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Charge Controllers and Clippers => The "KID" charge controller => Topic started by: Mario on July 20, 2016, 02:35:30 PM

Title: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Mario on July 20, 2016, 02:35:30 PM
Hello everyone I have some code to test, it has some of the features a lot of you have been waiting for (hopefully).
I will post it here so you can give it a try, here it's what's new:


Version 1820:
- Added Data logging 31 days
- Added PC Comms
- Bug fixes in the menus
- Bug fixes in the LEDs
- Added C and F temperature display
-- PC Comm needs to be selected and saved
   - it sends data once a minute
   - sends data in raw decimal separated by a comma
   - data needs to be massaged to be read correctly and divided by 10
List of what it sends in order:
   * Displayed battery voltage
   * Displayed PV Voltage
   * Displayed output watts
   * KWH
   * Amp Hours
   * Battery Temperature
   * WBJR Current
   * Battery SOC
   * WBJR Amp Hr Remaining

Open a serial terminal and use the Baud Rate displayed in the screen when PC selected. PC comm only works with systems with a single unit.

More things can be added to the list if requested nicely. :)

Mario Rodriguez
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: dgd on July 20, 2016, 03:57:55 PM
Quote from: Mario on July 20, 2016, 02:35:30 PM
...

Version 1820:

- Added PC Comms
-- PC Comm needs to be selected and saved
   - it sends data once a minute

Once a minute?
Can this be changed so that when pc Comms is selected data is output every iteration of you main processing loop?  So that we get new data every one or two seconds?
This would be very useful for a live data display such as gauges or local app type display

Dgd
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: dgd on July 22, 2016, 05:06:24 AM
Mario,
Please don't disappear again.
Any chance of getting that one minute changed to seconds?

Dgd
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Mario on July 22, 2016, 12:43:32 PM
Hey dgd,
The firmware cannot be changed to once a second, since it takes processor time to send the data out to the PC, actually if you check the code I believe it sends it every 30 seconds.

There is a lot of stuff going on in the kid processor.

Mario
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: dgd on July 22, 2016, 08:30:00 PM
Hi Mario,
I will get 1820 loaded and see how pc comm mode performs.
Did you get any further with the registers available via serial port?
Or make any changes to the handshaking protocol?

Dgd
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: caribou on July 23, 2016, 09:33:03 AM
Thank you Mario for the update!

:-)

Jean-Francois Ng
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: caribou on July 24, 2016, 09:04:42 AM
Yesterday, I try the new firmware.

I change the communication mode to PC and was able to receive data.
There are data every second, that is very good!
But, when Kid is in PC mode, the solar charger was not working....

I put the charger communication mode in Sync and Kid start to charge.

I wrote a script that was working with the data that kid send in a sync mode and I was reading battery stage to draw a graphic with battery voltage and battery stage.

Could you add to the list of data battery stage?

This is a graphic created from RRDtools

Thanks

JF


Title: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta Temperature Glitch
Post by: ClassicCrazy on July 24, 2016, 05:21:07 PM
Uploaded 1820 beta

I go to temperature screen and read
CPU 42 C  FET 39 C Bat 34 C
When I press Setup button it toggles to F
But then it reads
CPU 08 F  CPU 02 F Bat 65 F

May want to check that part of the code Mario.

Ambient temperature is 95 F here today .

Larry

Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Highflyer on July 25, 2016, 01:28:49 PM
Mario,

Uploaded 1820.  I'll check the data this weekend.

Thanks for the work, I know you are being pulled in a lot of directions right now, so thanks for taking some time for the Kid.
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: lysningen on July 25, 2016, 04:11:04 PM
where's Anti Click SenSit. there is something to sleep in input that will not do
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: TomW on July 25, 2016, 06:35:37 PM
Quote from: lysningen on July 25, 2016, 04:11:04 PM
where's Anti Click SenSit. there is something to sleep in input that will not do

Sorry, I do not understand what you are trying to say? And  Anti Click Sensit is unfamiliar to me?

Tom
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: ClassicCrazy on July 25, 2016, 08:07:36 PM
He probably means the mode where if at sunset or cloudy conditions the Kid is hunting and the relay is clicking back and forth between resting and charging . There was another mode I think to help with that .

I don't remember what was on the old firmware of the Kid because I only ever used Solar . This firmware  has Solar , Solar 2 , and USet

Larry
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: lysningen on July 26, 2016, 07:19:05 AM
input / solar / setup / sleep / min. but it will not work
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: CDN-VT on July 26, 2016, 10:49:14 PM
PLEASE STAY METRIC , USA is the only / last , will loose big time  if not catching up .



ISS is metric , Space is also , it's just a temp , so start there !!!!

Dollars are METRIC , 10c X 10 = 1 dollar / buck
Now if you want a head spin (smart folks only try this ) try the shilling/bob /english old money till they went metrick ;) , it took a bit , but then all dividable by 10's .. I know many price wars were had , till it all settled out. Im Brit from a island over there .

DO not fall back MARIO !!

I really can-not believe I just type that in 2016 & were still on F because of a few .
30C here today & the pool was 80*F , learn both !!

My 5 cents ..

VT
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: ClassicCrazy on July 27, 2016, 01:20:03 AM
That is exactly why I need both C and F  - so I can toggle back and forth to learn the metric system.  Not a big deal really.
But you got me looking up one of my favorite authors - sailor Tristan Jones and I remembered in one of his books he did a long explanation on why  a system divisible  by  2, 3, 4, 6 , 12 was more in tune with nature as well as math.  Think number of seasons, months, seconds , minutes, hours in a day , degrees in a circle, etc - he had more . Personally I use both and don't have a fancy for or against one or the other. 
Larry
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: RossW on July 27, 2016, 01:24:11 AM
Quote from: ClassicCrazy on July 27, 2016, 01:20:03 AM
why  a system divisible  by  2, 3, 4, 6 , 12 was more in tune with nature as well as math.

(http://general.rossw.net/metric-imperial.jpg)
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: ClassicCrazy on July 27, 2016, 02:18:32 PM
All Mario did was add F to the temp readings ( or try to ) . He didn't get rid of the C !

Is it really that threatening to the world of measurements as you know it ? 

We have a lot of 1/2 inch and 9/16 bolts and nuts still left around here. If I throw away all my standard wrenches and sockets it will make life tough !

Larry
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: lysningen on July 27, 2016, 04:28:50 PM
what should I use to connect the kid to PC
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Westbranch on July 27, 2016, 04:35:51 PM
A USB cord, standard on one end and a mini on the other end...  see the manual (pictures of USB plugin by the PV input wires)
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: ClassicCrazy on July 27, 2016, 04:38:08 PM
Quote from: lysningen on July 27, 2016, 04:28:50 PM
what should I use to connect the kid to PC

If you want to get serial data from the Kid this post explains how to do that
http://kb1uas.com/mnsforum/index.php?topic=2811.0
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: lysningen on July 27, 2016, 06:53:22 PM
thank you
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: CDN-VT on July 27, 2016, 08:58:03 PM
Quote from: ClassicCrazy on July 27, 2016, 02:18:32 PM

Is it really that threatening to the world of measurements as you know it ? 

We have a lot of 1/2 inch and 9/16 bolts and nuts still left around here. If I throw away all my standard wrenches and sockets it will make life tough !

Larry

Larry ,No it is not  threatening to the world of measurements , the metric system SI (System International [French Basis])  won out . ISO standard !

All I was saying , Metric is the way & when RossW posted , the year/month/day /hour/min/sec/micro/pico  made sense .

Im not worried , but it would be detrimental to exclude the rest of the world who is only metric .
I have to think to work the outbacks / trace in its temps of F , I get it , but to know 0c freeze 100 boil @ sea datum.
Im old , BS as in british standard whitworth sizes or BSW  , imperial , Stone ,National , Unified & now (metric in ISO ) is one , Italian & Japanese are the two other standards , but in a different industry standard. Kinda like plumbing !!!
I can't see the need for Fahrenheit but as long as Celsius stays. 

Im sure glad a watt is still a what ????

AND I DO KNOW THE CORRECT WASHROOM TO USE !!

VT

THE CORRECT WASHROOM  is only a USA thing ? Thinking :
USS is metric 100%
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Highflyer on July 29, 2016, 01:35:18 PM
And I don't know why suspenders are still around? 

Belts won out as the new standard years ago.

I'm just glad I can still use either  :)
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: TomW on July 29, 2016, 03:18:30 PM
Quote from: Highflyer on July 29, 2016, 01:35:18 PM.

I'm just glad I can still use either  :)

I heard some guys use both. Redundancy, I guess?
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: Highflyer on July 30, 2016, 10:02:10 AM
When I fly, temps are in C, and when I am at home temps are in F. 

I am comfortable with both measurements systems and transition between them daily.   
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: jamesmc on September 28, 2016, 06:20:43 PM
Quote from: caribou on July 24, 2016, 09:04:42 AM

Could you add to the list of data battery stage?


+1 for battery stage addition. 
COMM_batteryStage,    /// Battery charge stage Absorb, Bulk, Float, EQ
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: mosolarfan on October 06, 2016, 11:45:53 PM
have 1820 running on 2 kids, I have a couple of items to note,
1. temp section, battery temp does not convert correctly to F I have 20 C toggle to F and it reads 41? cpu and fet temps seem about right if you add the hundreds marker. with temp set to F display in data log and scrolling info still show C. if the temp changes only in the temp section then whats the point of it.

2. I have about 4 days of data logged and I notice that when i page from day 1-4, values are shown, when I page back from day, 4-1 values show 0, seems strange to me.
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: mosolarfan on October 07, 2016, 02:13:57 PM
after rechecking, the temp info in the scrolling data does report in F however bat temp is still off
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: jamesmc on December 30, 2016, 04:58:30 PM
Quote from: caribou on July 24, 2016, 09:04:42 AM
But, when Kid is in PC mode, the solar charger was not working....
I put the charger communication mode in Sync and Kid start to charge.

I can confirm similar behavior on two of our KIDS also running 1820.  The KID, after some time in PC mode, will enter a 'Resting' state and will not charge batteries.
Title: Re: Firmware Rev 1820 Beta
Post by: eraeco on March 11, 2017, 10:37:49 AM
Sorry, bad news:
I just tested the KID with firmwares 1811, 1820 and 1791 for PWM Divert function.
I did so because I remembered working well this function for diversion of surplus power with 1791 firmware, but now when I installed a KID with 1811 firmware for this function, it won't work well; seems like pulses are much bigger/slower leading to higher discharges when there is surplus energy (with setpoints set to -0.2 for voltage and 0.5 for width the charge controller falls back easily 1 V below the setpoint passing to bulk) and then a longer recovery phase (until charge controller gets back to absorption and even reaching absorption it takes like a second to connect the load again).
I tried with he 1820 firmware version and it's the same behaviour as with 1811, so I see no changes have been done regarding the PWM Divert function in this last revision.
I then installed 1791 firmware version and PWM Divert works perfectly.
Mario, could you please check and fix this issue in the next revision?

For now I'll set all KIDs, that use PWM Divert funtion to firmware 1791 (I have 2 projects with PWM Divert in the next weeks).