openinverter.org wiki - User contributions [en]

Tesla Model S/X Large Drive Unit ("LDU")

2025-03-15T01:37:14Z

Smathermather: /* Internal Coolant Leaks */ -- add links to seal fixes

== Overview ==
[[File:Tesla LDU.jpg|alt=Tesla LDU|thumb|Tesla Large Drive Unit]]
The Tesla Model S/X Large Drive Unit (LDU) was the first drive unit produced by Tesla dating back to the launch of the Model S in 2012. Applications include RWD Model S & X, as well as performance AWD S & X - in both cases serving as the rear drive unit.

=== Specs: ===

* Weight: 291 lbs (132 kg)
* Input Voltage: 240-404V DC
* Power: 335 kW (~450HP) to 475 kW (~636 HP) depending on configuration
* Torque: 450 Nm (~332 ft/lb) to 650 Nm (~480 ft/lb) depending on configuration
* Max RPM: 18,000
* Gear ratio: 9.73:1

== Connections ==

=== Overview ===
[[File:LDU connection diagram.png|thumb|489x489px|LDU connection diagram|none]][[File:HV wiring.jpg|thumb|487x487px|HV wiring with precharge and main contactors|none]]
=== Low-Voltage ===

==== Main I/O Plug ====
The main low-voltage connector is a 23-pin socket from the TE AMPSEAL family:

* Housing (F): 770680-1
* Pins (F): 770520-1 (20-16 AWG)

===== Connector Mapping/Pinout =====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''PIN NUMBER'''
|'''OEM'''
|'''OPEN SOURCE'''
|-
|'''1'''
|IGN +12V
|IGN +12V
|-
|'''2'''
|BRAKE ON N.O.
|BRAKE ON
|-
|'''3'''
|BRAKE OFF N.C.
|PRECHARGE RELAY
|-
|'''4'''
|CAN HIGH
|CAN HIGH
|-
|'''5'''
|CAN LOW
|CAN LOW
|-
|'''6'''
|CHG PROXIMITY
|MAIN CONTACTOR
|-
|'''7'''
|HVIL IN
|FORWARD
|-
|'''8'''
|HVIL OUT
|REVERSE
|-
|'''9'''
|ENC +5V
|ENC +5V
|-
|'''10'''
|ENC A
|ENC A
|-
|'''11'''
|GND
|GND
|-
|'''12'''
|ACCEL 1 +5V
|ACCEL 5V
|-
|'''13'''
|ACCEL 1
|ACCEL INPUT
|-
|'''14'''
|ACCEL 2
|BRAKE TRANSDUCER
|-
|'''15'''
|ACCEL 1 GND
|ACCEL GND
|-
|'''16'''
|ENC B
|ENC B
|-
|'''17'''
|ENC GND
|ENC GND
|-
|'''18'''
|ENC SHIELD
|ENC SHIELD
|-
|'''19'''
|CAN HIGH OUT
|
|-
|'''20'''
|CAN LOW OUT
|
|-
|'''21'''
|ACCEL 2 +5V
|CRUISE IN
|-
|'''22'''
|ACCEL 2 GND
|GND
|-
|'''23'''
|12V ALWAYS T30
|START
|}

==== Encoder Plug ====
A smaller 4 pin LV connector is responsible for the encoder signals. The plug is TE 444046-1; this part is EoL from TE, however the connector is [https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-444046%2525252d1.html widely available on Aliexpress].

Per the [https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1026#p1026 Tesla Large Drive Unit Support Thread] :

* Pin 1 of the Encoder connector to Pin 17 of the 23way ampseal main connector
* Pin 2 of the Encoder connector to Pin 16 of the 23way ampseal main connector
* Pin 3 of the Encoder connector to Pin 10 of the 23way ampseal main connector
* Pin 4 of the Encoder connector to Pin 9 of the 23way ampseal main connector

'''Contactors'''

Please note that the contactors you purchase *may* have polarity associated with them for the low voltage control signal. If you have problems related to the pre-charge circuit working, or contactors behaving as not expected, check this!

=== High-Voltage ===
The OEM LDU HV cables' insulation OD is ~.680" (17.3mm) (verified for the "early" Model S units). The HV cables are EMC shielded, and use proprietary EMC cable glands which are not available separately. Fellten supplies custom aftermarket cable glands to fit the LDU's case and aftermarket 70mm2 shielded cabling<ref>https://shop.fellten.com/shop/lduhvcg-ldu-high-voltage-cable-gland-12803#attr=</ref>. The early Model S LDU cables are ~44" (1120mm) in length. One part No. for the cables set is 1004872-00-B.
[[File:Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables 1004872-00-B 05b.jpg|alt=Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables' proprietary gland connector.|thumb|450x450px|Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables' proprietary gland connector.]]

[[File:Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables 1004872-00-B 03-1b.png|alt=Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables' proprietary gland connector.|center|thumb|Tesla Model S LDU HV Cables' proprietary gland connector.]]
The OD of the casting where the external o-ring is located is ~1.030" (26.2mm). The OEM gland nuts are plated and are often found in a corroded state.

== Tesla Large Drive Unit Logic Board ==
An openinverter based control board has been made available by Damien Maguire. A "community edition" (i.e. mostly complete) version is available [https://openinverter.org/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=64 here on the OI webshop], or you can have your own made from info contained in [https://github.com/damienmaguire/Tesla-Drive-Unit Damien's LDU github repo].

This board replaces the original board that comes with the OEM Tesla drive train. As opposed to the latter, this board lets you use the drive train in the first place and allows you to fine-tune driving behaviour with the usual set of openinverter parameters. It does not restrict you in power output or regen input.

You can fully control the board via CAN or via a set of digital and analog inputs.

=== Application Info ===
If you buy the board from the openinverter shop it comes programmed with a recent software version. Please check [https://github.com/jsphuebner/stm32-sine/releases github] for recent software releases. In addition the board comes with a set of parameters appropriate to run the Tesla LDU. So it will work out of the box. Parameters that must not be changed are hidden to eliminate sources of error.

You will need to solder the supplied connectors to the board. The drive unit connectors will plug right in.

To test run your drive unit, supply the board with 12V and GND on the Ampseal connector. Also supply 12V „Forward“ to select forward direction.

Supply inverter with some high voltage. For first tests it is recommended to put a large resistor/heating element/kettle in series.

You can start in manual mode using the button on the web interface and enter like 1Hz for „Fslipspnt“ and some value between 10-50 for „ampnom“ to see if the motor spins up. Be careful because manual mode does not enforce a motor speed limit! However, „Fslipspnt“ sets the base speed requested of the motor. Setting it to 1Hz will spin the motor very slowly. Setting it to 5, 10, or 15Hz will spin it progressively faster. For any given speed you will need to experiment with „ampnom“ to find a happy place where enough current is allowed to flow but not too much. Finding a good set of values should make your motor spin reasonably smoothly. Also check the „Boost“ as it may require an increased value of 5000-10000.

You may also set parameter „udcsw“ and „udcmin“ to 0 and start drive mode by pulsing 12V on „Start“. Then connect a pot between 5V, GND and „Pot“ (wiper). This will also spin the motor AND enforce a speed limit.

By default the inverter is controlled as above - by using digital I/O and directly connecting an accelerator pedal. However, it is also possible to control it directly over CAN: [[CAN communication]]

CAN control could be used to control the inverter via an external VCU such as the Zombie (not yet supported).

==== Additional Resources ====
[https://openinverter.org/parameters/view.html?id=16 Parameters]

[[Tesla Setup FAQ]]

== Tuning and Parameters ==
There are several tuning threads and sets of shared parameters on the Open Inverter Forum. The two most useful collections are: [https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195&hilit=parameters Original Parameter Sharing Thread] and the [https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=126 Tuning Discussion Thread].

The tuning guide [https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15385#p15385 here] has lots of useful information regarding the impact of various parameters on the LDU.

The main Open Inverter parameter definition page is located [[Parameters|here]].

== Failure Modes ==

=== Encoder Issues ===
It is not uncommon to have issues with the encoder on these drive units. The encoder is connected via a 4 wire cable from the 23 pin external connector of the drive unit to the encoder which is situated on the opposite side of the drive unit. The biggest sign of encoder problems is the motor "bucking" back and forth and not wanting to spin properly in the requested direction. It may spin the direction you've asked for but roughly and with great trouble. This situation needs to be corrected. There are a number of things that could be wrong:

# The wires may be broken. You should attempt a continuity check of each of the wires.
# The encoder signals may be backward. There are two channels - A and B. They must be presented to the inverter in the proper order. If this is in doubt, try swapping them.
# One of the encoder signals may be missing. As above, there should always be two channels. They're "quadrature" which means that they fire 90 degrees apart.

To check the encoder signals you should have either a logic analyzer or an oscilloscope. Both come in a wide range of prices. The encoder signal is not particularly fast, especially when the motor is not spinning that fast. As such, even cheap test equipment can be adequate. You may find that there is no particularly good place to connect to in order to read the encoder signals. But, there does exist a reasonable place - right at the 20 pin connector on the LDU board where the 23 pin external connector's wires are routed. If your logic analyzer or oscilloscope has little grabber adapters you can do something like in this picture:
[[File:ClipsOnPins-LDUEncoder.jpg|frame]]

The pins on this connector are numbered starting with 1 at the far right and going more positive toward the left until you get to pin 20.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Pin Number
!Function
|-
|5
|Encoder 5V Source
|-
|6
|Encoder A Channel
|-
|7
|Encoder B Channel
|-
|8
|Encoder Ground
|}

So, in the picture, channel 0 is connected to encoder 5v (to monitor that voltage is properly there), channel 1 is connected to the A channel of the encoder, channel 2 is connected to the B encoder channel, and scope ground is connected to the encoder ground wire. This allows for monitoring all of the relevant signals. But, keep in mind not to short any pins while doing this. Very fine probes will be needed and extreme caution not to clip two pins together. The clips/grabbers in this picture are from a Saleae Logic Pro 8. This is *NOT* your cheapest option for monitoring encoder signals but does work very well. It also doubles as a 50Mhz oscilloscope which can be handy. Cheaper options (including knock offs of Saleae Logic) do exist.

Here is a picture of what it may look like when one encoder signal is missing:
[[File:Logic Encoder1.png|center|frame|Note how Channel 1 shows an encoder signal but Channel 2 looks completely flat. This should not occur. If one is showing a signal, so should the other.]]

Another good way to check the encoder is to use the steps to enter manual mode but do not set "Fslipspnt" nor "ampnom". You need to not be in "Off" mode. In Off mode the speed and turns values do not update in the spot values. But, in manual mode they do. So, enter manual mode without asking for any speed, then turn the motor. With the motor spinning you should see some position feedback in the form of a non-zero speed value and the turns value should increment. If these things do not reliably occur then you may still be having encoder problems. If they do occur, still check to ensure that your A and B channels are the right way around.

=== Internal Coolant Leaks ===
The Tesla LDU is famous for springing a leak on the motor side. Right there at the inlet there is a seal to the motor shaft. It fails then coolant starts to seep into the motor itself. This rusts the hell out of the motor internally until so much sludge builds up that it looks like a mud pie. Obviously, that is less than ideal. One way to check for this sort of thing is to go to the motor side and remove the one bolt that holds the encoder into the motor housing. If the encoder is soaking wet inside or looks like there is a slurry of liquid poo in the motor then there is bad news.

I'm not sure if there is any good pathway from the motor leak to the inverter so they could be two separate issues. In fact, having taken one apart, I guess that's almost certainly the case. But, the inverter has coolant running to it as well.

Anyway, still check the encoder because that part is famous for leaking too and it ruins the motor.

Long term, a leaking seal will develop. Full coolant loop delete as well as performance alternatives that retain cooling for towing and racing applications are available for install to solve leaking seals in LDUs.[https://revoltsystems.com/tesla-large-drive-unit-ldu-coolant-bypass-kit-the-achilles-seal-fix/ <nowiki>[1]</nowiki>][https://www.westside-ev.com/store/p/pfi-fersa-coolant-delete-manifold <nowiki>[2]</nowiki>][https://qccharge.com/collections/coolant-delete <nowiki>[3]</nowiki>]

# https://revoltsystems.com/tesla-large-drive-unit-ldu-coolant-bypass-kit-the-achilles-seal-fix/
# https://www.westside-ev.com/store/p/pfi-fersa-coolant-delete-manifold
# https://qccharge.com/collections/coolant-delete

== Other considerations ==
The motor itself will run as well in the reverse direction as in the forward direction. However if you are running the gearbox integrated with the drive unit in reverse you will want to replace the gearbox's oil pump with a reverse oil pump. These can be found on ZeroEV. [https://zero-ev.co.uk/product/tesla-large-drive-unit-replacement-reverse-drive-oil-pump/?v=3a52f3c22ed6]
[[Category:Tesla]] [[Category:Motor]] [[Category:Inverter]] [[Category:Gearbox]]
<references />

== CAD ==
An amazing-quality solid model of this drive unit has been [https://grabcad.com/library/tesla-rear-drive-unit-1 made available on GrabCAD] by Winston Jennings.

Main Page Old

2022-12-05T22:31:12Z

Smathermather: inproved clarity

= 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 its contributors take no responsibility for how you use the information contained within these pages, 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 you 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

=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

2022-12-04T17:29:49Z

Smathermather: Summarizing the purpose of the open inverter community

= 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 its contributors take no responsibility for how you use the information contained within these pages, 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 you 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, software, and 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

=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]