Last modified on 20090614
led3xc1
led3xc3
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c1assembly c1introduction The enhancements are: Other features: c1specification Caution: An experiment I have done was to drive a 12V automotive door window motor. This motor draws about 4 amps at 13.8V. I raised the voltage to 44V with a pulse width of about 1 second out of a cycle time of 18 seconds. The peak current into the motor is 55 amps @ 1/2 second! Everything remained reasonably cool. Cool huh!
The LED3X series Tracker PC boards uses through hole parts. These components are easier to assemble than the surface mount parts on the previous LED3 tracker.
The assembly should be done in the specific order outlined to minimize the risk of damage to the circuits in case there are solder shorts or misplaced components.
Caution: Assembly Tools:
1. A low wattage temperature controlled soldering iron that can be set to 700F.
2. Small diameter wire solder. I use Kester RMA, Rosen Mild Activation, based 37/63 solder in .014" wire size.
3. Metal tweezers for manipulating the tiny components.
4. Magnifiers or high magnification reading glasses. I use 3.5 or 4 diopter reading glasses.
5. Solvents to clean the solder flux. I use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, available in the drug department. Cleaning should be done in a well ventilated area. Isopropyl is Flammable so be careful. You can also use "Heat" automotive gas line antifreeze. Don't use the newer isopropyl version of Heat, red container, as there is some kind of residue left. Use the older methanol based "Heat" in the yellow container.
6. A digital multi meter with sharp pointed probes for measuring resistance and voltage.
7. A current limited power supply that can be set to about .25 amps or lower. To further limit the current put a 500 ohm 1/2 watt resistor in series with the output. This power supply should be adjustable from at least 10 volts to about 18 volts to adequately perform the tests. It would be nice if the power supply can go as high as about 44 volts. However, make sure that you don't go any higher than 44 volts as this could damage the shunt protection zener diode D5. So be careful. 8. A bright light source for testing the tracker operation. I use a 400W halogen reading lamp.
c1schematic c1timing c3layout c1assembly When I say to "Tack Solder" this means to solder one lead of a component on the top side of the board. I have arranged all the components so one easily accusable lead is always on the end closest to the mounting hole. The components are small and light and one can't turn the board over unless tack soldered because they will fall out.
Lay the board flat on a table and insert the components so the leads are flush with the table. This make for a clean flat back side. I assemble and tack solder all small components on the top side before turning over to complete the soldering.
Note! Some components are not in the kit. These are for other options such as remote sensors, (CONN2, R11, R12) or direct drive control, (CONN3, R10).
Also! There have been some substitutions of parts throughout the circuit. These were done mainly due to parts availability. OK, to be honest, I got some good deals on parts at ebay. I will comment about substitutions throughout the assembly instructions. These substitutions generally improve the circuit reliability.
The most important test to perform is the Ohmmeter test. This board is laid out in such a way that almost all circuit traces can't short out to each other, rather, these shorts will be to ground. Shorts can be caused by a variety of things. The most common is a solder bridge but shorts could come from the PC board manufacturer also. The Ohmmeter test is easy to do. Just set the Ohmmeter to something like 20K Ohms with the - terminal connected to the ground plane. The + lead then tests all the circuit pins looking for zero ohms or shorts.
Don't worry if a higher value is read as this is most likely just the forward drop of the circuit junctions. You can prove this by changing the Ohmmeter scale. If it is a junction the resistance value read will change. If it is a true resistance the value will be the same.
1. Mount all horizontal components.
2. Tack solder the top side.
3. Mount all the vertical small components.
4. Tack solder the top side.
5. Q5 MPSA18 NPN Transistor. This can also be a BC337 or 2N3904. Note! the different orientation if a BC337 from the diagram. (Don't place if this is a ReMote sensor version, instead place the small connector CONN2.) 6. LED1, LED2 Large 10mm Lumex Green clear cased LED. (Not used if a remote sensor version.)
7. CONN1
8. Turn over and solder all installed components.
9. Install the PolyFuze and solder.
10. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
11. Turn the potentiometer fully clockwise, apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts between pin 1 + and pin 4 -, and test for:
12. Install Q6 KSC2330YBU or 2SD667-D NPN Transistor and solder. A BC337 or 2N3904 can be used for 24V operation. Note!, the different package orientations. The BC337 or 2N3904 needs to be installed with the Collector and Base leads reversed. ("c3 revision" has the leads correct for the KSC2330YBU and 2SD667-D.) 13. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
14. Turn the potentiometer fully clockwise, apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts between pin 1 - and pin 4 +, and test for:
15. U3 74AHCT14 hex Schmidt Trigger logic gate and solder.
16. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
17. Turn the potentiometer fully clockwise, apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts between pin 1 + and pin 4 -, and test for:
Note! U1 pin 2 is actually a pulsed signal that's about 10% 0 volts and 90% 5 volts at about 250 Hz.
Note! This assumes low light on the sensors to simulate Parking.
Shine light onto LED1
18. U1 and U2 IR2184, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and solder. 19. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
20. Add C7 47uF 100V Capacitor. Observe the polarity. The stripe is ground. And solder.
21. Turn the potentiometer fully clockwise, apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts between pin 1 + and pin 4 -, and test for:
22. Apply full unlimited power to CONN1, +11 volts between pin 1 + and pin 4 -.
Be very careful and make sure the current isn't more than a few 10s of mille Amps. The drivers can be damaged if the current is excessive due to a circuit short. Remove power immediately if a fault is detected, especially if the drivers get warm. And test for:
Observe the operation of the indicator LED.
Drop the power supply voltage to less than about 10 volts. Adjust the power supply to find the point where the indicator LED operates. This should be around 10.5 volts with a hysteresis of about .5 volts or so. This parameter is fairly loose in the IR2184 specification. 23. Connect a reversible permanent magnet DC motor with limit switches between CONN1 pins 2 and 3.
Observe the operation of the motor to see it go reverse, stop, and forward.
Observe the operation of the limit switches. Adjust the potentiometer near counter-clockwise. 24. Mount the tracker inside a weather dome. Use a #4 machine screw. Make sure there are no shorts. I use Skippy plastic peanut butter jars. They seal quite well. The PETE plastic is excellent in the UV solar environment. However, the lid is not very good with UV. Black paint on this lid helps considerably. Some have coated the lid with aluminum foil.
25. Good luck.
26. If you are building an RI, Reverse Inhibit, version continue onto: How I do it? I use an assembly board that holds 11 units. I first hand solder the two SMT parts, then place the LED sensors and connectors. I then place all the other parts. I use a small solder pot to dip solder the whole board. I use a very nice high activation solder flux that must be removed shortly after soldering. This stuff is like magic.
I clean up the possible solder bridges and failed connections.
I then test the board using a VERY GOOD current limited power supply, a Kikusui PAL 35-10. This power supply prevents damage to any parts if there is a solder short anywhere on the board. c3c1operations LED3X Solar Tracker Operating Instructions
c3c1instalation Instalation: Be careful to avoid reflected light. One of my customers had quite a bit of a problem with an adjacent white painted garage to the west. The solution was a small blocking shade to the west of the sensor.
Most use satellite dish actuators to move their mounts. The nice thing about satellite dish actuators is their slow speed of motion, low operating current, and the integral limit switches. Many of my customers build their own drives. The most successful have very high gear ratios. I recommend something about 100,000 to 1. 300,000 to 1 is even better.
It's a REQUIREMENT to have limit switches in the motor circuit. When the tracker goes to park it drives the motor to the east and doesn't stop. The limit switch stops the movement. So you just have to have limit switches!!! led3xforsale I have the standard LED3XS24Vc3 solar tracker available for sale for $35.00us fully assembled. This includes the power connector and 5 pins (an extra pin just in case). This is easy using a PayPal method, see below.
I have a number of variations for special applications. Please email me for particulars on special application trackers including versions with: Shipping & handling is $4.00us for any number of trackers to almost anywhere in the world. Postal Address: Email address: Phone number: I also have a PayPal account. PayPal accepts moneys in your countries currency and pays me in my countries currency. For convenience I have 5 standard versions, which most customers request, that can be ordered using the automated PayPal system. Or you can order special versions using PayPal "Quasi Cash". Please email me if you have other requirements not in the below selections. I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry. I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry.
paypalleddrmripack
paypalleddrmripackkit
I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry.
paypalledsrmpack
paypalledsrmripack
paypalleds48vrmripack
paypalledsrmpackkit
I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry.
paypalledsrmripackkit
I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry.
paypalledsrmnripackkit
I will not be responsible for fixing an assembly not done by me. You buy the kit at your own risk. Sorry.
Top. Normal operation between limit switches. Select a diode or rectifier rated at the maximum motor current plus some margin. Also the voltage should be at least 100V and preferably 200V.
Needles to say, the limit switch must operate before the mechanical limits are reached. If the mechanical stop is reached before the switch the motor can draw quite high currents and can destroy the solar tracker.
power relaydc1 relayac1 relayac2 manual Some of my commercial customers like the 4th circuit. Essentially forward and reverse manual motion is done with 2 pre wired plugs. Just unplug from the tracker and insert the pre wired plug. This guarantees that no damage can be done to the tracker because it is entirely out of the picture.
The power contacts are sized to accept a wire size up to 16 gauge. I usually use 24 gauge. High current motors may need a bit larger wire. However, even for high current motors large wire size is not required as the average current is less than an average of 3.75A.
The tracker was designed to be used in the northern hemisphere and park in the east. The components will then be up on the board. To use in the southern hemisphere flip it over with the components down. If the motor tracks in the wrong direction just flip the motor leads around.
If you want to park in the west, (not recommended), flip the circuit opposite from above.
rowe This turns a bit fast without speed reduction but this was only a test besides it can be slowed down considerably with the duty cycle control. The diode that shows on the side of the motor is one of two across the limit switches on this gear motor. The motor was originally used on vending machines, and paper shredders, however it is no longer in their catalog.
Thanks for the pictures Patrick!
Note!, the current revision LED3XS24Vc3RM variant with external sensor, and connectors costs $45us + $4us s/h. The new one includes a single axis remote sensor PC board called the LEDSRMP with parking. A kit of all parts is the LEDSRMP24Vc3PACK. See: dougherty plhak George has a beutiful looking activly tracked trough array. The troughs are arranged so the main axis oriented in a North-South direction. The North end has been elevated a bit so the main axis is between horiziontal and polar.
The water piping doesn't move, similar to Rowe's example above. This method has a distinct advantage as there are no rotary joints that can cause leaks. Cool huh!
The LED3XS24Vc3 tracker is enclosed in a weatherproof enclosure from Leviton. George will be selling plans and passibly some hardware parts for this project.
paulpakelson lancette This design uses a "Sanka" coffee glass jar mounted on an aluminum plug he machined. It includes an O ring for a seal and friction lock. This plug is threaded onto a conduit which acts as a mast, a wire way, and a vent.
The motor is a Grainger 2l008. 8 rpm with a gear ratio of 603/1. This makes for a total gear ratio of about 1,200,000/1.
wolfgang
This project has been a bit of a struggle. We first tried to to use the LED5 low power solar tracker as Wolfgang was using high gear ratio motors rated at 100mA. However, during storms the high winds caused overloading and burned them out. Unfortunately the standard LED3X high power solar tracker would try to park at night, but there are no limit switches in the system which would cause the panels to turn all night, not good. The solution was to add the "no park" feature which works perfectly for him.
See how the constant tilt PV panels can rotate under the boat railings.
fitch I have a copy of The Mother Earth News version here: britton martinez theismann moore He choose to use a pair of single axis LED3XS24Vc3 trackers. The mount is a rebuilt Wattsun unit.
hoskin " Thanks, the LED3X is an elegant design, and I speak as an engineer. I stuck it in an outdoor lighting can I got from the local hardware store.
I've included a couple of pictures, including one that shows the original Wattsun controller (now defunct, but still useful as a shadow post). I originally built up this system to see if it was possible to charge my electric bikes solely from a small PV setup. This answer seems to be: yes, for about 5 months of the year in Seattle.
I got the can at Lowes hardware here in Seattle. It's a Luxar #144175 black 10W halogen light made by Manor House. I stole the weatherproof cable entries from the original Wattsun tracker, and bent up the internal bracket that held the light to mount the board (how about another mounting hole on the board, btw). The best thing about the can is the front glass screws off to make adjustments, but still has a nice rubber gasket to seal against weather when on. "
This is a very nice looking weather dome.
lexan Note, I do not recommend casting the circuitry in the resin as, long term, there can be damage to solder joints due to differential thermal expansion.
scratchbuilt witherspoon meunier plunk kozlowski He has a nice weather based web site. mcintyre bray satellite wylan parish flores volvo djpitr scrapit85 moleiro The LED3X is in the glass jar.
It has six 75W panels with space for two more. He also has a wind turbine. They power his ham-radio station and the lighting for his house.
garrison The vertical axis can rotate as many degrees as required. The drum, actually a small tire rim, is fixed to the main pole. The cable is moved with the linear actuator. When moving the actuator assembly and dish rotate about the fixed drum in AZimuth. The dish moves in ALTitude with the secondary tilt actuator.
He is using an LEDDRMPP24Vc3Pack Standard Dual Axis Solar Tracker with Remote Sensor and parking on both axes. west newton Note! His electric output is about 100W. The turbine output was about 500W. There was a major mismatch between the turbine and the generator. (He said he ran out of money.)
geotrack cross jory He needed a low cost light weight system to power the camera with a PV panel. We decided that a tracking mount was the best solution. There is a lead acid battery to run the camera when the sun is not out.
The Steca Solsum 6.6c LVD charge controller has a low voltage disconnect feature to protect the camera and not allow the battery to be discharged excessively. This charge controller was taken out of its case and installed inside the Lexan weather dome.
I made 2 versions. The big mount was for a 30 watt panel and cost about $275us total. The small one was for a 10W panel and cost about $235us total. Ok, this does not include the $1600us Panasonic camera.
LED3XS24Vc3 solar trackers were used in both units. sg2100 This tracking mount is based on the $70us Sadoun PowerTech DG-240 H-H, horizon to horizon, small dish mover and LED3XS24Vc3RI solar tracker with Reverse Inhibit. The DG-240 is designed to support a 1.2 meter aluminium dish. This is equivalent to about 13 square foot of area. A crystalline PV panel has an efficiency of about 15% or about 15W/ft^2. This implies that this mount can support about 180 watts of crystalline PV panels. The panel in my example is rated at 30W and is 13"x23". Or the larger 1.4 meter aluminium dish unit capable of supporting about 23 square foot. The main bearing is what appears to be a sealed ball bearing type. The secondary bearing is an Oilite type. The main worm gear is capable of rotating 360 degrees.
Cool thing, the DG-240, and DG-280, has what I call "conventional" internal limit switches.
(I have another H-H mount, SG-2100, that has "unconventional" limit switches which are not as easy to use. I have a possible method to use the internal switches, but this is untested. The simple method is to use external limit switches. There is another model available, the DM-2100, but I have never seen this one.)
If the limit switches are removed the unit can be rotated 360 degrees and be used with a "no park" tracker. Of course "slip rings" would be needed. In this case the shaft would be stationary and the body would turn.
I gutted the unit by removing the main board and motor drive board. I also removed the center positioning switch. The Yellow limit switch wire is soldered to the marked motor terminal, (red dot). The red limit switch wire and the second motor terminal go to the LED3X tracker motor terminals.
Note! This drive is a bit fast so the RI, Reverse Inhibit, feature daughter board must be installed!
I have tested this motor on 36V with no trouble. However, 12V is a better choice. Even at 12V I would put the speed in the "Fast" category. This definitely requires the "RI" or Reverse Inhibit feature installed. This tracker is the LED3XS24Vc3RI.
The mounting pipe, in this example, is mounted upside down from the normal "Dish" position. The little metal arrow must be filed off so it will not interfere with a metal tab on the case.
sg2100 windvane This should work well as, generally, the wind direction doesn't change directions as fast as the boat does.
This idea can also be mounted on a deck.
brown The panel drive is a linear actuator from Firgelli Automations. Part No. FA-05-12-24. Easterly extent is limited by one of the actuator's limit switches. The geometry extents do not permit the use of the other one for Westerly extent, which does not signify at this time of year, but I am going to fit a separate switch for that, one of the coil-spring sensor ones, like a pinball machine switch, before the days get longer. The output goes to a junction box in the greenhouse with an armored cable, of handsome cross-section, running to the basement of the house.
Robert's glass weather dome was a bit cramped to be able to use the connector which extends out the back end. So he soldered his wires directly to the board pins.
Note! I can supply the unit with the connector mounted in other orientations: Robert glued the board to the top of a plastic post using epoxy. While this can be done successfully gluing is generally not a good idea. Especially don't use the RTV silicone with acetic acid retarder. The acid can damage the board or prevent proper operation of the circuit. And don't do anything to the front end of the board forward of the IR2184 MOSFET drivers.
I just don't recommend gluing at all. There is a hole in the corner of the board that accepts a 4-40 machine screw.
pardell grabon poulo led3xc1mods npmod rsmod rimod If you are an "experimenter" I don't recommend the "Reverse Inhibit" feature as the operation is very slow to react to abrupt changes. I like the RI for my commercial customers who don't mind this. It's kind of like "watching paint dry". I can't have this when I do a demonstration.
led3xremotesensor
The remote sensors can be configured in several flavors. The PC board is configured in 2 halves. Each half is an individual single axis sensor. For single axis use the board is cut in half or dual axis if left whole. Depending on which components, positions, and jumpers installed all the configurations can be obtained.
Connect the remote sensor to the power units using light gauge wire, maybe as light as 30 gauge, there is very little current flowing here. Pin 1 to pin 1 (5 volt), Pin 2 to pin 2 through to pin 4 (ground). It can be a bit complicated when choosing the orientation and parking position of the dual axis sensor. The picture shows one setup with parking to the East and Down, the most common. To help in determining how the sensor operates note the small indications "R" & "G" on the connectors. c3remotemounting The circuitry on the remote sensor is fairly high impedance. Care should be taken to prevent electrical noise entering the board. The remote sensor PC board should not be connected electrically to the mounting frame. It should be insulated from the mounting point. Also, do not us RTV adhesives because they contain acetic acid.
rmdome While glass jars work fine with PV arrays the uneven optical properties of the glass doesn't allow high precision tracking as needed with concentrators. I would prefer the better optical qualities of PETE plastic containers such as "Peanut Butter" jars. But the mounting method looks good.
Make sure there is a very good seal where the threds go through the jar. This is a good place to use RTV.
led3xremotesensorschematic
leddrmconnections led3xb2 Introduction: Caution: The LED3Xb2 Tracker PC board uses through hole parts. These components are easier to assemble than the surface mount parts on the previous LED3 tracker.
The assembly should be done in the specific order outlined to minimize the risk of damage to the circuits in case there are solder shorts or misplaced components.
Caution: Assembly Tools:
1. A low wattage temperature controlled soldering iron that can be set to 700F.
2. Small diameter wire solder. I use Kester RMA mild activation rosin based 37/63 solder in .014" wire size.
3. Metal tweezers for manipulating the tiny components.
4. Magnifiers or high magnification reading glasses. I use 3.5 or 4 diopter reading glasses.
5. Solvents to clean the solder flux. I use Acetone, available at building centers. Cleaning should be done in a well ventilated area. Acetone is Flammable so be careful.
6. A digital multi meter with sharp pointed probes for measuring resistance and voltage.
7. A current limited power supply, set to about .25 amps. To further limit the current put a 500 ohm 1/2 watt resistor in series with the output. This power supply should be adjustable from at least 10 volts to about 18 volts to adequately perform the tests. It would be nice if the power supply can go as high as about 42 volts. However, make sure that you don't go any higher than 42 volts as this could damage the shunt protection zener diode D5. So be careful. 8. A bright light source for testing the tracker operation.
b2assembly When I say to "Tack Solder" this means to solder one lead of a component on the top side of the board. I have arranged all the components so one easily accessible lead is always on the end closest to the mounting hole. The components are small and light and one can't turn the board over unless tack soldered because they will fall out.
Lay the board flat on a table and insert the components so the leads are flush with the table. This make for a clean flat back side. I assemble and tack solder all small components on the top side before turning over to complete the soldering.
Note! Some components are not in the kit. These are for other options such as remote sensors, (CONN2, R11, R12) or direct drive control, (CONN3, R10).
The most important test to perform is the Ohmmeter test. This board is laid out in such a way that almost all circuit traces can't short out to each other, rather, these shorts will be to ground. Shorts can be caused by a variety of things. The most common is a solder bridge but shorts could come from the PC board manufacturer also. The Ohmmeter test is easy to do. Just set the Ohmmeter to something like 20K Ohms with the - terminal connected to the ground plane. The + lead then tests all the circuit pins looking for zero ohms or shorts.
Don't worry if a higher value is read as this is most likely just the forward drop of the circuit junctions. You can prove this by changing the Ohmmeter scale. If it is a junction the resistance value read will change. If it is a true resistance the value will be the same.
1. Mount all horizontal components.
2. Tack solder the top side.
3. Mount all the vertical small components.
4. Tack solder the top side.
5. Q5 BC337 NPN Transistor
6. LED1, LED2
7. CONN1. I bend this connector outward a few degrees to keep the connector away from the power transistor to be mounted later. Note, the connector can be braces in this bent position by resistor R13.
8. Turn over and solder all installed components.
9. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
10. Apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts to pin 1 - to pin 4, and test for:
11. Q6 BC337 NPN Transistor and solder (Use a ZTX656 for 48V Note the different package orientation)
12. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
13. Apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts to pin 1 - to pin 4, and test for:
13. U3 74AHCT14 logic gate and solder
14. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
15. Apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts to pin 1 - to pin 4, and test for:
16. U1 and U2 IR2184, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and solder.
17. Do an Ohmmeter check to see if there are any shorts to ground and fix any.
18. Add LED3. Note the longer lead is closest to the connector. And solder
19. Add C7. Observe the polarity. The stripe is ground. And solder.
20. Apply current limited power to CONN1, +18 volts to pin 1 - to pin 4, and test for:
21. Apply full unlimited power to CONN1, +11 volts to pin 1 - to pin 4.
Be very carful and make sure the current isn't more than a few 10 of mAs. The drivers can be damaged if the current is excessive due to a circuit short. Remove power immediately if a fault is detected, especially if the drivers get warm. 22. Connect a reversible DC motor with limit switches between CONN1 pins 2 and 3.
23. Mount the tracker inside a weather dome. Use #4 machine screws. Make sure there are no shorts. I use Jiff plastic peanut butter jars. They seal quite well.
24. Good luck.
c3assembly
LED3Xc3 & LED3Xc1 Solar Tracker Assembly
c3introduction
Introduction:
The LED3X series of solar trackers are designed to drive satellite dish linear actuators. These actuators have built in limit switches.
Revision "c3" is nearly identical to "c1" but has some edited component footprints and some extra pads to allow the addition of a small daughter board for the reverse inhibit feature.
Revision "c1" was designed as an enhancement to "b2".
Other changes as noted below.
Revision "c3" are minor layout changes, I might as well do these when I order a new set of boards.
1. Adjustment for duty cycle from 0% to 100%. The cycle time is about "c3" = 60 seconds, "c1" = 18 seconds. ( This can be changed from a second or so to over 5 minutes if needed. )
2. Over current protection using a 3.75 amp Raychem PolyFuze resettable solid state fuse. This fuse limits the average current a bit over 3.75A. When tripped the PolyFuze goes into a high resistance state. To reset the PolyFuze one must remove power to the LED3X to let it cool down.
3. Over temperature protection for the MOSFETs by thermally coupling the PolyFuze to the transistors.
4. A higher current rating for the power connector of 7 amps. The pulse currents can be much higher. I have experimented with pulse currents of over 50 amps & 1/2 second, probably near the fusing limit of the traces on the board. Much higher average currents could be used if an external heat sink were used. (Ok, while the board was designed to be able to make use of an external heat sink, I have not found the need to try it yet.)
5. The board has mostly 15mil spacings to reduce the tendency for shorts.
6. The board has LPI solder mask to further reduce the tendency for shorts and reduces leakage currents.
7. 2 LED light sensor.
8. In addition to the standard sensor position that "looks" off the end of the board the LEDs can be positioned to "look" up from the board.
9. Wide operating voltage range of 10.5V to 44V for the standard unit to up to 91V for the high voltage version. While I haven't tried it, the voltage limit is 600V on the IR2184 power MOSFET drivers.( But who would want this anyway. )
10. Provision for external sensors, either close or very remote.
11. Under voltage protection of about 10.5V to both protect the MOSFETs and prevent damage to a lead acid battery that may be the power source.
12. The LED3X can be used as a general power H-bridge motor driver.
13. The normal board doesn't use a heat sink. Provision is made to use an external heat sink so the operating currents are limited only by the MOSFETs one chooses.
c3specification
Electrical specifications for LED3X24Vc3, LED3X24Vc1
Parameter
Operating
Absolute Maximum
Input Voltage (24 volt nominal)
10.5 to 44 Volts
-0.7 to 45 volts
Load Current with IRFZ44V
7.8 Amps
55 Amps with heat sink17.4 Amps for 1 seconds
220 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRFZ48V (Standard 24V Transistor)
9.1 Amps
72 Amps with heat sink20.4 Amps for 1 seconds
290 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRF1405
13.7 Amps
169 Amps with heat sink30.7 Amps for 1 seconds
680 Amps for 20mSElectrical specifications for LED3X48Vc3, LED3X48Vc1
Parameter
Operating
Absolute Maximum
Input Voltage (48 volt nominal)
10.5 to 91 Volts
-0.7 to 93 volts
Load Current with IRF520N
2.2 Amps
5 Amps with heat sink9.7 Amps for 1 seconds
38 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with FQP46N15 (Standard 48V Transistor)
5 Amps
40 Amps with heat sink12 Amps for 1 seconds
180 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRFB59N10D
6.3 Amps
59 Amps with heat sink14.1 Amps for 1 seconds
236 Amps for 20mS
Size specifications for LED3X series
Parameter
Dimension
Length of the PC Board
2.25"
Total Length Including the LED Sensors and Connector
3.25"
Width of the PC Board
1.00"
Total Width Including the LED Sensors
1.25"
Total Height Including the PolyFuze
1.25"
The above table is useful to determine the capabilities of the MOSFETs for the various versions. However, the connectors I have used on the LED3X "c" series is not rated for such high currents on a continuous basis. The connector is technically rated for 7 amps continuous. I find that 10 amps is not to excessive if done intermittently and much higher currents if the the pulses are short.
The components in this circuit are susceptible to damage through static discharges. Use normal static discharge prevention techniques such as a grounded workbench, soldering iron, and personal grounding wrist straps. Also the large mounting hole is connected to the negative power terminal and should be the first point touched when handling the circuit until the connector is installed which can then be the first thing touched.
(Or 88V for the LED3XS48V.)
c3schematic
LED3XS24 "c" Schematic
c3timing
LED3XS24 "c" Timing Diagrams. Note! Not to scale.
Assume the period is 60 seconds with a duty cycle of 33%.
c1layout
LED3XS24 "c" Layout
This layout is for the "c1" revision but the "c3" is nearly the same.
c3assembly
"c3"/"c1" Assembly Instructions:
LED3 Bicolor surface mount LED, the black band is away from
the board edge.
R13 2.4K 1 watt resistor (4.8K 2W for 48V
I use 2 of the 2.4K resistors in series.)
D1 1N4148 horizontal diode
D2 1N4148 horizontal diode
R8 220 ohm horizontal resistor (May be 200 ohm.)
R9 220 ohm horizontal resistor (May be 200 ohm.)
R5 1M Potentiometer ("c3 revision" has a surface mount part.)
C3 .02uF Capacitor (Change to .1uF and place between the emitter
and collector pins of Q5 for the ReMote sensor version.)
R10 10K If used (For Remote Shut down feature.)
D9 1N4148
D10 1N4148
D6 5.1V Zener
C9 .1uF Capacitor
D7 5.1V Zener
D8 1N4148
R3 910 1/8W Resistor
C5 .1uF Capacitor
R11 10K If used (For ReMote sensor version, 10K with normal short leads.)
R12 10K If used (For ReMote sensor version, 10K with bent leads.)
CONN2 If used (For ReMote sensor version and solder in place.)
R2 180K (Change to 2.2M for ReMote sensor version.)
R1 1M
D3 5.1V Zener
R4 470K or 510K for "c3 revision" (was 47K in "c1 revision")
D4 1N4148 Diode
C10 .1uF
R7 200 ohm 1/8W Resistor (May be 220 ohm.)
C4 100uF 10V Electrolytic Capacitor. Observe the polarity.
The stripe is Minus.
R14 10K 1/4W Resistor (17K 1/4W for 36V version, 27K 1/4W for 48V version.)
R6 200 ohm 1/8W Resistor (May be 220 ohm.)
D5 51V Zener Diode ("c3 revision" has D5 mounted near mounting hole.)
About 5V on U3 pin 14
About 14V on U1 pin 8
About 14V on U2 pin 8
About 5V on U3 pin 14
About 15V on U1 pin 5
About 14V on U1 pin 8
About 14V on U2 pin 8
About 5V on U3 pin 14
About 4.5V on U1 pin 2
About 0V on U1 pin 1
About 5V on U2 pin 1
About 5V on U1 pin 1
About 0V on U2 pin 1
Observe the change on U1 pin 1 and U2 pin 1 when the light is moved in front of the sensor LEDs.
C2 47uF 50V Electrolytic Capacitor. Observe the polarity. The stripe is Minus. Was 1uF in the diagram. (Actually this capacitor is quite non critical and may be 22uF and with other voltages, 16V or higher.)
C1 47uF 50V Electrolytic Capacitor. Observe the polarity. The stripe is Minus. Was 1uF in the diagram. (Actually this capacitor is quite non critical and may be 22uF and with other voltages, 16V or higher.)
Vin volts on CONN1 pin 2.
Note! Vin will be less than the power supply
due to the current limiting resistor.
0 volts on CONN1 pin 3
The indicator LED should be red, (or orange/yellow).
Shine light onto Western LED1
0 volts on CONN1 pin 2
Vin volts on CONN1 pin 3
The indicator LED should be green.
Observe the change on CONN1 pin 2 and CONN1 pin 3 when the light is moved in front of the sensor LEDs.
The indicator LED should go out.
This tests for under voltage protection.
Note! This test on some units may fail. This is not a true failure. You may need to connect a light load to CONN1 pins 2 and 3. A 100 ohm resistor or small 12V motor should do the trick.
Make sure they stop the motor before encountering a hard mechanical limit as excessive current can occur. The forces can be quite high and cause mechanical damage if the limit switches are not properly adjusted.
The motor should move in bursts determined by the setting of the potentiometer. The standard duty cycle capacitor, 100uF, gives a period of about 60 seconds. This has a loose tolerance as this capacitor is an electrolytic type. Usually -20% to +80%. This capacitor can be made as high as 1000uf to increase the cycle and on times.
Reverse Inhibit installation.
OK, I don't really use these time consuming assembly procedures when I put them together. If you are very experienced you may want to do it the way I do it.
Works very nicely %^)
The LED3X requires a weather dome to protect it from moisture. I recommend small plastic peanut butter jars, but many other enclosures can be used. It can be mounted almost anywhere on the movable portion of the mount. Generally the best location in on the north eastern quadrant.
The exception is when the No-Park feature is installed on remote sensor versions. No-Park trackers usually need "Slip Rings" to transmit power down the tracking mount without twisting the wires off.
LED3XS24Vc3 For Sale
1. Remote Sensors, single or dual axes
2. High drive voltages
3. No-Parking
4. Reverse Inhibit for fast motors drives
5. Remote Shutdown for things like thermostatic controls
6. Limit Switches with Normally Open contacts.
I accept checks, money orders, and funds in US DOLLARS ONLY.
Duane C. Johnson
Red Rock Energy
1825 Florence St.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110-3364
USA
Duane C. Johnson <redrok@redrok.com>
(651)426-4766 days and evenings. Central time zone.
To get the current exchange rate see:
My PayPal account is:
redrok@redrok.com
limitops
How Limit Switches Operate
Limit switches are essential for servo motor operation with solar trackers. I made this diagram to help explain how they work.
Middle. The left limit switch has opened to stop movement to the left. To move to the right again the diode conducts current that allows movement to the right.
Bottom. The right limit switch has opened to stop movement to the right. To move to the left again the diode conducts current that allows movement to the left.
Some have expressed an interest in driving high powered loads beyond the capabilities of the H-Bridge driver transistors. To this end I developed several high powered driver circuits, (actually their almost the same circuit as in the relay trackers).
RelayDC1
Relay circuit that uses DC relays with 12VDC coils. The DC motor in this case is a permanent magnet type that is reversible.
RelayAC1
Relay circuit that uses AC relays with 12VDC coils. The AC motor in this case is a capacitor run type.
RelayAC2
Relay circuit that uses AC Solid State relays with 3 to 32 VDC control inputs. The AC motor in this case is a capacitor run type.
led3manual
led3xmanual
LED3XManual
Some have expressed an interest in adding a switch to manually move the array for test purposes. One of these circuits, when added between the tracker and actuator, will allow manual movement. The first circuit has a fast and slow position. The second circuit is slow only but simpler. The first circuit is the nicest.
Patrick Rowe's system based on the Solar Resources International SOL R BEAM thermal trough
Patrick Rowe is using an LED3XS24Vc1RM variant. It has an external LED sensor. This tracker is driving an American Science & Surplus DC gear motor. In this case the gear motor is being tested for use with a trough solar hot water heater. I believe the motor turns at 1.6 RPM and consumes 300mA @ 12V.
The commercial trough on which the LED3X is installed. The original tracker had given up the ghost several years before. The four troughs are mechanically linked together.
The Motor is in the box on the right with a gear reduction in the center with the crank and linkage on the left.
Insulated hot water piping and what looks to be a Kee Klamp frame. See:
Kee Klamps
The glass baby food jar weather dome.
The control box which contains the LED3X and switches for manual operation.
Interior of the control box.
http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmpack
Rush Dougherty of Iron and Wood
Here's a web page that will also be using the Solar Resources International SOL R BEAM thermal trough system.
Plhak's N-S Axis Trough Tracking Mount
Note! This animation is of an earlier revission.
(It has a different weather dome and motor drive.)
The cover is a Leviton
5997-CL. George polished out the raised lettering to improve the optical properties.
Paul Pakelson's system
I did not supply the tracker for his tracking mount but it is a nice example. Thanks paul for the picture.
Bernie Lancette's PV Array Tracking Mount
A very nice example of a PV tracking array.
The gearbox is made by Winsmith Inc. It's a double worm gear type with a gear ratio of 2000/1. I could not find it on their web site though.
Wolfgang Schmidt's tracking system on a boat deck
Wolfgang <wschmidt@smartt.com>
is making tracking solar panels for boats. He plans to sell them. Neat huh!
The vertical axis mount can turn 360 degrees. They are equipped with slip rings to bring the power to the boats battery charging system.
The solar trackers are the LED3XS24Vc1NP, $40us. These have been modified with the "no park" feature, (see below). This was required as the orientation of the boat changes constantly.
William Fitch's system
What the Fresnel dish looks like before mirrors are added. This is William's version of the Teton Engineering / Mother Earth News Fresnel dish.
William is using an LED3X on an evacuated tube water heating panel.
tmen
* The TMEN article.
Jim Britton's trough
Jim is making a parabolic trough solar powered refrigeration system.
<jbritton@dslextreme.com>
Vincent Martinez's Test Tracking Mount
Vincent made a mock-up using two car rear view mirror electrical motors plus a few plastic gears. This was a test for him to become familiar with the equipment before fit it on the real big one in three years or so.
The tracker version he is using is the LEDDRMc3PPPack, a dual axis tracker with a remote sensor head. Notice the shadow blocker.
<vincent.martinez@replinks.snecma.fr>
John Theismann's Small Polar Axis Tracking Mount
This is a very nice example of a Polar Axis mount. The basic mount is built with threaded water pipe and 45deg elbows. The drive motor is a <Grainger's 2L003> gearmotor with 7000/1 gear ratio. The final gear ratio is about 8/1 for a total of about 56,000/1. Note, the final gear is made from a 180deg segment of an internal gear ring. OK, I would like it longer but John says it works nicely with the standard LED3XS24Vc3 running on 12V.
John has a pair of limit switches to limit the mechanical travel. He also has manual motion switches for experimental purposes.
John has a homemade wind generator.
<John G Theismann
Kevin Moore's Tracking Mount
Kevin's found some very nice looking sidewalk lighting units that can be a bit modified to be used as weather domes. There was a kind of pagoda structure that was cut off. There is also a nice weather tight 1/2" threaded EMT port on the bottom.
Nice work!
Christopher Hoskin's Tracking Mount
Christopher wrote:
Douglas Hutchinson's Machined Lexan Weather Dome
Very nice weather dome. This is machined in 2 halves and bolted together. He will be casting the next blocks using acrylic casting resin to form the space needrd for the LRDDRM dual axis sensor.
Gary Witherspoon's Dual Axis Tracking Polar Axis Mounts
Gary Witherspoon builds dual axis tracking mounts commercially.
These are Vertical Axis designs.
He uses my LED3X series of trackers to control them.
Please contact him for pricing.
<garyrw@direcway.com>
Denis Meunier's Dual Axis Tracking Vertical Axis Mounts
Denis Meunier builds single and dual axis tracking mounts commercially.
These are Vertical Axis designs.
He uses my LED3X series of trackers to control them.
He is in Canada. Please contact him for pricing.
<deny@mcsnet.ca>
Virgil Plunk's Dual Axis Tracking Mount
Virgil Plunk made a huge dual axis PV array.
<vlp2@sbcglobal.net>
Rich Kozlowski's Dual Axis Tracking Mount
Rich is using an older LED3XS24Vc1 tracker.
http://www.rsklogic.com/weather
Jeff McIntyre's PV Mount
Jeff McIntyre built this very nice polar axis mount.
This uses a single axis LED3X in the jar.
He lives in New Hampshire
DEClination is seasonally adjusted with the pair of large bolts.
Duncan Bray's PV Mount
Duncan Bray built this very nice polar axis mount.
This uses a single axis LED3X in the jar.
He lives in New South Wales, Australia.
taylor
Marshall Taylor's Semi Portable PV Mount based on a Satellite Dish Polar Tracking Mount.
Marshal setup this PV system at the 2004 Burning Man Festival.
This uses an LED3X in the jar.
This mount originally was a C-band satellite dish mount.
<marshall@perilith.com>
Joel Wylan's Array of Satellite Dish Polar Tracking Mounts.
Joel, from Florida, made these from old C-band satellite dish mounts.
Jim Parish's Polar Tracking Mount based on a Satellite Dish Mount.
The tracker is made from old C-band satellite dish mount.
Jim is using the standard single axis LED3X24Vc3 trackers.
Roberto Flores' Polar Tracking Mount based on a Satellite Dish Mount.
The tracker is made from old C-band satellite dish parts, a 24 inch’s actuator on a polar mount.
<roberto_fm@hotmail.com>
Volvo Farmer's Satellite Dish Polar Tracking Mount
Volvo Farmers C-band satellite dish based polar axis tracking mount.
See the story here:
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/3/6/12351/04204
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/7/8/20847/11730
djpitr's Polar Tracking Mount based on a Satellite Dish Mount.
He is using an LED3XS24Vc3 single axis tracker.
djpitr made a YouTube video showing his system.
Tracking throughout the day
A heliostat in the works
scrapit85's Polar Tracking Mount based on a Satellite Dish Mount.
He is using an LED3XS24Vc3 single axis solar tracker.
scrapit85 made a YouTube video showing his system.
Alexandre Moleiro's PV Mount
This is an old 1.8m satellite dish mount with some minor modifications. He made a drawing for the rack and mast and had it made by a local welder.
Steve Garrison's Vertical Axis Tracking Mount based on a Satellite Dish Mount.
This is a Vertical Axis mount.
Dan West's Tracking Mount
I've started with my prototype using a 4.6' dish covered with 2" mirrors. The collector is a little oversize to the square footage of the dish but I've already got plans to go up to the 10 and 12' dish.
<danwest@missvalley.com>
* C. Christopher Newton
This is a beautiful example of a Solar Dish Steam Turbine Electric Generator.
This was his masters thesis project.
Attached is a copy of his thesis paper which is on a concentrated solar thermal steam system.
In the appendices of the paper, you will find the diagrams for the steam turbine.
With the proper amount of steam supplied, the turbine is capable of 5 hp.
Geotrack Horizon to Horizon Satellite Dish mount.
cclancy1, Australia, sent me these photos of a single axis mount based on a Geotrack H-H satellite dish mount. I have not had one of these in my hands yet, but I'm told that they have the required limit switches. They should work fine as long as the wind loading is not exceeded to badly. The one in the picture was designed for a 1 meter, 3.25', dish which is about 5 square foot of area. I think the one in the picture is a bit larger than this.
Paul Cross' Horizon to Horizon Satellite Dish mount.
Paul has a large Horizon to Horizon Satellite Dish mount. It's a Jaeger SMO-36 and is good for a 2.4 to 3.6 meter dish, I don't think it's made anymore. It's similar to the SMR-1224EL (1.2-2.4m). Paul is initially going to use a single axis tracker and manually adjust the DEClination axis electricly.
http://www.jaeger.com.tw/tvro/superjack/mount_superjack.htm#1224
Jory Schwach's Polar Tracking Mount
Jory is a college student at the University of Minnesota. He is working on a project to power a very cool Panasonic digital camera. This camera in linked to the Internet using WiFi. The basic application is for counting traffic at intersections. The counting is done using DSP software with a master computer any where in the world. The mount is to be attached to semaphore poles using magnets.
The DC gear motors have built in limit switches. They are from vending machines, the type that spits out candy and rolls with a large spiral wire. I like these because they have a plastic cam and switches. All the hardware is there. The plastic cam can be carved to obtain any desired limit position.
Cool huh!!!
<jschwach@gmail.com>
dm2100
dg240
dg280
Small Polar Tracking Mount based on the Sadoun DG-240 H-H Mount
This mount system is suitable for relativly small tracked PV panels.
http://sadoun.com/Sat/Products/PowerTech/Sadoun-DG240_HH_Motor.htm
About $70 + shipping from Sadoun.
http://sadoun.com/Sat/Products/PowerTech/Sadoun-DG280_HH_Motor.htm
About $90 + shipping from Sadoun.
An idea on how to mount a PV Panel on a boat.
I got this idea about how to suspend a PV Panel on a sail boat from the mast. The tracking is done between the wind vane tail and the panel. The swivels also serve as slip rings.
Robert Brown's A Frame Polar Tracking Mount
Robert Brown lives in the UK. His mount is loosly based on the polar axis designs of Martin Poulek. See:
http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#traxle
http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=78&products_id=49
Rob says they seem of good quality and the price was right. However, the limit switches are not adjustable on this design and it's a bit fast at 3/4"/s.
1. Strait up, roughly along the power MOSFETs.
2. Strait down from the bottom of the board.
3. Forward mounted under the board.
4. Rearward mounted under the board.
5. And the standard, rearward mounter on top of the board.
Ricard Pardell's ALT/AZ Tracking Mount
Ok, I didn't supply the tracker, although I could have.
But seriously, take a look at the cool large size gears on this ALT/AZ mount.
http://www.sol3g.com/eng/index.htm
Mike Grabon Trough
Here at Solar Mountain Energy, we have a low cost parabolic concentrator with a fifteen square foot aperture. Our unit has a copper receiver with a selective radiation surface and a static vacuum encasement. In a 3.5 by 6 foot Lexan covered package it weighs in at 25 pounds. It will heat 30 gallons of water 100 degrees F in 5 hours, or create steam.
We offer them for $450.00 per unit.
<solar.mountain@yahoo.com>
http://solarmtn.com
Oops
An example of what can happen when the power is reversed.
Don't do this!!!
led3xc3mods
LED3X Modifications
1. NP, No Parking. If you don't want the tracker to park, possibly for the vertical axis on a 2 axis dish or a boat or RV application as with Wolfgang. Note! The NP feature is an option built into the RM, ReMote sensors. See below.
2. RS, Remote Shutdown, forces the tracker to move off track. This might be connected to a thermostat or relay contact to control water temperature or baking temperature in a solar oven. When the contacts are closed tracking is normal. Open the contact and the motion goes off track. $10us plus $4us shipping.
Note! On the standard tracker off track is toward the PARK position. On ReMote sensor versions off track is toward the FORWARD position.
Note! Reverse Inhibit should not be used in thermostatic controlled systems.
3. RI, Reverse Inhibit, prevents moving in the opposite direction for about 5 minutes after an initial move in any direction. This is useful for motor drives that move rapidly and tend to overshoot which causes "hunting". The RI is a small daughter PC board added to the main LED3X circuit board. $10us plus $4us shipping.
LED3X Remote Sensor
Click the image.
Dual Axis Sensor with Parking on Both Axes.
1. Single axis
Parking or no-parking.
2. Dual axis
Parking or no-parking on either axes.
Note! The grounds on the power units main power inputs must be connected together.
"R" corresponds to the the Red indication on the power unit which is moving toward the parking or reverse direction.
"G" corresponds to the the Green indication on the power unit which is moving in the forward direction.
Remote Sensor Mounting
Federico Constante, of Turkey, mounted his Dual Axis Remote Sensor in a glass jar. He drilled a hole in the jar bottom.
Remote Sensor Schematic
Dual/Single Remote Sensor Schematic
Note! This schematic serves a dual purpose. It's a diagram of the the full LEDDRM remote sensor PC board including all the features such as parking and no-parking. If cut in half it forms two single LEDSRM remote sensors.
LEDDRM Connection Diagram
LED3Xb2 Solar Tracker Assembly
Note! The LED3Xb2 has been superceded by the LED3Xc series.
The LED3Xb2 is designed to drive satellite dish linear actuators. Actuators have built in limit switches. Since there is no heat sink the standard current should be kept to below 5 amps.
Electrical specifications for LED3X24Vb2
Parameter
Operating
Absolute Maximum
Input Voltage (24 volt nominal)
10 to 42 Volts
-1.2 to 45 volts
Load Current with IRFZ44V (Standard Transistor)
7.8 Amps
55 Amps with heat sink17.4 Amps for 1 seconds
220 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRFZ48V
9.1 Amps
72 Amps with heat sink20.4 Amps for 1 seconds
290 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRF1405
13.7 Amps
169 Amps with heat sink30.7 Amps for 1 seconds
680 Amps for 20mSElectrical specifications for LED3X36Vb2
Parameter
Operating
Absolute Maximum
Input Voltage (36 volt nominal)
10 to 63 Volts
-1.2 to 68 volts
Load Current with IRF520N (Standard Transistor)
2.2 Amps
5 Amps with heat sink9.7 Amps for 1 seconds
38 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRF2807
8.8 Amps
71 Amps with heat sink19.6 Amps for 1 seconds
280 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRF1407
11.3 Amps
130 Amps with heat sink25.3 Amps for 1 seconds
520 Amps for 20mSElectrical specifications for LED3X48Vb2
Parameter
Operating
Absolute Maximum
Input Voltage (48 volt nominal)
10 to 84 Volts
-1.2 to 90 volts
Load Current with IRF520N (Standard Transistor)
2.2 Amps
5 Amps with heat sink9.7 Amps for 1 seconds
38 Amps for 20mS
Load Current with IRFB59N10D
6.3 Amps
59 Amps with heat sink14.1 Amps for 1 seconds
236 Amps for 20mS
The above table is useful to determine the capabilities of the MOSFETs for the various versions. However, the connectors I have used on the LED3Xb2 is not rated for such high currents. The connector is technically rated for 2.5 amps. I find that 5 amps is not to excessive if done intermittently.
The components in this circuit are susceptible to damage through static discharges. Use normal static discharge prevention techniques such as a grounded workbench, soldering iron, and personal grounding wrist straps. Also the outer edge of the board is connected to the negative power terminal and should be the first point touched when handling the circuit.
(Or 63V for the LED3XS36V or 84V for the LED3XS48V.)
"b2" Assembly Instructions:
R13 6.2K 1/4 watt resistor (17K 1/4W for 36V, 30K 1/4W for 48V)
D1 1N4148 horizontal diode
D2 1N4148 horizontal diode
R8 200 ohm horizontal resistor
R9 200 ohm horizontal resistor
C3 .02uF Capacitor
R5 220K 1/8W Resistor
C5 .1uF Capacitor
D4 1N4148 Diode
D3 5.1V Zener Diode
R4 130K 1/8W Resistor
D6 5.1V Zener Diode
C9 .02uF Capacitor
D7 5.1V Zener Diode
D8 1N4148 Diode
R3 910 1/8W Resistor
C4 .02uF Capacitor
R2 220K 1/8W Resistor
R1 1M 1/8W Resistor
R7 200 1/8W Resistor
C2 1uF Capacitor
R14 10K 1/4W Resistor (17K 1/4W for 36V, 24K 1/4W for 48V)
R6 200 1/8W Resistor
C1 1uF Capacitor
C6 1uF Capacitor (10uF 100V for 36V, 10uF 100V for 48V)
D5 48V Zener Diode
5 volts on U3 pin 14
> 4 volts on U1 pin 8
> 4 volts on U2 pin 8
5 volts on U3 pin 14
about 15 volts on U1 pin 5
about 14 volts on U1 pin 8
about 14 volts on U2 pin 8
5 volts on U3 pin 14
5 volts on U3 pin 14
4.5 volts on U1 pin 2
Note! U1 pin 2 is actually a pulsed signal that's
about 90% 0 volts and 10% 5 volts at about 250 Hz.
0 volts on U1 pin 1
5 volts on U2 pin 1
Shine light onto LED1
5 volts on U1 pin 1
0 volts on U2 pin 1
Observe the change on U1 pin 1 and U2 pin 1 when
the light is moved in front of the sensor LEDs.
Vin volts on CONN1 pin 2.
Note! Vin will be less than the power supply
due to the current limiting resistor.
0 volts on CONN1 pin 3
The indicator LED should be red, (or orange/yellow).
Shine light onto LED1
0 volts on CONN1 pin 2
Vin volts on CONN1 pin 3
The indicator LED should be green.
Observe the change on CONN1 pin 2 and CONN1 pin 3 when
the light is moved in front of the sensor LEDs.
And test for:
Observe the operation of the indicator LED.
Drop the power supply voltage to less than about 10 volts.
The indicator LED should go out.
This tests for under voltage protection.
Adjust the power supply to find the point where the
indicator LED operates. This should be around 10 volts
with a hysteresis of about .5 volts.
Observe the operation of the motor to see it go
reverse, stop, and forward.
Observe the operation of the limit switches.
Make sure they stop the motor before encountering
hard mechanical limits as excessive current can
occur.
<redrok@redrok.com>
