hardware design choices: 5v & u6 (ncv1124)

[tortyr]

Hi All,

I have been playing with the thought to do my own regulator for a while and (finally) the vsr altreg turned up in my search results!

Seems the hard work is mostly done :)

two questions:

5v vs 3.3v . Was it changed to support CAN?

u6 (ncv1124)

Is this basically a comparator with a (very) large input range or is the Variable−Reluctance Sensor aspect important?

cheers,

T

[Al Thomason]

Hello.

 

3.3v was used in the versions that supported Bluetooth, as that was its modules running voltage.

 

NCV1124 was hoped to provide more sensitivity for stator in, it did not make much of an improvement over discreet ckt.

 

-al-

 

 

Viking Star

45' Monk Sr. / McQueen

mvVikingStar.blogspot.com

[tortyr]

Thanks!

Yes, the motivation is bluetooth, but I wouldn't want to miss any experiences that triggered the design changes from 0.1.x to 0.3.x series :)

[Al Thomason]

I might have some of the old Gen2 (Blue tooth) PCBs around.  Let me dig some, if so can just send you one.

[Davide Caredda]

Hi Al,

Also I'm interested me too to gen2 pcb, is it possible to send me one?

Thank you.

David

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[Al Thomason]

I looked around the boat and did not find any.   Now with the changes over the last year or so we have taken about 3” of stuff off (Boaters will get the meaning of that), and it could well be I have some in the shop over on the island.   But it may also well be another month before I get over there to check. . .

 

-al-

 

 

Viking Star

45' Monk Sr. / McQueen

mvVikingStar.blogspot.com

 

[Alex Wetmore]

I think I have one, along with the kit of hardware necessary to build it from Mouser, that I'd sell if anyone is interested.  I can dig out the inventory of parts and check for the board.

I ended up buying a complete gen3 instead of making my own gen2.

alex

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From: smar...@googlegroups.com <smar...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Davide Caredda <dcar...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2019 2:04:25 AM

To: Al Thomason; 'Smart Alternator Regulator'
Subject: Re: [smart-alt] hardware design choices: 5v & u6 (ncv1124)

 

Hi Al,

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/smart-alt/391d7e9b-c6a5-2ca4-52cd-fe5561e4d248%40gmail.com.

[tortyr]

Thanks for the effort.  No worries, though, I have a small stack of boards en route from China..  Though, I did a few modifications, so I'll probably have to start the season with the stock regulator 🙄

Another thought. Did you ever consider an analog regulator circuit?  I would feel somehow more comfortable with a self-regulating system where the software only requests a voltage/current. If no ic exists, I think a 555 and a few op-amps would go a long way!?

-T

[Al Thomason]

Good deal.  Best of luck.

 

re: analog regulator, ala like this?  http://chemelec.com/Projects/Alternator/Reg-SCH-P-Mosfet.png

 

No, did not.  Was just too much to integrate – and might recall this effort started as part of a full DC Generator controller – so the CPU was already there.

 

The goal of a simple voltage-only regulator has lots of options. Efforts like the one above, or even using modern chip regulators (ala, the L9468) as a starting point.  But even they are really CPU based.  In the end the approach really all depends on the end needs and goals…

[tortyr]

Not exactly. I've been mucking around in the simulator a bit: something like this (yes, I've been playing with smps controllers lately :) ) 

u1 sets up a ~100hz carrier wave. u3 compares the sensed voltage to a (software controlled) set point.

the stuff on the right is a latch to ensure there is only one transition pr clock period (maintains the 100hz frequency)

-current limiting could be added with an additional op-amp or'ed into u2.

So still software controllable, but it would regulate without software intervention - and it would do so much faster than any software could.  

Most importantly, it will automatically back off the duty cycle the instant output voltage from the alternator is too high.

Now, I have too little experience with alternators, so I don't actually know if the response time is so slow this isn't worth it. 

A simpler variant could be a single comparator that would clip the mcu pwm signal if voltage goes above a limit. a safety-valve for slow or buggy software, if you like.

-T

[Robin Szemeti]

Much better and simpler SMPS controllers exist "pre made" complete with isolated gate drives for the FET that could manage the current control of the field coil, driven by an analogue output from the CPU and just matching the current in the field coil to the analogue voltage out of the CPU ... somewhere around 20KHz would work well, which with some simple filtering would appear as DC to the alternator.

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Redpoint Consulting Limited 

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