You can do that, set buck for 10V. Be sure that LED's are not flashing, or readings will be off.

Okay I had disconnect the charging and LED circuit. Set buck to 10V and power up the LED circuits.

Connect a jumper to short Q1-3 to Q1-1 and Q2-3 to Q2-1. Measurement as below;
R5 2.72V
R6 2.28V
R7 1.88V
R8 1.96V
R9 1.62V
R10 2.74V
R11 2.02V
R12 1.99V
R13 2.31V
R14 1.67V

Without jumper to short Q1-3 to Q1-1 and Q2-3 to Q2-1 Measurement as below;
R5 0.73V
R6 0.54V
R7 0.46V
R8 0.52V
R9 0.42V
R10 0.71V
R11 0.56V
R12 0.53V
R13 0.57V
R14 0.41V

I find that is it weird, why the voltage is not almost uniform. So I changed new resistors but still the same. I believe R9 & R14 is lowest because of the blue LED which have higher forward voltage.

 

Bernard,

I am down to the charge control section below.

At R22-2, I get only 10.05V (which is also the voltage at TB3-1.) That is the same either with or without D1 and D2 reconnected. Is 10.5V correct or did you have a typo and mean 10.05V? And should D1-1 and D2-1 be connected at this point?

Thanks

BR1 V adjustment:
Lift D1-1, add temporary jumper from U4-5 to ground, adjust R28-2 to max V at U4-6, around 4V. Is Q3-4 low? If yes, then is there V on TB5-1, input? If yes, adjust BR1 to 9.5V. Are LEDs on? If yes, go to Low battery adjustment.

Low battery adjustment:
Lift R27-2 and connect to an adjustable V like RSP-2, 10k pot used before as SP substitute. Set V to 11.5V. Reconnect R27, remove U4-5 jumper. Is U4-7 low? If yes, go to next step, No, re touch U4-5 to ground to reset U4.

Charge control:
Is there about 10.5V at R22-2? Yes, then adjust R23-2 to R22 V -.2 V , about 10.3V. Best if a seperate power supply is used for SP, nice if it is adjustable and can deliver .5A [ 50 ma for tracecoms one LED ].
Now, how we think it is suposed to work.
Not knowing how much excess power is available for battery charging, we just dump all SP power into the battery, if BBR1 holds V at 10.5V, battery charges at max available current; most likely BBR1's output will fall below 10.5V, at 10.3V, U4-1 goes high & after a short delay [ R25, C6 ] Q4 turns off; unloaded V climbs turning Q4 back on with short delay. The battery is then charged with pulses of current. We do not want the D1-1 V, to fall below 9.5V or we start running the LED's on battery power. May need to shorten R X C time constant,like R24 to 10k , if not enough C6 to .1.

 

jenovauh, nice measurements. Red LED's are close enough for now, you could change R9 & R14 to 82 Ω to bring blue LED's up closer to 20 mA.
tracecom, we need a load of about 100 Ω, with a LED & resistor for monitoring, to replace bank of LED's. I measured the V drop across a 1N4002 at .75V, with 100 mA flowing, so measurements at D1-1 & D1-2, ref to ground should be 10 V,+- 50 mV, 10.75, +- 50 mV, & across .75 V.
With "SP" V lowered so that D1-1 is lower than 9 V, V at D2-1 should be 9.5V & LED still on. On making these V settings, it would be best if charging is disabled by adding a temp. jumper from Q4-4, gate, to Q4-1, source. It may be easier to set R23 if normal " SP ' V is applied & BBR1 is temp. readjusted to TB3-1 V minus .2V, then adj. R23 to where it just switches, adj BBR1 back to origional setting. Start with C6 removed. If all appears to be working, it would be interesting to see the V swings at TB3-1 & TB7-1 with an O-scope.

 

Okay Bernard I will do the change. And after that what do I need to do on the both circuit? Or I wait for tracecom to finish his testing?

 

Bernard,

TB1-1 is 14.0V, and is capable of providing .5A.
B1 is a lead-acid motorcycle battery, and is 12.49V.

With no LED load, and with D1-1 and D2-1 disconnected,
TB3-1 is 10.00V,
TB4-1 is 9.50V,
D1-1 is 9.67V,
D2-1 is 9.19V.

With no LED load, and with D1-1 and D2-1 connected,
the junction of D1 and D2 is 9.66V.

With a 100 ohm load, and with D1-1 and D2-1 connected,
the junction of D1 and D2 is 9.18V.

I either have something wired wrong, and/or I am not understanding your instructions.

 

Looks great, all normal; now adjust BBR1 to read 10 V at D1-1. V at TB7-1 should read 14 V. As " SP " V falls, D1 becomes back biased & D2 starts conducting transferring load from SP to battery. D2-1 should read 9.5 V.
During testing [ only as the extra drain represents a parasitic load on B1 ] it might be usefull to add LED's in parallel with pull-up R's with 2.2k's in series, to comparator outputs except for U2.2; could lable them DA, DC, & DD ? With all on = day, B1 normal, & charging; charging may be flashing or just dimmer.

 

Looks great, all normal; now adjust BBR1 to read 10 V at D1-1. V at TB7-1 should read 14 V. As " SP " V falls, D1 becomes back biased & D2 starts conducting transferring load from SP to battery. D2-1 should read 9.5 V.
During testing [ only as the extra drain represents a parasitic load on B1 ] it might be usefull to add LED's in parallel with pull-up R's with 2.2k's in series, to comparator outputs except for U2.2; could lable them DA, DC, & DD ? With all on = day, B1 normal, & charging; charging may be flashing or just dimmer.

Okay, I have DA (yellow), DC (red), and DD (green) LEDs in place. I used 2.4k current limiting resistors because I had plenty of them.

DA and DD are lit; DC is off.

 

Progress: Measure V at U4.1-3 & U4.1-2. have to go.

 

progress: Measure v at u4.1-3 & u4.1-2. Have to go.

U4.1-3 = 2.47V
U4.1-2 = .031V

ETA: I discovered a missing clip lead from R22-2 to TB3-1. I had taken it off and forgot to put it back on.

U4.1-3 = 2.47V
U4.1-2 is controlled by R23. I adjusted R23 to 2.533V and DC came on. Total range of output on R23-2 is .039V to 3.639V. I don't know exactly where R23 should be set.

 

All these adjustment is to calibrate the charging circuit to work or just testing if the circuit is working as per design? I think either way we need to compile a list for all these steps. I am already lost lol.

 

All these adjustment is to calibrate the charging circuit to work or just testing if the circuit is working as per design? I think either way we need to compile a list for all these steps. I am already lost lol.

Right now, they are serving both purposes, but once we know we have a correctly built circuit, they will just be for calibration. But you are correct, the calibration procedure will need to be clearly documented. In addition, we may need to add some quick disconnect method for connections that have to be opened for calibration, like the junction of D1 and D2.

Are you still planning to design PCBs for this project?

 

In the morning , I'll review the R23 setting procedure. I hope that there is a purpose to all of the settings, or we have wasted a lot of time & storage space.

 

Bernard,

I am beginning to believe that I may have most of my assembly wired correctly. Q4 is switching the output from BBR2 to the B1-1 bus when U4.1-1 goes low. U4.1-1 is switching based on the output from R23-2. It switches just as R23-2 passes Vref. That is with TB3-1 at 10.86V, the junction of D1 and D2 at 10.06V, and the solar panel output at 14V.

As I decrease the solar panel output, at 2.72V DC goes out; DA, DD and the LED on the 100 ohm load all stay lit. At 2.46V from the solar panel, DA and the LED on the 100 ohm load go out; DD stays lit. I assume DD is getting power from the battery, somehow.

As I increase the solar panel output, at 2.85V DC and the LED on the 100 ohm load come on; DA stays off. At 4.60V DA comes on.

What I don't seem to see is U4.2-7 switching; it seems to always be low.

I'll try whatever you say. Maybe if we were both on-line at the same time, you could give me step-by-step instructions?

 

Right now, they are serving both purposes, but once we know we have a correctly built circuit, they will just be for calibration. But you are correct, the calibration procedure will need to be clearly documented. In addition, we may need to add some quick disconnect method for connections that have to be opened for calibration, like the junction of D1 and D2.

Are you still planning to design PCBs for this project?

Yes you are right tracecom, need to design PCBs for this project. I am also thinking that in case also when the solar panel is broken or changing a new one. All these readjustment needs to be reset will be a headache on a fixed value. So all variable pots must be there for future changed of solar panel or efficient of solar panel drop.

 

Great successfull test, tracecom, U4.2-7 does not go out untill B1 discharges to 11.5 V, & then will not come back on untill charging brings B1 up to 12.5 V.
To test low battery, try adding a 10 Ω R between B1-1 & B1- buss, then short it with a jumper. Re apply power & decrease " SP" V from normal operation , all LED's on, untill DC goes out; now in twilight or cloudy operation under battery operation, yellow still on. remove temp. jumper; load should bring B1- buss below 11.5 V, green should go out. Put jumper back in & raise "SP" V to 5 to 8 V , red on, green off unless battery is now over 12.5 V, then all LED's now on ?
WE can add more pots if desired, make day- night adjustable, or low battery turn on adjustable. I'll be gone from 4PM on.

 

Great successfull test, tracecom, U4.2-7 does not go out untill B1 discharges to 11.5 V, & then will not come back on untill charging brings B1 up to 12.5 V.
To test low battery, try adding a 10 Ω R between B1-1 & B1- buss, then short it with a jumper. Re apply power & decrease " SP" V from normal operation , all LED's on, untill DC goes out; now in twilight or cloudy operation under battery operation, yellow still on. remove temp. jumper; load should bring B1- buss below 11.5 V, green should go out. Put jumper back in & raise "SP" V to 5 to 8 V , red on, green off unless battery is now over 12.5 V, then all LED's now on ?
WE can add more pots if desired, make day- night adjustable, or low battery turn on adjustable. I'll be gone from 4PM on.

Completed procedure through "remove temp. jumper." B1 buss is at 11.08V, but DD is still lit.

 

Measure V At U4.3-5 & -6, -5 should be slightly lower than ref. V. At 11.08 B1-buss V, R28-2 should be lower than temp ref at -5; try lowering R28-2 untill green goes out.

 

Measure V At U4.3-5 & -6, -5 should be slightly lower than ref. V. At 11.08 B1-buss V, R28-2 should be lower than temp ref at -5; try lowering R28-2 untill green goes out.

DD was on.
U4.2-5 = 2.257V
U4.2-6 = 3.710V

Adjusted R28-2 downward to 2.325V.
DD went off.

ETA: I just remeasured U4.2-5 at 2.267V and U4.2-6 at 2.341V. When I touch the DMM probe to U4.2-5, DD goes on, and when I touch it to U4.2-6, DD goes off.

 

Next change 10Ω to 2 or 3Ω so that apparent low battery is at 11.5 to 12V [ your choice of low battery ] & re adj. R28-2. Might try adding a 47Ω, give or take, between "SP" buck & TB2-1 to simulate internal res. of SP. Also, when in "charge", what is V drop across R21, to see if were really charging. Think that there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Next change 10Ω to 2 or 3Ω so that apparent low battery is at 11.5 to 12V [ your choice of low battery ] & re adj. R28-2. Might try adding a 47Ω, give or take, between "SP" buck & TB2-1 to simulate internal res. of SP. Also, when in "charge", what is V drop across R21, to see if were really charging. Think that there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Changed from 10 ohm to 3 ohm, and repeated process in post 415. Decreased solar panel output to 2.77 V and DC went out; B1 buss at 12.23V. Removed jumper from around 3 ohm resistor; B1 buss at 11.88V; DA and DD still on.

Adjusted R23-2 to 2.28V; DD went out.

Now what?