearing visible from the front (sometimes covered with a plastic cap), solid pulleys should be fairly obvious.

== Driving the alternator ==
Once the rectifier is removed and you have access to the phase windings, you may need to connect them into star or delta configuration (it seems the the stator coils tend to be generic, exposing all 6 connections, and the rectifier 'chooses' how to connect them up), and then wire the three phases to the inverter. In addition (for alternators with a field coil), you will also need to provide power to the rotor through the brushes. Use a current-regulated supply - 5A is plenty to drive the rotor into saturation, start with ~1.5 - 2A.

=== Position feedback ===
Alternators don't need position feedback in their intended service, so we'll have to add our own. Any device suitable for the FOC firmware will work, but some will be easier to mount than others. The Melexis sin/cos encoder ICs are simple to interface with, and simply require accurate axial mounting ~5mm above the end of the shaft, to which a small diametrically magnetised (across the diameter) circular magnet is affixed. Using the slip ring end of the shaft is likely to be the simplest. You may need to adjust the axial alignment of the IC later while the motor is running to minimise offset/vibration.

=== Inverter configuration ===
Flash the FOC firmware and do the normal checks. Connect your current regulated supply to two of the phase connections and the field, the motor should 'snap' to a position. Turn the rotor by hand over 360°, counting the 'cogs' - this is your polepairs. Set the position feedback (encoder/resolver) to suit your hardware, and wire everything up. Complete syncoffset calibration, and your alternator should now be a motor!

=== Enhancements ===
As previously noted, the OpenInverter FOC code is optimised for IPMSMs (Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors), which require some Id. SPMSMs like the alternator require no Id. [https://github.com/mjc-506/stm32-sine/commit/d95329d993c0b43ea142e061be9735d34d3b58b4 Here is a github commit to a fork of the standard OpenInverter code that adds a parameter to chose between IPMSM and SPMSM, and sets Id to 0 for the latter.] (this may need adjusting to suit other parameters added to the main code)

You will not need field weakening! Set fwkp = 0.

=== Field control ===
With the motor spinning at a fixed but reasonably low throttle/speed, adjust the your field current. You should find that motor rpm increases and field current decreases and visa versa. Likewise, peak torque will increase with field current, up until the rotor saturates (usually by ~5A). You can calculate the Kv and Ki for different field currents by driving the rotor at a set speed (with a battery drill perhaps) and measuring (peak) phase voltage and frequency/rpm. This may be useful later when driving something to get the best out of the motor at different speeds.

Hyundai/Kia HSG

2021-04-15T16:14:38Z

Mjc506: /* Details */

These motors are designed as a belt driven starter/generator for Kia and Hyundai's hybrid vehicles. They have a water jacket (stator and rotor etc remain dry), poly-v pulley and provision for a bolt on belt tensioner.

== Details ==
{|
|+
|'''Rated Power'''
|8.5kW
|-
|'''Type'''
|IPMSM
|-
|'''Phase connections'''
|3 phase input, accessible by factory connector/harness, or by ring terminals by removing covers
|-
|'''Phase-phase DC resistance'''
|~0.2Ω
|-
|'''Position feedback'''
|Resolver, <?> poles. On 10 pin connector
|-
|'''Temperature feedback'''
|Yes, on 10 pin connector. ~125kΩ at 20°C
|-
|'''Pole pairs'''
|3
|-
|'''Water connections'''
|2x <?>mm
|-
|'''Mechanical output'''
|Poly-v belt pulley
|}

== Pinout ==
The large connector is the three phases. These can be used with the factory connector (part number <?>), or by removing the two covers (JIS screws) and connector (4x 10mm hex head screws externally, plus 3x 4mm hex 'allen' head screws on the internal phase connectors) the three phase connections become available using 6mm ring terminals.

The 10 pin Econoseal connector includes the resolver connections, temperature sensor connections and two shield connections (connected to case internally)

[http://www.kniro.net/images/motor_temperature_sensor_circuit_diagram-771/689/sdehhm7106l.gif 10 pin connector pinout]

Alternators

2021-04-13T18:12:20Z

Mjc506: Info on alternators - initial

Automotive alternators are widely available, very low cost (even free, reclaimed), and designed to operate for long lifetimes in aggressive engine-bay environments. Although not an obvious choice, and unsuitable for driving cars, they can be an interesting choice for low power applications (motorcycles, garden equipment, ancillaries).

There are a huge variety of alternators available, so the below is based only on the few types the author has experience of. Some experimentation is likely to be required!

They have a separate field current, and act as a Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (SPMSM) which the OpenInverter firmware is currently not optimised for - they will run happily using the FOC firmware though, and it is only a very simple code edit required to get the best from them.

== Construction ==
Alternators are, in fact, polyphase machines connected to a rectifier, together with a regulator which adjusts a field current to maintain the desired output. The field current is passed to a rotor winding via two slip rings to generate the magnetic field. These slip rings last much longer, and produce less electrical noise than, typical motor brushes, as there is no commutation. Currents and voltages are also low, typically reaching a couple of amps.

Clearly, trying to make an alternator spin by applying DC voltage to its external connections will not work, they are not DC machines.

Removing the regulator and rectifier (sometimes these are separate, but more often are one unit, often including the brush holders) is generally easy, as these parts are generally what causes an alternator to fail in normal service (the diodes etc are most affected by heat and vibration). Happily, removing the regulator and rectifier exposes the phase connections for us to use!

Some alternators have permanent magnet rotors, or even rotors with both field coils and permanent magnets. A permanent magnet rotor is slightly easier to drive (no field current to worry about) but is less flexible. An alternator with only a field coil and no permanent magnets is more 'adjustable' and can be driven very hot (you only have to worry about insulation temperature rating) without permanent damage. An alternator with both a wound rotor and permanent magnets will run without field current, and also generate a stronger field, but you have to watch the temperature so as not to demagnetise the magnets, and also field current polarity to work with, and not against, the magnets.

== Alternator types ==
Focusing only on automotive alternators (alternators are of course available from the marine and aviation fields, but these tend to be much more expensive and difficult to find), units are commonly available in 12 or 24V applications, and with various current ratings, depending upon the vehicle they are specified for.

=== Voltage ===
It may be tempting to chose a higher voltage alternator, to 'better match' your pack voltages. Some 24V alternators, however, are simply 'normal' 12V alternators with different regulator/rectifier modules fitted. Some may have different windings and a lower Kv, which may be useful - experimentation needed!

=== Current rating ===
An alternator with a higher current rating will likely handle higher phase currents better. Unfortunately, some newer higher output alternators are actually 6 phase, rather than 3 phase. Constructing a 6 phase inverter, or combining adjacent phases to make the alternator 3 phase, would be possible, but may be difficult to do successfully. It can be difficult to determine the number of phases in a particular alternator before beginning disassembly.

=== Max rpm ===
As with any motor, it is important not to exceed the maximum rpm (too much!), but this is rarely listed on the alternator specification. You can calculate it but finding the/a vehicle it is fitted to, find the engine redline rpm, crankshaft pulley diameter, and measure the alternator pulley diameter. You should then be able to calculate what rpm the alternator is turning at the engine redline. This would be a sensible limit!

=== Pulley ===
Some modern alternators come fitted with a pulley that free-wheels in one direction (has a Spragg clutch) - this allows, for example, a car engine to rapidly decelerate while changing gears without loading the alternator and belt. Of course, that means you get either no drive, or no regen (depending on your vehicle and drivetrain)! Look for an alternator with a solid pulley - the one-way pulleys have what looks like a bearing visible from the front (sometimes covered with a plastic cap), solid pulleys should be fairly obvious.

== Driving the alternator ==
Once the rectifier is removed and you have access to the phase windings, you may need to connect them into star or delta configuration (it seems the the stator coils tend to be generic, exposing all 6 connections, and the rectifier 'chooses' how to connect them up), and then wire the three phases to the inverter. In addition (for alternators with a field coil), you will also need to provide power to the rotor through the brushes. Use a current-regulated supply - 5A is plenty to drive the rotor into saturation, start with ~1.5 - 2A.

=== Position feedback ===
Alternators don't need position feedback in their intended service, so we'll have to add our own. Any device suitable for the FOC firmware will work, but some will be easier to mount than others. The Melexis sin/cos encoder ICs are simple to interface with, and simply require accurate axial mounting ~5mm above the end of the shaft, to which a small diametrically magnetised (across the diameter) circular magnet is affixed. Using the slip ring end of the shaft is likely to be the simplest. You may need to adjust the axial alignment of the IC later while the motor is running to minimise offset/vibration.

=== Inverter configuration ===
Flash the FOC firmware and do the normal checks. Connect your current regulated supply to two of the phase connections and the field, the motor should 'snap' to a position. Turn the rotor by hand over 360°, counting the 'cogs' - this is your polepairs. Set the position feedback (encoder/resolver) to suit your hardware, and wire everything up. Complete syncoffset calibration, and your alternator should now be a motor!

=== Enhancements ===
As previously noted, the OpenInverter FOC code is optimised for IPMSMs (Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors), which require some Id. SPMSMs like the alternator require no Id. Here is a github commit to a fork of the standard OpenInverter code that adds a parameter to chose between IPMSM and SPMSM, and sets Id to 0 for the latter. (this may need adjusting to suit other parameters added to the main code)

You will not need field weakening! Set fwkp = 0.

=== Field control ===
With the motor spinning at a fixed but reasonably low throttle/speed, adjust the your field current. You should find that motor rpm increases and field current decreases and visa versa. Likewise, peak torque will increase with field current, up until the rotor saturates (usually by ~5A). You can calculate the Kv and Ki for different field currents by driving the rotor at a set speed (with a battery drill perhaps) and measuring (peak) phase voltage and frequency/rpm. This may be useful later when driving something to get the best out of the motor at different speeds.

Motors

2021-04-13T15:34:01Z

Mjc506: /* Generic Motors */ Added 'alternators'

This page is intended as a listing page for available motors suitable for conversion projects. Each listing is planned to lead to a more detailed page regarding the motor.

= OEM Motors =
Taken from existing vehicles
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Picture
!Name/link
!Manufacturer
!Models Found On
!Part No/s
!FWD/RDW/AWD
!Description
|-
|[[File:LEXUS RX 400H 2004-2008 209048010.jpg|none|thumb|200x200px]]
|[[Toyota/Lexus MGR Rear Transaxle Motor]]
|Toyota/Lexus
|
* Alphard/Vellfire ATH20
* Alphard/Vellfire AYH30
* Estima AHR20
* Harrier MHU38
* Harrier AVU65
* Highlander MHU28
* Highlander MHU48
* Highlander GVU48
* Highlander GVU58
* Kluger MHU28
* Lexus RX400h MHU38
* Lexus RX450h GYL15
* Lexus RX450h GYL25
* Lexus NX300h AYZ15
* RAV4 AVA44
|Q211
(2FM - Motor code)
|FWD
AWD

RWD
|Found on numerous Toyota and Lexus models (see list to the left), the MGR (or Motor Generator Rear) is an electric rear differential meant to provide occasional 4WD/AWD to the company's larger 4WD models.

For conversion/project purposes the MGR is suitable for lighter models given the torque available or could potentially be used front and/or rear, and/or with a secondary motor.

As the motor was designed to be used occasionally as a rear motor, there is a need or potential need for cooling dependent on the application.
|-
|[[File:GS450h L110 Transmission.jpg|thumb]]
|Lexus GS450h
|Toyota/Lexus
|Lexus GS450h
|L110
|RWD
|Popular conversion project motor, the GS450h has two motors as part of a gearbox mated to an ICE engine. MG1 and MG2, one of which is generally used to start the ICE, the second used to provide drive to the wheel in electric only mode.

The input shaft from the ICE can be secured and both motors can then be used to drive the output shaft.

The popularity and conversation around it comes from the fact it is likely to occupy the same space as a rear wheel drive gearbox leaving the majority of the engine bay free and obviously joining to the existing rear propshaft.
|-
|[[File:LS600hL L110F Transmission.jpg|thumb]]
|Lexus LS600h
|Toyota/Lexus
|Lexus LS600h
|L110f
|AWD
|Functionally the same as the GS450h(?) but splits the output front and rear like a traditional 4WD gearbox.
|-
|[[File:Gs300h-cvt.jpg|thumb]]
|[[Toyota/Lexus GS300h CVT|Lexus GS300h]]
|Toyota/Lexus
|Lexus GS300h
|L210
|RWD
|Very similar to the GS450h setup.
|-
|
|Prius Transaxle
|Toyota/Lexus
|Prius
|
|FWD
|Mated to a transversally mounted front wheel drive ICE, the Prius transaxle has two motors contained with it. MG1 and MG2. One of which is generally used to re/start the ICE motor and the second used to drive the car in electric only mode.

The two motors can be combined for greater power output.

The unit itself lends itself to replace the engine and gearbox from FWD front engined vehicles as it largely occupies a similar space as the existing gearbox and frees the space where the engine would sit.
|-
|
|Nissan Leaf
|Nissan
|Leaf
|
|FWD
|
|-
|
|Tesla Small Drive Unit
|Tesla
|Model S/X
|
|FWD
AWD

RWD
|
|-
|
|Tesla Large Drive Unit
|Tesla
|Model S/X
|
|FWD
AWD

RWD
|
|-
|[[File:Outlander Rear Motor.jpg|thumb]]
|[[Mitsubishi Outlander Rear Drive Unit]]
|Mitsubishi
|Outlander PHEV
|Y61
|RWD
|This motor is found on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. It is the motor which drives the rear differential unit. There may be 3 different versions of this motor - 50kW, 60kW and 70kW (from PHEV 2018 on). The same motor may also be used in the i-MiEV.

The Openinverter Forum has a dedicated board here: https://openinverter.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=19
|-
|
|[[Mitsubishi Outlander Front Transaxle]]
|Mitsubish
|Outlander PHEV
|
|
|The front transaxle from the Outlander PHEV has a motor and generator.
|}

= Generic Motors =
Multiple applications but designed to fit EV use, or fall within power/torque range for use

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Picture
!Name/link
!Manufacturer
!Part No/s
!Description
|-
|
|[[Hyundai\Kia HSG|Hyundai/Kia HSG]]
|Hyundai/Kia
|
|Designed as a belt driven starter/generator for Kia/Hyundai's hybrid vehicles. Rated ~8kW, but capable of more. Water cooled, with 3 phase input and resolver and temp outputs.
|-
|
|[[Alternators]]
|Various
|
|Certainly low power, questionable efficiency, the main attraction with these is their robustness and low cost. The ability to drive the field coil directly opens interesting characteristics...
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|}

Hyundai/Kia HSG

2021-04-13T15:30:12Z

Mjc506: decoration...

These motors are designed as a belt driven starter/generator for Kia and Hyundai's hybrid vehicles. They have a water jacket (stator and rotor etc remain dry), poly-v pulley and provision for a bolt on belt tensioner.

== Details ==
{|
|+
|'''Rated Power'''
|8kW
|-
|'''Type'''
|IPMSM
|-
|'''Phase connections'''
|3 phase input, accessible by factory connector/harness, or by ring terminals by removing covers
|-
|'''Phase-phase DC resistance'''
|~0.2Ω
|-
|'''Position feedback'''
|Resolver, <?> poles. On 10 pin connector
|-
|'''Temperature feedback'''
|Yes, on 10 pin connector. ~125kΩ at 20°C
|-
|'''Pole pairs'''
|3
|-
|'''Water connections'''
|2x <?>mm
|-
|'''Mechanical output'''
|Poly-v belt pulley
|}

== Pinout ==
The large connector is the three phases. These can be used with the factory connector (part number <?>), or by removing the two covers (JIS screws) and connector (4x 10mm hex head screws externally, plus 3x 4mm hex 'allen' head screws on the internal phase connectors) the three phase connections become available using 6mm ring terminals.

The 10 pin Econoseal connector includes the resolver connections, temperature sensor connections and two shield connections (connected to case internally)

[http://www.kniro.net/images/motor_temperature_sensor_circuit_diagram-771/689/sdehhm7106l.gif 10 pin connector pinout]

Hyundai/Kia HSG

2021-04-13T15:27:15Z

Mjc506: Initial commit

These motors are designed as a belt driven starter/generator for Kia and Hyundai's hybrid vehicles. They have a water jacket (stator and rotor etc remain dry), poly-v pulley and provision for a bolt on belt tensioner.

== Details ==
{|
|+
|Rated Power
|8kW
|-
|Type
|IPMSM
|-
|Phase connections
|3 phase input, accessible by factory connector/harness, or by ring terminals by removing covers
|-
|Phase-phase DC resistance
|~0.2Ω
|-
|Position feedback
|Resolver, <?> poles. On 10 pin connector
|-
|Temperature feedback
|Yes, on 10 pin connector. ~125kΩ at 20°C
|-
|Pole pairs
|3
|-
|Water connections
|2x <?>mm
|-
|Mechanical output
|Poly-v belt pulley
|}

== Pinout ==
The large connector is the three phases. These can be used with the factory connector (part number <?>), or by removing the two covers (JIS screws) and connector (4x 10mm hex head screws externally, plus 3x 4mm hex 'allen' head screws on the internal phase connectors) the three phase connections become available using 6mm ring terminals.

The 10 pin Econoseal connector includes the resolver connections, temperature sensor connections and two shield connections (connected to case internally)

[http://www.kniro.net/images/motor_temperature_sensor_circuit_diagram-771/689/sdehhm7106l.gif 10 pin connector pinout]

Motors

2021-04-13T15:06:39Z

Mjc506: /* Generic Motors */ Added Kia/Hyundai HSG

Batteries

2021-04-12T19:38:35Z

Mjc506: Added info on BMW PHEV modules (>2020)

== Introduction ==
There are a wide variety of battery chemistries available for use as the main traction battery of an EV. To use each chemistry safely, and to ensure an adequate service life from the battery pack it is important to understand the requirements for the chemistry you are using. Failure to do so may lead to premature or catastrophic failure of the pack.

Good pack design will allow for a nominal amount of abuse. People make mistakes and the pack should allow a margin for safety - and for longevity!

== Battery pack specification ==
When deciding on your battery pack, here are some basic parameters to consider:

=== Capacity (kWh) ===
'''How far do you want to go?''' A standard car conversion will need a kWh for each 3, maybe 4 miles of range (very approximately). For a middleweight motorcycle, a kWh should give around 9 miles. Your mileage may vary, ''as they say.''

=== Voltage (V) ===
'''How fast do you want to go?''' The pack voltage defines the maximum speed your motor can spin. Motors are usually specified with "KV" - or RPM-per-volt. Check the KV of your motor and how fast it needs to spin to get your desired top speed. e.g. if you need 3,000 RPM from a 25 KV motor then your pack voltage needs to be 3,000 / 25 = 120 V. The exact number of cells in series you need depends on the cell design, but 3.8 V for Li-ion and 3.2 V for LiFePO4 is a reasonable guess.

=== Maximum current (A) ===
'''How quickly do you want to accelerate?''' Your motor's maximum power will be specified in kW. To estimate your maximum current draw, divide the peak power by the battery voltage. e.g. a 30 kW motor with a 120 V battery pack will pull 30,000 / 120 = 250 A. The higher the current rating of the cells, the heavier they will be for a given capacity. Ideally, you want "enough" current capacity for full throttle acceleration, but no more. You can put cells in parallel to double the current rating of your pack (which of course will half the voltage). Running cells in parallel is easy, but don't attempt to parallel battery packs unless you really know what you are doing. It's [https://www.orionbms.com/manuals/pdf/parallel_strings.pdf complicated].

=== Mass (kg) ===
'''Can your vehicle carry the weight?''' You'll need to keep the kerb weight within the original design limits. For a car, your pack could be a few hundred kg. For a motorcycle, likely less than 100 kg. This is a huge variable - and each new generation of battery tech seems to be a little lighter. For older EV or hybrid batteries, you can reckon on approximately 10 kg/kWh. Nissan Leaf batteries are relatively light (7.5 kg/kWh). With the latest technology (e.g. Kokam pouch cells or 18650s), you can get this down to 5-6 kg/kWh.

=== Volume (L) ===
'''Will it fit?''' Batteries are bulky. They are getting smaller, but finding enough space might be your biggest challenge. You could be looking at over 5 L/kWh for older EV or hybrid batteries. Current state-of-the-art is the Tesla Model 3, which gets this down to 2.5 L/kWh by using 2170 cylindrical cells.

There is much, much more to battery design than this (e.g. maximum charge rate, terminations, cooling, clamping), but the above should help work out which options will or won't work for your project...

== Cell chemistry ==

=== Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) ===
Lithium Iron Phosphate (also known as LFP, or LiFePO4) batteries offer a good compromise between safety, energy density and ease of use for DIY conversions. They are available in a number of formats, commonly pouch cells, prismatic cells and cylindrical cells.

==== LiFePO4 pouch cells ====
The majority of this content is drawn from this thread: [https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38761&start=900 https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38761] discussing the use of the A123 20Ah pouch cell. However, many of the general points apply equally to other similar pouch cells.

===== General build requirements =====
Pouch cells are vulnerable to damage from debris, and must be held in compression (see the datasheet for your battery, but 10-12 psi is recommended for the A123 pouch cells as a guide). A rigid container capable of preventing damage and providing compression is therefore required. Be aware the cells expand and contract in use, so allowance for this must be included in the structure of the case.

The pouch cells should be separated to prevent abrasion between cells, and also to avoid the development of hot spots. Prebuilt modules from A123 systems had thin foam sheets or heatsinks between each cell. Be sure to avoid any debris that could rub on the pouch surface, particularly if using recycled cells.

Mylar, '[https://www.americanmicroinc.com/fish-paper/ Fish paper]' or a [https://www.rogerscorp.com/elastomeric-material-solutions/poron-industrial-polyurethanes compliant foam] may be appropriate materials to serve this purpose. This material should not be flammable. If the material is heat insulating, it is important to address thermal management.

===== Compression =====
Compression is required to prevent premature failure of the cell. Without compression electrolyte will become unevenly distributed, causing current gradients in the cell and uneven heating. Local temperatures can become high enough to form gas formation leading to cells 'puffing up' even when the pack is otherwise held within temperature and voltage constraints. This will be exacerbated in packs with otherwise poor thermal management. Compression forces gas generated to the margins of the cell, outside of the cell stack, minimising its effect cell performance. Gas in the middle cells will create a dead space which does not store or release energy.

There is ~1% expansion through a discharge cycle. As the cell ages, the nominal cell thickness can grow by 3-5%. For A123 cells the ideal pressure is between 4 and 18psi with the ideal pressure being ~12psi. Maintaining 12psi can increase the life by 500 cycles over that of 4 or 18psi

There is some suggestion that in uses where 1C is never exceeded compression ''may'' not be required.

Highly rigid endplates with a mechanism to allow for a limited degree of expansion (e.g. steel bands) are considered an effective solution to this challenge.

It should be noted that compression is a challenge specific to pouch cells. Cylindrical cells are designed to maintain their own compression within the cell's electrode stack by their design.

This thread provides more information and experimentation relating to pack compression: <nowiki>https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=52244</nowiki>

===== Pouch Cell Pack Design Examples =====
<nowiki>*</nowiki>placeholder*

===== Notes regarding recycled pouch cells =====
Pouch cells are somewhat fragile, and breaching the insulation is not difficult, especially in a cells removed from existing packs and repurposed. If the pouch has had their poly-layers compromised you may see a number of faults:
* Black spots around the perimeter of the cell indicate electrolyte leakage
* Voltage on the outside of the bag. Note that microvoltage between the pouch and the electrode is normal (and due to a capacitive effect).
While the majority of these cells should no longer be in the market, a significant number of faulty cells made it back into the 'greymarket' in around 2013. These cells had misaligned tabs which can also lead to isolation failures between the tab and the pack. These cells should be avoided, particularly in high demand applications.

===== Situations likely to cause pouch cell failure =====
''Taken directly from [https://endless-sphere.com/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=33107 wb9k]'s post on endless sphere in the [https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38761 A123 thread]''
# '''Overcharge'''. Any extended time above 3.8 Volts will generate enough heat and electrochemical activity to puff a cell, especially one that is improperly compressed.
# '''Overdischarge followed by charge'''. Any A123 cell that has been pulled low enough to come to rest at <300 mV should be immediately scrapped. The published number for that is 500 mV, but the real figure is closer to 300, so that's a "safety buffer" if you will. Below this Voltage, the Cu electrodes start to dissolve into the electrolyte. When charge is applied, the Cu forms dendrites that puncture the separator layer, forming an internal short in the cell. This can puff a cell in a hurry---the more charge current on tap, the worse it's prone to be.
# '''Driving a cell negative'''. I've neglected to mention this before, but it is a possibility. I don't know much about the specific mechanism at this time.
# '''Malfunctioning or misinformed electronics'''. This is the most common cause of all of the above in my experience. At this stage of the game, it is critical for YOU to understand how your BMS functions on at least a cursory level. Choose your BMS very carefully and periodically verify that it is operating properly. They're not all created equal. Make sure V sense lines are securely connected and free of corrosion. Just because your BMS says there was never a problem doesn't necessarily make it so. Avoid harnesses or ribbon cables between multiple modules if possible--they are problematic wherever they are used in any mobile electronics.
# '''Exposure to or generation of sufficient heat'''. I don't know exactly at what temperature gas formation begins in the electrolyte, but we spec a max storage temp of 80 (or 85?) degrees C and I suspect this is the reason. The hotter, the puffier--to a point. This is why soldering tabs poses a real hazard to cell health. If you feel you must solder, sink or blow the heat away from the body of the cell. Use a big iron that can make sufficient local heat quickly, before the whole mass of the cell gets hot. You might even get the cell warm enough to melt separator if not careful.
# '''No compression, not enough compression, improperly distributed compression'''. This is a pack/module design issue. Apply 10, maybe 15 psi to your cell stack end to end and then band snugly and evenly. Use hard endplates of some sort--never wrap cells directly or allow their shape to become distorted. Protect all areas of the pouch from impact damage. This obviously does not apply to cylindrical cells.

==== LiFePO4 prismatic cells ====
<nowiki>*</nowiki>placeholder*

==== LiFePO4 cylindrical cells ====
<nowiki>*</nowiki>placeholder*

==== LiFePO4 cell ageing ====
''Derived (barely paraphrased) from [https://endless-sphere.com/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=33107 wb9k]'s post on endless sphere in the [https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38761 A123 thread]''

Capacity loss is caused by the lithium that was available for storage becoming permanently plated on the cathode. Being unable to move within the cell it is no longer available to store energy. The impact of this plating is greater than the amount of lithium 'lost' to plating because not only is the lithium no longer available, it is also preventing access to that part of the cathode meaning Li that can still move has to take a longer path to reach the cathode. Lithium plating is one cause of increased cell resistance (there are others), a sign of worsening cell health.

There is no linear relationship between actual capacity loss and impedance rise. However some cell defects will also increase impedance.

Increasing cell resistance may cause a number of symptoms which may be confused with [https://earthshipbiotecture.com/a-lithium-ion-battery-primer/ High Self Discharge.]
# Elevated Peukert Losses. As more energy per amount of current through the cell is lost as heat, the cells useable capacity decreases. So the apparent capacity loss is higher than the actual capacity loss of cycleable lithium. When used in low current applications (e.g. solar energy storage) the actual and apparent decrease in capacity will be small. In high current draw applications (like EV traction packs), the Peukert loss increases proportionally, so the apparent capacity loss increases much faster than the actual capacity loss.
# Greater voltage excursion under the same load. Due to increased cell resistancethe voltage will sag further under the same load than a cell in optimal condition. The inverse is also true, the voltage will be higher for the same amount of charging current applied. The cell will then rebound to a voltage further from the loaded and charging voltages. This, obviously, can look like high self discharge but is a different phenomenon.
# Absolute maximum current decrease.
Elevated impedance causes a more complex constellation of symptoms, some of which may be easy to confuse with High Self Discharge (HSD). Ohm's law (E=I/R) holds the key to understanding here.

'''1) Elevated Peukert losses.''' Because more energy per unit of current through the cell is lost as heat, less of the cell's capacity is actually USABLE. Thus, apparent capacity loss can be significantly greater than actual capacity loss caused by the loss of cycleable Li alone. In low current applications, the two numbers will be close together. In high current applications, Peukert losses increase in proportion, so apparent loss of capacity breaks further and further away from actual capacity loss as current increases.

'''2) Greater voltage excursion under the same load.''' Elevated resistance across the cell means that voltage will sag more under the same load than it did when the cell was healthier. Conversely, voltage will rise higher with the same amount of applied charge current than it did when it was healthier. At the same time, rebound/settling voltages will be further away from loaded/charging voltages. In other words, the cell will rebound to a voltage further away from loaded voltage, all else being equal. Similarly, voltage will settle farther from the charge voltage with the same charge applied. This can give the illusion of elevated self-discharge, but the phenomenon is actually not the same thing. Again, the greater the charge and load currents, the greater the effect becomes.

'''3) Absolute max current decreases.''' Because the cell's series resistance is elevated, the maximum possible current through the cell is decreased.

Just to confuse things further, there can be many factors that lead to impedance rise. Some are related to Li plating, others are not.

=== Lithium-ion ===
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have a greater energy density than Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, but have more challenging needs to use safely. The ideal operating range of Li-ion batteries is between +15 and +45°C. The upper limit of temperature is particularly important as Li-ion batteries experience thermal runaway - an unstoppable chain reaction that can occur in milliseconds releasing the stored energy in the cell. This can produce temperatures of 400°C and a fire that is extremely difficult to put out. Thermal runaway can start as low as 60°C and becomes much more likely at 100°C

Risk factors for thermal runaway:
* Short Circuits - either internally or externally
* Overcharging
* Excessive current draw or when charging

==== Li-ion pouch cells ====
[https://kokam.com/cell Kokam] produce high-performance Li-ion pouch cells. These combine relative ease of use and pack construction with performance close to cylindrical cells.

==== Li-ion 18650 and other cylindrical cells ====
Cylindrical cells are favoured by Tesla, and are probably the main reason why their cars achieve such excellent performance. They are light, compact, powerful and expensive. Unfortunately, cylindrical cells are difficult (and potentially dangerous) to use in DIY conversions. There are two good reasons for this: thermal management and cell configuration.

As stated above, Li-ion cells are prone to thermal runaway. So you need perfect battery and thermal management to ensure that no cell ever exceeds the critical voltage or temperature. If this happens, a cell can short-circuit internally, releasing a lot of energy - potentially explosively. Furthermore, the individual cells are small, so need to be arranged in parallel. In the case of the Tesla Model S 85kW pack, there are 74 cells in parallel. Imagine if one of those cells fails and becomes short circuited internally. You now have 73 very high power cells all feeding in to that short circuit...

In fact, you don't have to imagine: you can watch this famous video instead (courtesy of Rich Rebuilds).

<youtube>WdDi1haA71Q</youtube>

== OEM modules ==
Using an OEM module means a lot of the difficulties and safety issues associated with battery design are taken care of e.g. cooling, clamping, etc.

Here is a handy list of OEM modules:
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+
!Manufacturer
!Model
!Capacity (kWh)
!Weight (kg)
!w (mm)
!d (mm)
!h (mm)
!Gravity (kg/kWh)
!Volume (L/kWh)
!Voltage (V)
!Current (cont A)
!Current (peak A)
!Cell arrangement
!Cell type
!Chemistry
|-
|Tesla
|Model S 85kWh
|5.3
|26
|690
|315
|80
|4.9
|3.3
|22.8
|500
|750
|74p6s
|18650
|Li-ion
|-
|Tesla
|Model S 100kWh
|6.4
|28
|680
|315
|80
|4.4
|2.7
|22.8
|
|870
|86p6s
|18650
|Li-ion
|-
|Tesla
|Model 3 LR (inner)
|19.2
|98.9
|1854
|292
|90
|5.2
|2.5
|91.1
|
|971
|46p25s
|2170
|Li-ion
|-
|Tesla
|Model 3 LR (outer)
|17.7
|86.6
|1715
|292
|90
|4.9
|2.5
|83.9
|
|971
|46p23s
|2170
|Li-ion
|-
|Tesla
|Model 3 SR (inner)
|13.0
|58.9
|1385
|326
|90
|
|3.7
|91.1
|
|603
|31p24s
|2170
|Li-ion
|-
|Tesla
|Model 3 SR (outer)
|12.0
|58.9
|1380
|344
|90
|
|3.8
|83.9
|
|603
|31p24s
|2170
|Li-ion
|-
|Calb
|4S3P
|2.19
|12
|355
|151
|108
|5.5
|2.6
|14.6
|
|900
|3p4s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|Calb
|6S2P
|2.19
|12
|355
|151
|108
|5.5
|2.6
|22.2
|
|600
|2p6s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|Chevrolet
|Volt 2012
|4
|38
|470
|180
|280
|9.5
|5.9
|88.8
|
|676
|3p24s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|BMW
|i3 60Ah
|2
|13
|368
|178
|102
|6.5
|3.3
|28.8
|210
|350
|2p8s
|Prismatic
|Li-ion
|-
|BMW
|i3 94Ah
|4.15
|28
|410
|310
|150
|6.7
|4.6
|45.6
|
|409
|12s
|Prismatic
|Li-ion
|-
|BMW
|i3 120Ah
|5.3
|28
|410
|310
|150
|5.3
|3.6
|45.6
|
|360
|12s
|Prismatic
|Li-ion
|-
|BMW
|PHEV 34Ah
|2.0
|13.05
|368
|178
|102
|6.525
|3.34
|59.0
|
|
|
|Prismatic
|Li-ion
|-
|Jaguar
|iPace
|2.5
|12
|340
|155
|112
|4.8
|2.4
|10.8
|720
|1200
|4p3s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|LG
|4P3S
|2.6
|12.8
|357
|151
|110
|4.9
|2.3
|11
|
|
|4p3s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|Mitsubishi
|Outlander
|2.4
|26
|646
|184
|130
|10.8
|6.4
|60
|
|240
|16s
|
|Li-ion
|-
|Nissan
|Leaf 24kWh
|0.5
|3.65
|300
|222
|34
|7.3
|4.5
|7.2
|130
|228
|2p2s
|Pouch
|Li-ion LMO
|-
|Nissan
|Leaf 30kWh
|1.25
|
|300
|222
|34
|
|3.6
|14.4
|
|
|2p4s
|Pouch
|Li-ion
|-
|Nissan
|Leaf 40kWh
|1.6
|8.7
|300
|222
|68
|5.4
|2.8
|14.4
|
|314
|2p4s
|Pouch
|Li-ion NMC
|-
|Nissan
|Leaf 62kWh
|2.58
|
|
|
|
|
|
|14.4
|
|
|3p4s
|
|Li-ion
|-
|Volvo
|XC90 T8
|2.01
|12.1
|300
|180
|150
|6.0
|4.0
|59.2
|170
|340
|16s
|
|Li-ion
|-
|VW
|[[VW Hybrid Battery Packs|Passet GTE]]
|
|23.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|24s
|
|
|-
|VW
|[[VW Hybrid Battery Packs|Golf GTE]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|VW
|Touareg 14,1 kWh
|1.76
|12.3
|385
|150
|108
|7.0
|3.5
|45.25
|
|
|13s
|Prismatic
|Li-ion
|}

Main Board Version 3

2021-03-27T11:11:47Z

Mjc506: Reminder to tie pin 17 to +12V

[[File:main_board_v3.jpg|thumb|Main board]]
[[File:mainboard_pinout_v3.png|thumb|Connections]]
[[File:schematic_main_v3.png|thumb|Schematic]]

The main board is the heart of the inverter system. It contains all the intelligence that is needed to convert the users inputs into motor shaft movement. It also contains all the protection circuitry to avoid damage in case of errornous inputs.

The pdf schematic is available via [https://github.com/jsphuebner/inverter-hardware/blob/master/mainboardv3.4.pdf github].

Its distinct features are:

== Digital inputs ==
There are external 8 digital inputs on JP2. A voltage of >7V is interpreted as a logical 1 (high). They all have a cutoff frequency of 40Hz.
# Cruise Control (Pin 5). This input sets the current motor speed as the set point for cruise control. Cruise control is disabled with the Brake input.
# Start (Pin 7). This input starts the inverter operation.
# Brake input (Pin 9). This input is connected to the brake pedal. It sets a configurable negative torque (regen) which overrides the throttle. I.e. if you press both, brake pedal and throttle, the throttle is ignored.
# Motor Protection switch or emergency stop (Pin 11). This input is connected to the thermal protection switch that is embedded into many motors. Its function is to inhibit the PWM signals when the motor overheats. This input directly controls the PWM signals without software interaction. The PWM is enabled as long as this input is high and shut down as soon as it goes low. If your motor does not have such a switch, tie the input high permanently.
# Forward (Pin 13). If this input is high the motor spins forward.
# Reverse (Pin 15). If this input is high the motor spins backward. When neither input is high the motor will not spin at all.
# Reserved input (Pin 17). This used to be an emergency stop input but I decided to reduce the number of HW stop pins. Emergency stop can now be chained to pin 11. Tie this to +12V (otherwise the inverter won't start using the 'start' switch)
# BMS input (Pin 19). This input limits the motor torque (both negative and positive) if a BMS signals an over or undervoltage condition. It is active high, i.e. high means over/undervoltage.
There is one more digital inputs on JP3
# Error input (Pin 13) This pin is pulled high (5V). When pulled low an error is signalled and the PWM is inhibited

== Digital outputs ==
There are 5 external open collector outputs on JP2. They sink up to 150mA each, DC contactor output can sink up to 300mA.
# DC contactor output (Pin 12) This output is activated when the bus voltage is above a given threshold and the start pin goes high. It is disabled on overcurrent, motor overheat and emergency stop.
# Error output (Pin 14) This output is activated on over current, motor overheat, emergency stop, throttle out of range.
# Voltage output (Pin 16) This output is activated when the bus voltage surpasses an upper or lower threshold.
# Precharge output (Pin 20) This output is activated when the inverter is powered up. It is disabled as soon as the DC contactor is enabled.
# Brake output (Pin 10) This output is high when potnom reaches a certain negative threshold. The purpose is to switch on the brake light on a certain regen level

== PWM outputs ==
There is one external PWM output on JP2, Pin 18. It outputs a duty cycle that is proportional to the motor or heatsink temperature or speed. Its offset and gain is software configurable. The frequency is fixed to 17kHz. It is an open collector output so it can be used with most temperature gauges in cars. It can sink up to 150mA.

There are 6 internal PWM outputs on JP3. Pins 4, 8 and 12 provide a GND connection, Pins 1, 5 and 9 provide 5V. The outputs are 3.3V, 16mA. Frequency is configurable to 4.4, 8.8 or 17.6kHz.
# PWM Top phase 1 (Pin 2)
# PWM Bottom phase 1 (Pin 3)
# PWM Top phase 2 (Pin 6)
# PWM Bottom phase 2 (Pin 7)
# PWM Top phase 3 (Pin 10)
# PWM Bottom phase 3 (Pin 11)
There is a configurable dead time between top and bottom outputs.

== Analog Inputs and over-current protection ==
There are 3 external analog inputs on JP2.
# Throttle input, 0-3.3V (Pin 6). Cutoff frequency 16Hz, input resistance 10k.
# Regen pot input, 0-3.3V (Pin 8). Cutoff frequency 16Hz, input resistance 10k.
# KTY83 temperature sensor input (Pin 22 positive, Pin 21 negative). Cutoff frequency 16Hz
There are 4 internal analog inputs on JP7. Pins 5, 7, 10, 15, 16 provide a GND connection, Pin 1,2, 8, 11, 12 provide stabilized 5V.
# Udc (Pin 4) Bus voltage input. 0-3.3V, cutoff frequency 16Hz
# Il1 (Pin 6) Current phase 1. 0V=-Imax, 2.5V=0A, 5V=Imax (software configurable). Cutoff frequency 48kHz.
# Il2 (Pin 9)
# Heatsink temperature (Pin 13), cutoff frequency 16Hz
The two current sensors are used for the programmable hardware over-current protection. A trip limit can be programmed that configures a hardware comparator. When the given current limit is hit, the PWM signals will be shut down without software interaction.

== Position feedback ==
There is an input for a pulse encoder on JP2. Pin 3 can be connected to an open collector output of an encoder. Its input resistance is 500 Ohms. The cutoff frequency is 16kHz. E.g. a 60 pulses/rotation encoder can spin up to 18000 rpm before the limit is hit. By changing the value of R2 the cutoff frequency can be varied (lower value, higher frequency).

Alternatively Pin 1 and 3 can be connected to a quadrature encoder found embedded in many motors. It has better response than a single channel.

<s>Additionally Pin 4 can be connected to an index pulse for future use with synchronous motors.</s>

Pin 4 optionally provides 5V to power an optical encoder. To do that you have to bridge R28 (or put an application specific value there). You can also bridge R1 to get a GND connection on pin 2

Alternatively Pin 1 and 3 can be connected to a sin/cos feedback device and Pin 4 can generate a resolver excitation sine wave. In that case Pin 2 provides 1.7V to make the resolver feedback unipolar.

== Communication ==
JP1 provides a TTL level (3.3V) UART interface. It can be directly connected to a TTLUSB adapter or an Olimex ESP8266 wifi module. Pin 1 provides the 3.3V. It can be used to power the board or to power an external module like a Wifi or bluetooth transceiver. 400mA should not be exceeded. Pin 1 is 3V3, Pin 2 is GND, Pin 3 is TX, and Pin 4 is RX (Olimex UEXT compatible).

The communication parameters are fixed to 115200 8N2 (2 stop bits!) and may be raised to 921600.

There is a CAN interface on JP5. Pin 25 is CANL, Pin 26 is CANH

== Power input ==
The main board contains a regulated buck converter to power all of its components. The allowed input voltage is 7-26V.

== Pin Header Summary ==
Pin Header JP2
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Pin'''
|'''Name'''
|-
|1
|Encoder channel B/Resolver S3
|-
|2
|GND/Resolver center point S1S4
|-
|3
|Encoder channel A or single channel input/Resolver S2
|-
|4
|Index pulse input/5V output/Resover excitation R1
|-
|5
|Cruise Control Input (12V)
|-
|6
|Throttle Input (0-3.3V)
|-
|7
|Start input (12V)
|-
|8
|Regen Pot Input (0-3.3V)
|-
|9
|Brake Input (12V)
|-
|10
|Brake output (open collector 300mA)
|-
|11
|Motor Protection Switch (12V, PWM inhibit when low)
|-
|12
|DC contactor output (open collector 300mA)
|-
|13
|Forward (12V)
|-
|14
|Error Signal (open collector 150mA)
|-
|15
|Reverse (12V)
|-
|16
|Over/Under Voltage (open collector 150mA)
|-
|17
|Reserved
|-
|18
|Temperature PWM output (open collector 150mA)
|-
|19
|BMS Over/Under Voltage input (12V)
|-
|20
|Precharge Output (open collector 150mA)
|-
|21
|Motor Temperature Input -
|-
|22
|Motor Temperature Input +
|-
|23
|GND
|-
|24
|Vcc (7-26V)
|-
|25
|CANL
|-
|26
|CANH
|}

[[Category:Hardware]]

Using FOC Software

2021-03-26T11:08:34Z

Mjc506: Added section regarding sincosofs

Synchronous motors have turned out only to be well drivable when their stator current is controlled by means of a feedback current loop. Due to this, the existing feed forward control used for induction motors could not be extended for use with synchronous motors. Therefor the well known field oriented control approach was implemented in a separate software.

Here is a video manual, created by Johannes Hubner and Damien Maguire, which describes process of setting up FOC-operated system from the very beginning: https://youtu.be/1SlL6cEoRBgv It is strongly recommended to watch it carefully.

== Hardware requirements ==
Field oriented control is only implemented for permanent magnet motors. Moreover it is optimized for IPM motors (interior permanent magnet). So it will not drive PMSM or BLDC motors in an efficient manner. It will yield no movement at all with induction motors.

Since the absolute rotor position is a key factor with synchronous motors, said software requires an absolute position feedback device. This can be a resolver or a [https://www.melexis.com/-/media/files/documents/datasheets/mlx91204-datasheet-melexis.pdf sin/cos chip] on top of a small magnet. Resolvers will need a so-called excitation. That is a high frequency (4.4kHz in our case) sine wave. Only V3 main boards generate this excitation signal. sin/cos chips do not need excitation and can also be run with V2 main boards.

Most of Damiens Toyota Designs implement V3 main board circuitry.

So to sum up
* IPM (Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor)
* Resolver or sin/cos chip
* V3 [https://openinverter.org/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=58 Mainboard]

== Encoder setup ==

The rev3 mainboard requires sin and cos resolver/encoder inputs between 0 and 3.3V, centred around 1.65V. The Melexis MLX91204 encoder chip linked above unfortunately does not operate on 3.3V, and requires 5V, and it outputs 0.5-4.5V (centred around 2.5V). This is easy enough to 'fix' by using a simple resistor potential divider, but it can be difficult to arrive at a strong signal centred on 1.65V. The openinverter software will cope with a small offset, but to improve encoder performance, a new parameter 'sincosofs' has been introduced (committed on 23rd Feb, no new releases since then as yet). To set this, slowly turn the motor while measuring the voltage from the encoder (after your resistor divider). Note down min and max voltages (these should be between, but as close as possible, to 0V and 3.3V) and calculate the average (min voltage + max voltage, divide by two). This gives your signal midpoint. To convert to digits, divide this by 3.3, then multiply by 4096. Enter your result as sincosofs, and save parameters.

== Software setup ==
First of all you need to flash your board with preferable the [https://github.com/jsphuebner/stm32-sine/releases/latest latest] FOC version (stm32_foc.bin or hex). It will identify itself with the version value of "X.YY.R-foc".

If not using a pretuned kit (like Leaf dropin board) do the [[Schematics and Instructions#Connecting the sensor boards|usual current and voltage calibration]]. Be aware that polarity is important. So if current flows '''from''' the IGBT '''to''' the motor the reading must be positive. Therefor it is possible to set negative gain. When setting negative gain ocurlim must be negative also.

Find out the number of stator pole pairs. Resolver polepairs are either the same as stator pole pairs or 1. sin/cos is always respolepairs=1. Set "encmode" to "Resolver" or "sin/cos", respectively. Set syncadv=10.

It is important that the PWM channels line up with the current sensors. So current sensor "il1" must sense the phase generated by "PWM1", same for il2. You don't need to hardware-swap anything since we have parameter "pinswap". For example on some inverters current sensors are on phases 1 and 3. (next software revision) has the entry "PWMOutput23" in pinswap. That will essentially make PWM channel 3 responsible for phase 2 and PWM channel 2 becomes phase 3.

Next step is to find out your motors "syncofs". That is the offset between what the resolver reports as 0° and what actually is 0° alignment between the stator and the rotor magnetic field. To do this, a test mode has been implemented. First start your inverter with the "start" input, then switch to manual mode with the corresponding button on the web interface. '''Warning''': manual mode does not implement any rotor speed limit! When used carelessly you might overspeed your motor to the point were it looses structural integrity - it explodes. So have means to brake your motor externally e.g. by doing this tuning with an already mounted motor and jacked up wheels. Then you can use your cars friction brakes.

Tuning Process:
# Go into manual mode -> start input, then button on web interface. Select forward direction.
# Observe value "angle" and turn rotor by hand -> you should see angle changes between 0 to 360°. If not, check resolver connection and excitation signal.
# Start with syncofs=0
# enter a positive value for "manualid". Start low, with respect to motor rating. E.g. 5% of rated current
# Keep increasing the value until you notice that the motor starts to spin - make sure you hear PWM going
# If motor spins, change syncofs in 1000 digit increments until it stops spinning. If you need to go below 0, like -1000 enter 64536 (=65536-1000)
# If manualid is less than about max_motor_current/2 go back to 4. When approaching rated_motor_current/2 make your increments/decrements smaller, like down to 300 digits
# You have found 1 of 2 possible offsets. Now you can enter a small value for "manualiq" and set "manualid" to 0.1. The motor should spin clockwise.
# If its spins counter-clockwise, add 32768 to syncofs. If the resulting value is > 65535, subtract 32768 instead (or do modulo addition in the first place)
Congratulations, the most difficult step is done. The default values or curkp and curki can usually stay untouched, I don't know a good tuning procedure anyway. Higher curki means faster reaction but also tends to oscillate at low speed. Next set up the "throtcur" parameter. It defines how many motor amps are produced per % of throttle travel.

Internally, this is split into a so-called direct and a quadrature current by means of the "Most Torque Per Amp" algorithm (MTPA). MTPA usually needs setup for the motor that your working with. Right now some typical constants are hard coded in the software. This might be replaced by auto-tuning in the future. But the deviation from optimal should not be too large with most IPM motors out there.

Schematics and Instructions

2021-03-26T10:44:52Z

Mjc506: Couple of typos, mentioning that e-stop is not used on rev3 mainboards

The kit is split into seven individual PCBs: the main board hosting the STM32, 2 current sensor boards, a voltage sense board and 3 gate driver boards.

If you have a kit with the large sensor board, look here for instructions.

== General instructions ==
Check out the assembly video.

The names of the individual parts are printed on the PCBs. The kits info sheet contains the BOM for all boards. (Look [https://openinverter.org/docs/index.html%3Fen_bom,16.html here] for older BOMs) Assemble the PCBs accordingly. Whenever applying power, make sure to set a sane current limit as to not feed too much energy into a possible fault. Especially before inserting the STM32-H103 module make sure that the power supply is at the correct level (5V) and being fed to the correct pins. Test each PCB individually before connecting it to the system.

When populating the PCBs be advised that parts are VERY hard to remove in one piece unless you have a hot air gun. So make sure you insert them correctly especially parts that have a Pin 1 marking (all integrated circuits and resistor network RN1 on the main board).

== Schematics ==
<gallery>
Schematic main v2.png|Main Board
Schematic_voltage_sense_board.png|Voltage Sense Board
Schematic_gate_driver.png|Gate Driver
Schematic current sense board.png|Current Sense Board
Wiring.png|System Diagram
</gallery>

== Errata ==
[[File:Errata Voltage Sense 1.jpg|thumb|203x203px|Connect R9 to GND]]
There are some glitches which can be easily fixed.

1. The socket for the external signals (JP5) has the pins mirrored. This causes the pins to show up on unexpected ribbon cables. Here is the map when looking from the top:
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
This results in the ribbon cable map:
2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7 10 9 12 11 14 13 16 15 18 17 20 19 22 21 24 23 26 25
[[File:Errata Voltage Sense 2.jpg|thumb|205x205px|Connect JP1.2 to VCC]]
2. There is a glitch on the new Voltagse Sense Board. The temp sensor polarity is sort of swapped. So connect resistor R9 to the closest GND source (instead of VCC). Connect Pin 2 of JP1 to the closest VCC source. See pictures on the right for details.

3. On Windows you might need an older version of the serial port driver, [https://www.openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=57 if you're having issues].

== Using the web interface ==
The included Olimex MOD-WIFI-ESP8266 is preloaded with an easy to use [[Web Interface]]. Connect to mainboard JP6 like so
* Pin 1 of Wifi to Pin 2 on mainboard (3.3V) (note Pin 1 is now 5V!, schematic not yet updated)
* Pin 2 of Wifi to Pin 5 on mainboard (GND, next to inductor)
* Pin 3 of Wifi to Pin 3 on main board
* Pin 4 of Wifi to Pin 4 on main board
The ESP8266 acts as a wifi access point. SSID and password are printed on the instructions sheet included with you kit. Connect to the access point, then open your browser and type 192.168.4.1 to open the web interface.

== Firmware Upgrade ==
The STM32-H103 comes with a bootloader and a current software version. Both configuration and software updates are done via the Wifi interface. To update the inverter firmware extract the stm32_sine.bin and upload it via the "Update" form of the web interface. The update takes about 2s and when it is finished the green LED should flash.

Make sure you're not running a plot or gauges during firmware upgrade!

You can also customize the web interface itself by replacing the respective files like index.html, index.js etc. Upload them with the same form as the firmware.

== Connecting the sensor boards ==
The sensor boards are connected to JP4. The provided 10-pole ribbon cable must be inserted into the socket as shown. 3 slots must be blank on either side of the 16-pole socket. Connect the boards like so:
# Current sensor module 1: JP4 Pin 6 to J1 Pin 1, JP4 Pin 7 to J1 Pin 2 and JP4 Pin 8 to J1 Pin 3
# Current sensor module 1: JP4 Pin 9 to J1 Pin 1, JP4 Pin 10 to J1 Pin 2 and JP4 Pin 11 to J1 Pin 3
# Voltage sense module: JP4 Pin 13 to JP2 Pin 1, JP4 Pin Pin 4 to JP2 Pin 2, JP4 Pin 5 to JP2 Pin 3, JP4 Pin 12 to JP2 Pin 4
# Temperature sensor: Connect to voltage sense board JP1
Current values are only measured in Run mode, so tie Pin 11 and 17 to 12V and type
start 2
Now verify the values by typing
get tmphs,il1,il2,udc
This command will display all 4 values. To repeat the command, simply type "!".

The current sensor gain depends on it's distance to the conductor (including the isolation). Your AC cable must run on the underside of the PCB between the pins of the sensor IC. Use a cable tie for mounting. The PCB should be placed far away from other high currents to prevent cross-talk. To increase your current range simple put a spacer between cable and PCB.

To calibrate the current, set il1gain and il2gain to 1. Then put a known current through the sensors by winding for example a 1.5mm² cable 10 times through both sensors. Then, using you lab power supply run 5A through your wound cable.

The new Melexis sensors cannot have cable wound through them. So you need to attach them in their final positions and then pass current through the phase wire.

Type:
set ocurlim 1000

start 2

get il1,il2
You will get something like
95.32

98.12
The gain factor is calculated by g=Ireading/(Iref*N) (Ireading: reply from get, Iref: reference current, e.g. 5A, N: number of turns through sensor, e.g. 10). So for our example il1gain=95.32/(5*10)=1.9064 and il2gain=98.12/(5*10)=1.9624. So type
set il1gain 1.91

set il2gain 1.96

save
Calibration is crucial to ensure correct operation of the over current limit!

If your current sensor gains are negative then your 'ocurlim' also needs to be negative!

Likewise you need to calibrate the voltage sensor board. Type (or set on web interface)
set udcgain 1
set udcofs 0
Now make sure the input to the sensor board is disconnected. Get the value of udc and write it to udcofs:
get udc
500.00
set udcofs 500
Now connect a known voltage to the input, the higher, the more accurate the calibration is. If your test voltage is 100V and udc reads 450V then you need to set udcgain=450/100=4.5
set udcgain 4.5
save

== Connecting the gate drivers ==
'''The steps from here on will only work with the "sine" software, not the FOC software'''. So temporarily flash that, you can revert later on.

Connect the gate drivers with a ribbon cable like shown in the picture. Power up the inverter, which will now pull around 300mA @ 12V. If its less, one or more gate drivers are unpowered, if its more, there is an error on the drivers or the connection. Remove power quickly in that case. The inrush current is higher of course, so set the current limit of your power supply to about 1A.

When all is fine, connect pin 11, 13 and 17 to 12V as well to overcome the hardware PWM inhibit logic. Now type
start 2
This will start sine wave generation. Type
set fslipspnt 1

set ampnom 1
This outputs a clean 50/50 duty cycle on all 6 PWM outputs. Verify this with a scope on the main board, the gate driver inputs and the gate driver outputs. Also verify that there is about 1.5µs dead time between GTOP and GBOT.

Note that the sensor board has to stay connected at all times, otherwise the over current protection will kick in due to an implausible signal.

== Connecting the IGBTs ==
Now you are ready for some more power. Connect the gate drivers to the IGBTs and repeat the steps above. The slope of the PWM will be less steep as to show that the gate driver is really working against the gates capacity. Connect a small voltage (like 30V) to the DC bus and verify that the PWM shows on the IGBT modules outputs and looks the same on all outputs. This circuit is completely symmetrical so the output should be symmectrical as well. If its not, there might be something wrong. There must be absolutely 0 current flow on the DC bus, otherwise you are experiencing shoot-through, i.e. the top and bottom IGBT of one leg are on at the same time. Correct this before continuing!

== Connecting the motor ==
Now comes the big one. Connect a motor to the three output phases. Leave the DC voltage at a small value but make sure it can supply enough current (more than 10A). But also make sure to limit the possible current e.g. with a fuse. Now type
set fweak 10

start 2

set fslipspnt 10

set ampnom 100
This will start the inverter at 10Hz and the motor should spin at the corresponding speed.

Now type
stop
to stop the inverter. Connect the voltage that you actually want to run at to the DC input. Before turning on, you must configure the frequency/voltage curve. Therefor you have to do some math with your motors nameplate values. You need to calculate the frequency at which the motor can be driven with the maximum output voltage. Beyond that point, the motor operates in the field weakening region, therefor the parameter is called fweak. This calculates as follows:

So for a DC bus voltage of 350V, a nameplate frequency of 60Hz and a nameplace voltage of 200V you get fweak=60Hz x (350V/1.41)/200V = 74.5Hz. Now type
set fweak 74.5

start 2

set fslipspnt 10

set ampnom 100
The motor should spin as it did before but at its nomimal nameplate torque. You can try different frequencies. Should the motor only spin very shortly and stop, you might be hitting the current limit. It can be modified e.g. to 200A with
set ocurlim -200
If all is working save the current parameter set by typing
save
Alternatively you can use the python-script tuning.py to try and determine the parameters automatically. Start it in a linux console by typing
python tuning.py -d /dev/ttyUSB0

== Connecting the speed sensor ==
[[File:PulseEncoder.jpg|thumb|227x227px|Pulse Encoder]]
This board has been designed with optical encoders in mind. So it supplies 30mA on pin 2 for an IR diode. Pin 3 expects an open collector pulse signal. The picture shows a very exposed version of such a sensor which explains the principle very well though. The controller needs to know how many pulses it gets per turn of the shaft. It also needs to know the number of pole pairs of your motor. You can deduce that from the nameplate or data sheet. Type
set numimp 64

set polepairs 2

start 2
The motor should now spin up smoothly.

Note that this controller only supports up to about 10000 pulses per second. So for example if you plan to spin your motor up to 10000 rpm which is 166.7 1/s the encoder mustn't generate more than 60 pulses per turn. The limit is imposed by the low pass filter and can be changed by populating a different resistor R3.

Some encoders require more than the provided 30mA. In that case replace R2 by a bridge.

== Connecting the throttle pot ==
The throttle needs a 5V source. It depends on your encoder type. If you have a simple 1-channel encoder you can populate R1 with a wire and use Pin 1 as 5V. If you use an advanced quadrature encoder, replace R7 with a wire and use Pin 2 as 5V for both throttle and encoder. Connect pot GND to Pin 23 (or some other GND source) and the slider to pin 6. Type
get pot
When the pot is at "full throttle" the value must be higher than if it is completely released. Write down the maximum and minimum value, add/subtract a bit of slack (like 10-20 digits) and tell the controller by typing
set potmin 2000

set potmax 3000
Now the pots position can be correctly translated to %. When completely released, you get -30% for regen (can be adjusted with parameter brkmax), at full throttle you get close to 100% for acceleration. Verify by typing
get potnom
If the pot value leaves the window defined by potmin and potmax the throttle command is set to 0 and the error light is triggered.

== Running slip control ==
Now start the controller in slip control mode by typing
start 1
As you reach 30% of throttle travel the motor should start spinning. The harder you press the more it will accelerate until it reaches its maximum speed (parameter fmax, preconfigured to 200Hz). When you let go the throttle the motor will brake to a standstill.

Once the whole setup is inside your car you can play with various parameters for fine tuning.

== Connecting precharge and main contactor ==
[[File:Precharge.png|thumb|Contactor connection]]
Connect the precharge relay and the main contactor as depicted in the diagram. It is recommended to disconnect both battery poles. The inverter controls the two contactors by means of the DC bus voltage. When udc < udcsw then the precharge relay is closed, the main contactor is inhibited. When udc > udcsw the main contactor is closed as soon has the start signal (pin 7) goes high. The precharge relay is opened at the same time. udcsw should be set to about 80% of your nominal pack voltage. So if the latter is 360V set udcsw to 300V by typing
set udcsw 300

== Connecting motor temperature sensor, emergency stop and motor protection switch ==
The software supports the KTY83 and KTY84 temperature sensor. Other types might be supported in upcoming releases. Note that the sensor has a polarity. When connected the wrong way it will saturate at 120°C. So even if the temperature rises above 120°C it will be displayed as 120°C. Connect it to pin 21 (negative) and pin 22 (positive).

Some motors have a protection switch that opens at some threshold temperature. You can connect it to 12V and pin 11. It will stop the inverter immediately if tripped. If your motor does not have this feature, connect pin 11 to 12V.

The emergency stop serves a similar function. It can be installed in the drivers reach and will stop the inverter immediately when 12V is interrupted (failsafe). Connect it to 12V and pin 17. (Not used on the rev3 mainboard, connect pin 17 to 12V. If you want a separate E-stop button, wire it in series with the motor protection switch)

== Forward and reverse ==
You can connect a 3-position switch for selecting the drive mode. Forward (pin 13) turns the motor in one direction, reverse (pin 15) in the other. If they are both low, no current is fed to the motor making this essentially the neutral position.

== See Also ==
There are detailed pages for [[Main Board Version 2|main board]], [[Sense Boards|sensor boards]] and [[Gate Driver|gate drivers]].

Information about the softwares [[Parameters]].

In-depth information can be found on the [[Hardware Theory of Operation|Hardware Principles]] and [[Software Theory of Operation|Software Principles page]].