Chademo Controller Development

Development and discussion of fast charging systems eg Chademo , CCS etc
kiwifiat
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by kiwifiat »

There is no SWDIO label on the programming port in your schematic, did you pick that up before you did the pcb layout?
Also there appears to be no 10k pullup on the reset line which is a definite requirement.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Jack Bauer »

Nothing to do with hardware. Was a software issue. Now solved. Will update later.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Jack Bauer »

Ok folks just did a major update over on the repo :
https://github.com/damienmaguire/Chadem ... Controller

New hardware and software is now on there for the openinverter STM32 based version.
Kits and boards will soon be available on the webshop and expect some firmware tweaks over the coming days as I test the controller in the E39.

Instructional video for this and the pcs controller also on the way soon.

Note : due to a severe restriction on the supply of the Cinch Me-Mx connector header there are two variants of the board. One with the Me-Mx and the other with a 35 way Ampseal header. Both are the same circuit just a different header. Pinouts for both will be posted here and on the repo shortly. I have also commissioned the design of a 3d printable housing for the Ampseal variant of both this and the PCS controller. This design will be posted on here and on the repo once completed and test fitted.
Attachments
2021-04-28 14.02.55.jpg
2021-04-28 14.01.51.jpg
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Jack Bauer wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:44 pm New hardware and software is now on there for the openinverter STM32 based version.
Kits and boards will soon be available on the webshop and expect some firmware tweaks over the coming days as I test the controller in the E39.
I presume backorders will be filled with the new board?

Thanks again for your work on this
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Jack Bauer »

Yes I have 2 outstanding orders due to ship in the next few days once I confirm there are no hardware bugs. Firmware updates are quite easy using the web interface.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Great, thanks
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

I just finished adding Chademo to a Toyota/Tesla RAV4 and am about to send it back home to Oklahoma where it will live out its years.
Did the wifi interface ever get built? I may take a look at that system, I have some Wemos D1 boards around.

Also if anyone wants slightly newer software let me know, I think I have fixed a bug or two (charger reducing current limit when it overheats).

-Isaac
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Ok potentially dumb question:

Do the contactor relays on the board pull to ground or 12V when activated?
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

On the 'Chademo VCU' the contactor relay connects the contactors between pin 2 (positive signal from EVSE) to pin 10 (negative signal from EVSE).
The other relay simply powers up the unit when pin 7 is grounded.

EDIT Fixed mistake
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Isaac96 wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 4:00 pm On the 'Chademo VCU' the contactor relay connects the contactors between pin 2 (positive signal from EVSE) to pin 10 (negative signal from EVSE).
The other relay simply powers up the unit when pin 7 is grounded.

EDIT Fixed mistake
Ok so both contactors' + lead goes to pin 7 and both contactors' - lead goes to pin 8? on the 35 pin version?
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

No idea what the numbers are on the 35 pin. I only know the chademo side and the relay wiring. But you probably have it right.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Isaac96 wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 5:33 pm No idea what the numbers are on the 35 pin. I only know the chademo side and the relay wiring. But you probably have it right.
35 pin pin numbers below for reference
35 pin connector.PNG
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

You're bang on then.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Isaac96 wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:13 pm You're bang on then.
Great, thanks.

One more dumb question: Out 3 "HV System Request", What should that be wired to?
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

So Damien has really cool HVJBs in his vehicles that allow him to distribute power out to many different things. He's got main pack contactors, charger contactors, Chademo contactors inverter contactors, etc.
Whenever power is needed for something, the main pack contactors turn on and then whatever else is needed can be powered up. HV system request would go to those contactors so that the chademo contactors could be connected.

If you don't have a fancy HVJB/pack contactors etc then you don't need to use HV system request at all.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Isaac96 wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:50 pm So Damien has really cool HVJBs in his vehicles that allow him to distribute power out to many different things. He's got main pack contactors, charger contactors, Chademo contactors inverter contactors, etc.
Whenever power is needed for something, the main pack contactors turn on and then whatever else is needed can be powered up. HV system request would go to those contactors so that the chademo contactors could be connected.

If you don't have a fancy HVJB/pack contactors etc then you don't need to use HV system request at all.
Cool. My set up is a bit simpler/more manual (because racecar), but that setup makes sense for a street car/daily. Thanks for the help
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Should the wifi connection appear as soon as the board has 12V, or only when plugged into a station? I'm not seeing it come up when just 12V is connected with the car in my garage. The laptop is next to the board so it's not a wifi range issue.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Jack Bauer »

The board only powers when the proximity pin of the chademo port is pulled to ground.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Jack Bauer wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:35 am The board only powers when the proximity pin of the chademo port is pulled to ground.
Got it, Thank you!

I'm hoping to get a chance to work on it/test it next weekend. The car drives now, so sorting out charging is one of the last to-do items.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by alexbeatle »

Isaac96 wrote: Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:50 pm So Damien has really cool HVJBs in his vehicles that allow him to distribute power out to many different things. He's got main pack contactors, charger contactors, Chademo contactors inverter contactors, etc.
Whenever power is needed for something, the main pack contactors turn on and then whatever else is needed can be powered up. HV system request would go to those contactors so that the chademo contactors could be connected.

If you don't have a fancy HVJB/pack contactors etc then you don't need to use HV system request at all.
That's actually an interesting feature. I've always wondered, shouldn't the rest of the HV loads (ac charger, DC/DC, inverter, a/c compressor, etc.) be somehow isolated from EVSE during the rapid charging!? Else, when rapid charging, we're essentially injecting the charging current into our main HV bus.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by Isaac96 »

alexbeatle wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:27 pm That's actually an interesting feature. I've always wondered, shouldn't the rest of the HV loads (ac charger, DC/DC, inverter, a/c compressor, etc.) be somehow isolated from EVSE during the rapid charging!? Else, when rapid charging, we're essentially injecting the charging current into our main HV bus.
Oh that's a good point. If there's an issue with charging then the HV bus could go too high and damage things.

Usually the Chademo contactors feed in straight to the battery pack so that most of the other HV items aren't exactly connected depending on how you have them wired (inverter, for example, is probably not powered when you are charging) but the regular AC charger will probably still be connected.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by celeron55 »

I think the maximum voltage CHAdeMO chargers are allowed to output in any situation is 500V. That would go together with what the Leaf's components can handle - none of them explode at 500V.

OEM EVs have pretty much the entire HV system behind the main pack contactors, and the DC fast charge contactors are at the connector, connecting to the main HV bus. This means every HV component sees the charger's voltage once the DC fast charge contactors are closed.

So if you're using CHAdeMO and your HV components can't deal with 500V, like let's say a Prius gen3 inverter with HV directly applied to both buses, where the lower one has 400V capacitors (or worse, the Yaris one, which would be 350V) and you want to be 100% sure nothing blows up if a charger goes silly, you might want to use a different kind of contactor set-up.

Same of course goes for CCS also, I'm not sure how the voltage limits work there. Some CCS chargers are capable of outputting 800V, and accessing all that is behind the crazy software protocol with no significant hardware limits. As long as the battery is connected to the HV bus, the charger's current limit will limit the voltage, but we can imagine your main battery fuse blowing or main pack contactor control going crazy for whatever reason.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by larsrengersen »

During the isolation test the charger shortly goes to 500V.
During normal charging the voltage is always below the max. voltage indicated by the car.
And yes, HV components that are connected in the charge loop can draw current. For example a DC/DC and this is a potential source of current deviation errors.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by alexbeatle »

larsrengersen wrote: Sat Oct 09, 2021 6:45 pm During the isolation test the charger shortly goes to 500V.
During normal charging the voltage is always below the max. voltage indicated by the car.
And yes, HV components that are connected in the charge loop can draw current. For example a DC/DC and this is a potential source of current deviation errors.
My Elcon charger/DCDC is only rated to 200...450VDC. if I isolate it during charging I will loose 12VDC (control voltage) 🤔.
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Re: Chademo Controller Development

Post by celeron55 »

The isolation test is done when the DC fast charge contactors are open, though, and if they were not open, I think the charger would detect an isolation test fault and immediately stop. At least most chargers. When they're working correctly. Not sure what would happen if the system used very low current, the pack contactors weren't closed but the fast charge contactors were closed - maybe the charger would continue doing the test.

This would mean if your system has components that blow up at 500V, you might want to wire up your fast charge contactors directly to the pack and not after the main contactors.

Personally? Well, my system has components that blow up at 500V, and my fast charge contactors are wired up after the main contactors. Practically? Well, they haven't blown up yet.
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