Building Jack’s Autopilot ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nA6wo9PXls ) and using the Qik 2s12v10 (on M1) to power one Vetus EHPA-R electro-hydraulic pump with specs according the manufacturier :
Current at no load : 6,5 A
Current at Max. : 9,5 A
Considering this information the Qik 2s12v10 would fit perfectly.
Used the 137/139 command + PID through pin 16/GRND of the MEGA Arduino.
During initial testing on the workbench the unit performed as expected.
Though during some more testing the Qik 2s12v10 (at once) made a (not so nice) noise and smoke/smell came from the unit.
Immediately disconnected the battery.
Tried the Qik 2s12v10 on M0 (worked in a way) and monitored the temperature of the board with a Flir thermocamera.
Noticed that the microcontroller heats up very quickly during operation to 180 dgr F, so attached a heatsink.
Measured the Amp’s during sort of crippled operation and found that 12-13 A is used during normal running of the motor, same current measured without the Qik
The question is: Is the unit gone, although it still operates but not IMHO correctly and can I test the unit for this?
and if the current is too much for the Qik will heatsinks help?
Smoke coming from a device like this almost certainly a sign of damage, so it is not surprising if it is not working correctly after that happened. It sounds like your current draw was very close to the recommended maximum. When did the damage occur (e.g. right when you plugged it in or after the system had been running for some time)? It sounds like the current draw you measured is higher than the maximum given by the manufacturer; is the voltage of the battery you are using (at full charge) higher than the rated voltage for the pump? Also, how does the voltage of the battery compare to the voltage you were using with your workbench tests?
You might be able to get slightly more current out of the qik 2s12v10 than we claim on the product page by adding a heat sink; however, we have not tested this. I suspect forced air flow would have a more noticeable impact. Since you would need to replace your qik anyway, I would recommend upgrading to a higher power Simple Motor Controller instead. The Simple Motor Controllers can still accept a TTL serial interface and have a lot of additional features and settings that can be configured via USB. You might consider looking through the different Simple Motor Controllers we offer to see if there is one that is appropriate for the current and voltage requirements of your system:
If you find a replacement controller you are interested in, you can contact us at support@pololu.com with the order information from your qik 2s12v10 purchase and a reference to this forum post, and we can look into the possibility of helping you out with a discount toward the replacement.
Damage occurred during testing after maybe 5 minutes into the test
(I think that the starting current of the motor is around 30 A and was used when forward/reverse-ing of the motor and this was maybe to much for the Qik)
The voltage of the battery is stable at 11.8 -12.1 V and the pump is rated 12 V.
The motor manufacturer attach an Autopilot to the motor they use the 2 supplied relais ?
I connected the Qik directly to the motor to make use of the PID output. Any comment on that?
I think the 18v25 would be the suitable one? What I’am missing in the specs of the 18v25 is the maximum short Amp usage, as stated in the Qik: 30 A. Will the 18v5 allow a starting Amp of 30 Amp’s
I am not sure what you are referring to here, but it sounds like the setup you were referencing used a pair of relays to control the pump and you are using a motor driver so you can have speed control of it, which sounds fine to me.
From the voltage and current specifications you gave, I agree that the 18v25 Simple Motor Controller sounds like a good choice. As you noted, we do not have a maximum transient current specification for the SMCs, but I expect the 18v25 to be able to handle the 30A spike from starting your motor.
Any kind of discount we can offer would only apply to orders placed through our website.
Called the manufacturer (VETUS), they told me NOT to send digital signals
to the DC motor…only ON/OFF via the relais…?
They would’t elaborate on the reason why, just 12V left and richt using the
relais. (So no PID refinement on the motor/helm)
Turns out that( I think) I have to buy a different DC hydraulic motor that
will accept the Pololu 18v25 signals… pfffff.
Just don’t understand the difference in the design of these DC motors, so I
have to study eventual differences.
Keep you updated on the progress, could take a few days(weeks),
(very expensive units)
If you have an idea what sort of DC motor would be best,?
For now I’am going to enjoy The Masters golf…
If that hydraulic pump uses a typical brushed DC motor, I am not sure why you could not use PWM to control it. If you have more information on the pump or the motor it uses, we would be glad to take a look.
