Leaf Distance

I had once again taken my Leaf in for a checkup and had them check the health of my pack. I had tried to get that Leaf Spy program so I could see for myself. I finally got a properly working OBDII device to plug into the car and use the Android Leaf Spy program to view the battery and some other goodies. It looks as though I have lost 24% of my capacity and if I reach the 33% loss before the 8 years is up I will be getting a new replacement pack. I can however drive further than what might be expected so I am going to try that. I have not been driving the Leaf to work but only around town locally. I did not want to get stranded. Since I am still able to do some decent drives I will continue but I will be for sure on the Range Anxiety Wall. I'll just bide my time until I loose that capacity enough to get a new pack replacement.

So right now I am down on bar but have been told I should be down 3. Maybe the software updates have changed the way the bars show up missing. The bars that go missing are the small ones on the right. Not the longer ones on the left.

Profit

An intersting item was mentioned in a recent rendition of electric vehicle talking heads. An electric air conditioning unit. Motor, pump and inverter all in one neat small package. However I am always leery of the sale prices quoted from this group of ev builders. So I decided to go find that item. Since it is from China it's going to be found on Alibaba. From Alibaba the quoted prices are from $300 to $500 for the very same item mentioned. That sounds fair if the product is good. So I decided then to send an inquiry for prices for multiple units. I asked what it would cost if I purchased 5 units. At 5 units the individual price would be $350 bucks. Even less if I were to get more. So if the going price of $799 bucks that would be over 100% profit. The average company in the US is making about 8% profit. Give or take some. I find it interesting that he talks about car dealers going the way of the dinosaur and yet he continues to be a middle man dealer on items we can get directly from the source or at least like Alibaba or Amazon or direct from the manufacturer. At those prices I can save whopping crap load of ducats. I could buy from him and waste my money or I can buy from Alibaba and save myself $449 bucks. Or I can spend less and get two. You know, $449 bucks is not chump change.

What is also interesting is that this guy keeps coming to the DIY yet continues to bash the DIY. Really!

Good luck.

Profit is one thing, gouging is entirely another.
Lucky for us we can go to the source directly.

Also be a bit leery because many times when he mentions something others run out and get the item before its been tested to see if it will work like you want and to see if it may last. If the item proves to be a good alternative then buy direct from Alibaba. Buy through one middle company vs going through a few and paying out your ass.

http://chinabenling.en.alibaba.com/c...lar_air/1.html

Pete :)

AC PDF - http://greenev.zapto.org/PDF/DCAC.pdf

Recording Video

I found a great way to record high resolution video with my Sony A7R. It utilizes the HDMI output of the video channel and Audio channel. I purchased a Blackmagic Hyperdeck Shuttle 2 last year for the express purpose of recording long clips but in either 10bit Uncompressed or Apple ProRes 422HD. They both create super large files but if you need to have that extra for your post video production it will come in handy to record in such high def. I tested this evening with another device that I also purchased last year for the express purpose of recording video for live feeding to the internet. It is a Blackmagic Ultra Studio Mini Recorder. It is designed for one device input to the computer via thunderbolt cable. The recording program is Media Express by Black Magic. It allows for log and capture and playback and if I had an old tape deck I can record from that to the Media Express as well for saving video on the tapes. The thunderbolt cable provides the power power for the mini recorder. It utilizes a long HDMI and a fairly long thunderbolt cable. Both together provide a great bit of length for the device. The mini gets a bit warm with use and uses enough power that you might want your computer plugged in so not to drain the battery. The mini allows you to turn on your camera and then plug your HDMI in and then set your camera and then use the Media Express to record. The HDMI is what the camera puts out but without using the record button on the camera. Any camera that utilizes a clean HDMI video/audio output will be able to utilize this program and device. If you have a Canon Camera you will need Magic Lantern to use this. It has a setting that turns off any screen information so that won't get recorded. My Sony puts out clean HDMI/Audio. Being that the device picks up what the sensor sees it is easy to get 444 recording or 10bit Raw or ApplePro Res 422HD. ProRes is native for Final Cut Pro X. Easy breezy. The in camera settings won't do 444 or 422 or much RAW or what is called 10bit Uncompressed Quicktime.

The one problem is that utilize this requires your computer to be part of the recording equipment. Using the other Hyperdeck I could utilize a small monitor with the deck to take out of the office situation. Still not best for run and gun. I am liking the new Atmos 422 recorder. It utilizes a SSD drive. Like the Hyperdeck I have a large 500gig SSD. Holds lots of footage. But with the mini and the computer I can record all my footage on my computer or onto an attached hard drive.

Next is to do a video on how to use these items to make a video. One good thing about using such high resolution is that you can do green screen much better. It gives a sharper edge around the green and makes for a clean transition.

Inverter motor start

Well, no. My first attempt to actually start the motor with no encoder connected and in very low power and voltage (12 volts) was a no go. Nothing happened. I am talking to the usb device but am I talking to the controller? It looks like I am because I can save parameters. This is done without the encoder connected for an initial test. So there was a no go. Something is still amiss.

It is set now to:
set fweak 20
start 2
set fslipspnt 20 
set ampnom 100

Inverter Update

I worked with Daniel and we needed to trouble shoot getting this thing to communicate with my computer. I had been trying for a few days to find the right setup and drivers for this board so we can talk to the computer. To no avail there was just no communication. The lights were on but no talkie. Tonight myself and Daniel did a trouble shoot session that lasted about 2 hours total. We tried and tried and at one point he had mentioned that a USB could be bad and he sent a link to a USB base port which he connects these types of boards so they don't short on anything and are stable. This device is only to communicate and change functions.

It is a CP210x and looks like this.

So when he mentioned that they can be shorted I suggested that I unzip tie this piece because he had zipped it to the aluminum plate for shipping. I left it that way because it looked solid and stable. It did not look like it would be any issues leaving it alone. So I left it alone. Well what do you know. I looked at it after he suggested shorting issues and said it looks mighty close. Should I unzip it? Yup. Ok, and right after I unzipped it from the plate I was able to communicate with the device. Woo Hoo. It lives. I then opened the port associated with this device and it gave me a com11 setting. So I changed the setting in PuTTY to com11 and PuTTY came to life. I checked the version and it returned the version of the software. Woo Hoo. Tomorrow after my doctor appointment I take the motor ON LINE. I will have my video with me for that. I will also try to have my O Scope connected to see the results. 

Then I will need to find the encoder wires for the motor so I can then start the motor in torque mode and use the throttle pot to control the motor. 

So now with the device unzipped I will try to find a good place to attach it. Maybe I will find some clear thick shrink wrap and shrink it up. Maybe not because Im leery of putting heat on the device. 

Update to Inverter Project / Oscilloscope

Did some testing on the Oscilloscope and it works but needs a bit of calibration. One of my probes is bunk and the other 1x probe does not seem to work properly. Pretty noisy. But I did the basic tests and it works. Stoked. Lots to learn.

More updates to the inverter. I was told my cap connection was not going to work. So I took a couple of short extensions to attach to the ends of the main buss bars. The main bars are narrow and the cap terminals are pretty wide. So putting on the copper end pieces I was able to spread the ends out just enough to mount the caps upside down and right on the ends of the main bars. Should be good this time, I hope. If it looks good then I will do a little low voltage test. I think I know how to figure out what wires are for the encoder.

Here are the next rounds of iPhone evening crappy light photos.


Pete :)

3 Phase AC Induction Motor Inverter Project

I am continuing with my AC motor controller project. Johannes Huebner has a great project open source kit but its not documented very well. There are 3 known to actually work. One I purchased as an incomplete project that works, Another that is turning a motor on a test bench and one actually motivating a VW in Germany. I also have a kit that is still needing soldered together. With the one that is already working I will be able to easier build this thing. I have a working model to look at if needed.

The Oscilloscope I purchased worked then promptly died. I have a friend that is helping me diagnose the problem and we do know that the low power board has a short in one of the caps. I will try to fix it but in the mean time I still need a scope. I found a much better one and its still the same brand but newer but still an analog scope. Plenty of documentation. Im getting plenty of help with it as well since I am not an EE of any sort.

Below is the inverter. I swapped out the caps with mine and removed the cap buss bar and replaced it with what I hope is better. I may still need to move the connections on the main buss bar but it may be fine as is. 

Don't know which of the 4 encoder pins are used on the inverter.