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Forum Index : Electronics : Bryan's 150V 45 A MTTP

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Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 03:24am 01 Apr 2024
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Well 99% there then I realized once the battery is connected the unit is powered up and when I put that power supply on it should of gone to a switch   So now off for a hunt in my shed for a switch and bring down the soldering iron and heatshrink then should be getting close.

Now Murphy has come to visit and the sky is overcast so no max amps today
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 06:22am 01 Apr 2024
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Damm those cheap bloody nano's got the MPPT up and going, calibrated it using my old laptop as the winsucks one wouldn't connect and to save stuffing around.

10 minutes later the lcd went all blocks and I near burnt my finger on the chip   anyway the MPPT is working as in this over cast day when the sun does popout the difference between the input and output is about 25-30%.

So this week I will make up 2 new lcd's as the 1.5Kw array will be going up and I need one for each.
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 07:54am 06 Apr 2024
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G'Day Guy's,
            Well finally found some time today so made up the new lcd



Got some old simmstick proto boards here so used a offcut to hold the new nano, now the nano is just sitting in there and I used the push on connectors so if this cheap nano decides to join the others in magic smoke heaven it will be easy just to put a new one in.

So uploaded the sketch and noticed the back light hadn't come on then saw I hadn't connected pin 16 yet so once that was connected and I put the usb cable on after tweaking the back light and contrast the screen came up, so all systems go with the new LCD. Also changed over the 5 volt regulator on the brain board as that short did kill it.

Also got a 300 amp battery isolator for the ground lead so the MPPT can be fully turned off so in the morning I'll install that and with some luck it will be finally working.

Cheers Bryan
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 02:35am 07 Apr 2024
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Well I reckon I'm becoming the Ozzie version of Electro-Boom   the otherday when I got up at lunchtime I decided to check if that first LCD was still good and instead heard a nice loud bang as the diode on the nano went to magic smoke heaven, so programmed a new nano and found the 7805 on the brainboard was very hot so turned everything off. So replaced the 7805 on the brainboard and set it all up again only to find the 12-12 chip was getting toasty.

So went and finished off the other MPPT board and connected it all up and only get the startup screen on the lcd   checked between D4 on the nano and D4 on the LCD nano and got continuity.

So not really sure just what in the hell is going on and that $300 50 amp MPPT at the 12 volt shop is looking better by the day.

Now when hooking up the main Nano in the Arduino suite on my linux laptop it does show the nano is programmed as I can get to the setup screen. Trying with the win10 laptop well can't even get it to see the nano so just stayed with the linux one and after every change it does refresh the screen with the changes.

Then this old laptop running linux decides it will disconnect and still stuck on first base.

Edit:
     Well checking with my clamp meter when the sun does come out this second unit is working or atleast putting current into the batteries so I'll just leave it running.
Edited 2024-04-07 13:09 by Bryan1
 
Godoh
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Joined: 26/09/2020
Location: Australia
Posts: 458
Posted: 03:42am 07 Apr 2024
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Wow Bryan, you seem to be joining the smoke club big time.
I get what you are saying about commercial controllers.
I have
1 victron
3 PowerTeck
3 PowerMR
Regulators. The only ones I have ever had problems with are the Victron ones. I blew two of them up accidentally.
The PowerMR regualtors are fine, they only cost about $120 each for a 60 amp regulator and just work out of the box.
I did buy a board and got most of the parts to build the regulator you are building, but there were far too many pages of changes and not enough information on the final build and setup , so those bits are just in a box.
Good luck with getting your setup working
Pete
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 04:58am 07 Apr 2024
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Well found out the win10 laptop wouldn't program the nano even after downloading and installing that CH340 program so went back to the linux laptop and programmed a new nano with the latest software from Revlac's thread.

Now when doing changes to the calibration I can see the nano clearly taking in the changes. Also re-programmed in the serial to parallel software and put a new connector onto to the end of the data wire. Checked and yes it is getting continuity from D4 on the lcd nano to D4 on the main nano which is pin 4 on the connector but it's still stuck on the startup screen.

Just ran the battery charger so the batteries are in float mode so I've left it going and I'll check in the morning when I get home from work.

More than likely it's just one small thing but trying to really think when I'm always tired maybe is what I'm missing.

anyway time to crash for a few hours and take another look in the morning, now I will make up a second brain board tomorrow and try that and make a new single cable for the data line.

Cheers bryan
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1352
Posted: 04:29am 08 Apr 2024
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Well after a good rest this morning took the scope down to see whats going on and one slip of the probe let the magic smoke out  

So this project is now on the back burner and looks like one of those trackers from the 12 volt shop will be used.


Edit:

Ended up going with a Victron 100/50 and got it for $299 with a 5 year warranty, works on bluetooth and even in cloudy condition still seeing upto 20 amps output  

So atleast that is one thing off my mind for now and may just have to with another one for that 1.5Kw array.

So time to road test these out and I did say to the guy these only last just past the warranty and he replied well mate if it does blow after 5 years bring it back and we will replace it.
Edited 2024-04-08 16:36 by Bryan1
 
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