Leaf Gen 1 Inverter Board

[Kevin Sharpe]

So far not getting any output from either pin.

On which side of the NCV8401 driver are you measuring the output? The 3.3V logic side or the 12V load side? If the 12V load side then you need the contactor coil connected to 12V before you'll see any voltage with a multimeter.

[Kevin Sharpe]

Similar to James

What are you doing with OUT3 exactly? Are you using it to power the inverter somehow?

Do you have a schematic showing how you've wired up the VCU, Inverter, Contactors, etc?

[Cookie6000]

Here you go Kevin.
If you remember, I am using the Prius pack complete with precharge/main contactors and resistor. Gnd still goes to the 12v battery as it was during testing before moving to V1.5 of the firmware. The Pch and Main now go to OP 1 and 2 respectively.

I checked with James, and he also has his wired up his board pretty much similar and independently from mine, aside from him using Pin 1 instead of Pin 6 for his ground on the inverter vcu connector.

Edit: Previous image had CAN H and L flipped. Thanks JaniK for spotting;)

[Kevin Sharpe]

Here you go Kevin.

Thanks, I think I see the problem...

You are using OUT3 as if it's a switched 12V power supply for the inverter. However, OUT3 does *not* supply 12V it's a switched ground (see circuit below). My guess is you should power the inverter with 12V from your ignition switch and ignore OUT3.

Also note that unlike your drawing the inverter has three 12V pins according to this document;

http://productions.8dromeda.net/c55-lea ... tocol.html

You also have a similar issue with OUT1 and OUT2 driving your contactors. You should connect the contactors to 12V and the OUT1/OUT2 pins. The ground is switched by the NCV8401A devices;

https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/NCV8401-D.PDF

Let me know if this makes no sense

Edit: how are you controlling the negative contactor?

[Cookie6000]

That's brilliant Kevin, thanks for that detail!

All makes sense. That was my thought that the OP pins might not be supplying 12v, especially as I drew the schematic out. Ignoring OP3 is something I tried earlier in fact as you suggested. I connected the switched Inv 12v to the IGN but obviously, nothing else happened. The next step so is to just get the contactors to 12v as well as OP1 and 2.
On the neg contactor, ignore my diagram I left a bit out on the neg side.

Will switching the Inverter via the ignition and ignoring OP3 mean amending the code at all, removing it from the start sequence?

[Kevin Sharpe]

Will switching the Inverter via the ignition and ignoring OP3 mean amending the code at all, removing it from the start sequence?

I would need to crawl through the code in detail to understand whether OUT3 is intended to be used (with an external relay) or is just for legacy/future functionality. That's a lot of work and for now I'd just get the contactors sorted and ignore OUT3 in the software.

If rewiring doesn't resolve the issues then add the print statements so that you can see what the software is doing. This is a standard debug technique... shout if you don't understand

Edit: It's a very long time since I've used the Arduino development environment but this is the reference on the Serial.println() function;

https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/lan ... l/println/

[Cookie6000]

Thanks Kevin
Appreciate the guidance here. Have a look at the latest rev and see if it makes sense. I think I have the inverter relay I added wrong. Should the gnd side I have in there actually be to 12v as do the contactors as the VCU controls switched ground?

Edit: CAN H and L flipped here in this image too, just so you know.

[Kevin Sharpe]

I think I have the inverter relay I added wrong. Should the gnd side I have in there actually be to 12v as do the contactors as the VCU controls switched ground?

You are correct, the inverter power relay should be connected to the 12V not ground. One word of caution, I do not know whether this feature is used by Damien in the current software so this may not work.

We also need to check in the software whether the OP1 used to drive the precharge and negative contactors is active during operation or just precharge. Just try it and see what happens (I recommend you use a bulb or heater element current limiter for the HV when testing contactor operations).

In the future we need to add a kill switch and impact switch to your 12V circuit. We can address that once your system is working

[Cookie6000]

Thanks a mill Kevin
That was second thought 're neg contactor during operation after precharge. I'll try the set up later and report back

[Cookie6000]

Brilliant!
Success All connected up as in the schematic except I have the inverter switched 12v powered via the ign instead of OP3 and relay. Flick the switch, double click of Precharge and Neg contactors. Approx 1-2 seconds later, main contactor closes. Press pedal, and away the motor spins.
The question you had about OP1 and negative contactor during operation looks to stay closed. It does raise the question of the precharge contactor though and if it releases again or remains closed or does it matter.
Not receiving any Pack Voltage, Current or Power, just RPM and the motor and inverter temps but that should all be sorted hopefully when I get the ISA shunt in. But that's for another day
Thanks again Kevin. Has helped to get another bit further down the line for my own build as well as James' project Figleaf

[Kevin Sharpe]

Brilliant!
Success

That's good news

All connected up as in the schematic except I have the inverter switched 12v powered via the ign instead of OP3 and relay.

I suspect Damien is not using the OP3 output. When he's less busy i'll ask him.

The question you had about OP1 and negative contactor during operation looks to stay closed. It does raise the question of the precharge contactor though and if it releases again or remains closed or does it matter.

It's not unusual to drive both the Negative and Precharge contactors with the same control signal. The precharge resistor is irrelevant once the Positive contactor switches.

Not receiving any Pack Voltage, Current or Power, just RPM and the motor and inverter temps but that should all be sorted hopefully when I get the ISA shunt in. But that's for another day

That's to be expected from the software;

Serial2.print("v");//dc bus voltage
Serial2.print(Sensor.Voltage);//voltage derived from ISA shunt
Serial2.print(",i");//dc current
Serial2.print(Sensor.Amperes);//current derived from ISA shunt
Serial2.print(",p");//total motor power
Serial2.print(Sensor.KW);//Power value derived from ISA Shunt
Serial2.print(",m");//motor rpm
Serial2.print(inverter_status.speed);
Serial2.print(",o");//motor temp
Serial2.print(inverter_status.motor_temperature);
Serial2.print(",r");//inverter temp
Serial2.print(inverter_status.inverter_temperature);
Serial2.print("*");// end of data indicator

Thanks again Kevin. Has helped to get another bit further down the line for my own build as well as James' project Figleaf

No problem, well done for sticking with it... all I ask is that in future you and James update the wiki so that people can help themselves

[Kevin Sharpe]

No problem, well done for sticking with it... all I ask is that in future you and James update the wiki so that people can help themselves

I've started a wiki page for the VCU and ISA Shunt

https://openinverter.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf_VCU

https://openinverter.org/wiki/Isabellen ... te_Heusler

[Cookie6000]

Great.
I have a lot of info noted down I just need to collate together in legible form and can submit it then for future reference

[Kevin Sharpe]

Great.
I have a lot of info noted down I just need to collate together in legible form and can submit it then for future reference

Cool! If I get a moment i'll draw up a schematic for the VCU/Inverter/Contactors

[Kevin Sharpe]

It's not unusual to drive both the Negative and Precharge contactors with the same control signal.

On reflection I think it's more likely that Damien intends the negative contactor to be switched by the ignition switch (which is how I think James has it wired).

[KarmannLeafBlower]

That is very cool.
I am desperate for a converter plate and coupler solution for the Karmann Ghia/Leaf project I am working on. How did you do yours? Or did you change the transmission also?
Best wishes,
Edd

[Kevin Sharpe]

I am desperate for a converter plate and coupler solution for the Karmann Ghia/Leaf project I am working on. How did you do yours?

Have a look at this thread;

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=569

Also note comments re KISS;

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=569&start=20#p10676

[KarmannLeafBlower]

Thanks Kevin, that's helpful. Digested both threads already.
What's your reference to KISS? Keep it simple, stupid?

[Kevin Sharpe]

What's your reference to KISS? Keep it simple, stupid?

Yeah... sometimes we make this stuff way to complex... so much depends on your skills and the approvals regime you're operating in

[langoo]

That is very cool.
I am desperate for a converter plate and coupler solution for the Karmann Ghia/Leaf project I am working on. How did you do yours? Or did you change the transmission also?
Best wishes,
Edd

See PM

[mackoffgrid]

Hi guys

I have my Gen1 motor at last.

I have the harness all wired up and the CAN bus is communicating correctly so far !!!

Without taking the lid off the inverter I have not been able to determine the the polarity of the Inverters High Volt DC input??

If someone can help by drawing the +ve and -ve on this photo I'd appreciate it.
I'm not sure if the photo I've tried to attache has worked or not?

[mackoffgrid]

I don't seem to able to add an attachment so I'll try a link to github.

https://github.com/mackelec/SolarUte/bl ... ctions.jpg

URL Gen1 Inverter DC connections

[RetroZero]

If I remember from my school lesson at 4 degrees in March this year....Teacher taught us the light bulb method.
1. Take BLACK wire.
2. Take RED wire and connect car light bulb in series in the cable.
3. Connect BLACK wire to NEG of power supply (12V car battery) AND ANY of terminals on Inverter.
4. Connect RED wire (with light bulb) to POS of power supply and the OTHER terminal on Inverter.
5. If light comes ON , it means the polarity is INCORRECT. If not - BLACK wire is to NEG and RED wire is to POS.
I had trouble with this basic yet VITAL test.
I think of the way you connect two batteries together in parallel, where you connect + with + , and - with -. If you put a light bulb in series into iether of your cables, it should NOT light up - no change in polarity.

Hope the teacher managed to get this ONE important point into my thick skull. If not, I'm sure there will be a comment or 3000 in a few seconds on how I blew up your inverter.

Please ask for a second opinion! I would not want to be liable for any inverter blow-ups.

[mackoffgrid]

Thanks Retro, an old technicians trick

I think I've worked out the polarity, it is in the TMS manual - just had to study it again.

[Cookie6000]

Great success the last few days in getting the evbmw gen 1 vcu working in the car. Works really well when you have the correct inv_volts and presets in there for the pack voltages from the prius pack I am using for testing and tweaking the throttle values to suit the pedal. Next up is just to wire up the shunt and get that feeding info back to the web interface.

The one problem I have having is delivery of power. I can crawl around no issue but try give even a LITTLE bit of welly and the inverter craps out. Not sure if this is a parameter issue or interference to the messaging from the resolver and or the CAN messaging back to the vcu. The board has a quirk where I cannot connect the usb and read the serial monitor when it is connected to the vehicle. As soon as I do that, I get usb connection errors. So, when I make updates, I have to disconnect the board from the car. So, any ideas on the current draw and following inverter fart?