lifted club cars - lifted ezgo
Home FAQDonate Who's Online
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO
Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV.



Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-02-2016, 05:30 PM   #1
Perry007
Not Yet Wild
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Kansas
Posts: 48
Default help making sense of Alltrax log

I wanted to get a sense of what was going on so I hooked my laptop up to my controller and made a log. (I have added a screenshot and am in need of some deciphering.)

What should I expect in the Battery Voltage, Output Current, and Battery Current?

Why is Diode Temp on the log? (what importance is of it?)

I am hoping for a bit more out of these batteries, but the more I mess with it the more I am thinking they need replaced sooner rather than later... Convincing my better half and move up to a 42v (maybe 48v) and a DPI isn't happening as smoothly as I would like (for some reason the budget isn't ready, lol)!

I am sure yall know this but the headers for would be:

Time Stamp -- Throttle Pos -- DiodeTemp -- Battery Voltage -- Output Current -- Battery Current --- Errors



Thank You!
Perry007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Alt Today
BGW

Golf car forum Sponsored Links

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum
   
Old 01-02-2016, 05:38 PM   #2
cgtech
Over This Interview Is...
 
cgtech's Avatar
Yamaha
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AZ
Posts: 17,449
Default Re: help making sense of Alltrax log

Your output current and battery current seem rather high during "full throttle cruising". You can plug the log file into MS Office and turn it into graphs if you want a more "visual" look at it.
cgtech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-02-2016, 08:01 PM   #3
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: help making sense of Alltrax log

The data contained in the columns are as follows:

Time Stamp: Date/time of the computer recording the data. I see you have controller Pro set to log the data at 1-Second intervals, I find the continuous logging mode presents better data for analysis.

Throttle Position: This is the Duty-Cycle of the PWM output from the controller. Basically, it is the physical position of the throttle pedal after being modified by the throttle up ramp and throttle response cure.

Diode Temp: The temperature of the bus bar the MOSFETs are mounted on. The temperature is in °C and the upper end of this bus bar is the controller's A1 (or M-) terminal. High temp shutdown is 96°C. I can't remember offhand what the low temperature shut down is, but it is colder than I'd be driving my cart in.

Battery Voltage: The voltage between the controller's B- terminal and Pin-10 on the controller's 10-pin connector.

Output Current: Amps flowing to the armature. (Field current is not logged by a DCX controller.)

Battery Current: Calculated value. Output current multiplied by % Duty-Cycle (Throttle Position column)

Save the log as a .CSV file and it loads directly into a spreadsheet program.

When set to log continuously, I was getting over 66,000 entries on test runs lasting around an hour and forty minutes. (roughly 7 samples per second)

Your amps do look a bit high, but the pedal was on the metal continuously for only 22 seconds and no idea what kind of terrain it was accelerating on.

Pushing a stock PDS motor to top speed (~28 mph) at 42V with turbo on with a DCX400, it draw about 75A-80A. Cruising in the 20-25 MPH range, it drew about half of that.

--------
Give me a yell, I'll help you decipher your log files.
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2016, 12:28 AM   #4
Perry007
Not Yet Wild
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Kansas
Posts: 48
Default Re: help making sense of Alltrax log

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnieB View Post
The data contained in the columns are as follows:

Time Stamp: Date/time of the computer recording the data. I see you have controller Pro set to log the data at 1-Second intervals, I find the continuous logging mode presents better data for analysis.

Throttle Position: This is the Duty-Cycle of the PWM output from the controller. Basically, it is the physical position of the throttle pedal after being modified by the throttle up ramp and throttle response cure.

Diode Temp: The temperature of the bus bar the MOSFETs are mounted on. The temperature is in °C and the upper end of this bus bar is the controller's A1 (or M-) terminal. High temp shutdown is 96°C. I can't remember offhand what the low temperature shut down is, but it is colder than I'd be driving my cart in.

Battery Voltage: The voltage between the controller's B- terminal and Pin-10 on the controller's 10-pin connector.

Output Current: Amps flowing to the armature. (Field current is not logged by a DCX controller.)

Battery Current: Calculated value. Output current multiplied by % Duty-Cycle (Throttle Position column)

Save the log as a .CSV file and it loads directly into a spreadsheet program.

When set to log continuously, I was getting over 66,000 entries on test runs lasting around an hour and forty minutes. (roughly 7 samples per second)

Your amps do look a bit high, but the pedal was on the metal continuously for only 22 seconds and no idea what kind of terrain it was accelerating on.

Pushing a stock PDS motor to top speed (~28 mph) at 42V with turbo on with a DCX400, it draw about 75A-80A. Cruising in the 20-25 MPH range, it drew about half of that.

--------
Give me a yell, I'll help you decipher your log files.
Thank You!

I will give it a go with the continuous logging mode when the snow is off the roads and get back with you Mr JohnnieB!

What are the benefits of monitoring what is going on?

What could be the reasons for the high amps?

Also... by messing with this log my main goal is figure out what the batteries are up too... So, is there a way to record the battery voltage of each battery? Or just multi-meter with alligator clips? (I would like to have it recorded similar to what this is. if there is a way!)
Perry007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2016, 11:06 AM   #5
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: help making sense of Alltrax log

Quote:
Originally Posted by Perry007 View Post
Thank You!

1. I will give it a go with the continuous logging mode when the snow is off the roads and get back with you Mr JohnnieB!

2. What are the benefits of monitoring what is going on?

3. What could be the reasons for the high amps?

4. Also... by messing with this log my main goal is figure out what the batteries are up too...

5. So, is there a way to record the battery voltage of each battery? Or just multi-meter with alligator clips? (I would like to have it recorded similar to what this is. if there is a way!)
1. That pesky white stuff. My neck of the woods hasn't had anything except a little sky-dandruff that melted before it reached the ground.

2. Being able to monitor and record what is going on is, in and of itself, the benefit.

I established a some test routes and logged data while driving those routes for baselines. Then when I change something, I can see what difference the change made.

Of course, I'm a numbers nut and for me, looking at spreadsheets is somewhat akin to eating warm apple pie with ice cream.

3. High mechanical drag and/or low motor RPM.

Tall tires, low pressure tires, climbing a hill, number of passengers, dragging brake shoes, differential oil that has turned into molasses, dry bearings, strong headwind, carbon dust buildup in motor, wrong field map, etc., etc., etc. The list of possibilities goes on.

Also, the time at 100% duty cycle was only 22 seconds and was being sampled once per second, so the cart might have still been accelerating. To get an accurate amp draw at top speed or cruising speed, you need record continuous data for several minutes.

The tricky part is that the values logged is a snapshot at a moment in time rather than the average of the preceding time period and a lot can happen in one second. Even with the continuous logging selected, the data isn't actually real time. I'm not sure if it is the computer in the DCX or the computer being used to monitor, but the sample interval on the data logs I have from a DCX varies from 0.078 seconds to 2.205 seconds, with an average interval of 0.088 seconds.

4. The voltage of the batteries in a typical 36V battery pack drops 1V per 100A of current draw. In addition the high current cables, connections and contacts also drop voltage per 100A of current flowing through them.

Since the batteries themselves (in a 36V pack) drop 1V per 100A, the drop per amp is 0.01V, so multiply the battery current by 0.01 to get the voltage drop from the batteries and the remaining drop is due to the high current cables, connections and contacts. If the results is much more than what the battery drop is, your amp delivery system needs of attention.

My amp delivery system is about as good as it gets for 2Ga cables and its voltage drop is less than the voltage drop of the batteries.

5. Multi-meter and alligator clips is about the only way most of us have to check the voltage drops of individual batteries.

I have a DVM that records the min and max readings, so I can watch where I'm going instead of watching the meter.

There are multi-channel data loggers out there that can log the individual battery voltages simultaneously, but you can find under performing batteries by monitoring the sequentially.

Also, correlating the timing of data in different files is tricky.

---------
One of the best setups I've seen is using a video camera that records GPS data and then process it with a program call RaceRender that allows importing data from additional files and embeds user definable meters and bar graphs in the playback. Getting the imported file synchronized is tricky, but when you do, you see what the cart is doing visually (Climbing hills, on flat roads, turning corners, starting from a standstill, stopping, etc.) and see how many amps are being drawn, pack voltage, speed (from the GPS), plus just about anything else you want to display (If you have the data for it).

Here's a link to the program: http://racerender.com/RR3/Features.html

Here is a video that shows what can be done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnXahzECtUo

No, that isn't SWMBO and me.
But I drive my cart on roads like that occasionally.
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
36volt, alltrax 400, trojan t-105
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO


Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Forum
Making sense of existing light kit (tail/brake)? Electric Club Car
Doesnt make sense Electric EZGO
Does this make sense Electric EZGO


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:34 AM.


Club Car Electric | EZGO Electric | Lifted Golf Carts | Gas EZGO | Used Golf Carts and Parts

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This Website and forum is the property of Buggiesgonewild.com. No material may be taken or duplicated in part or full without prior written consent of the owners of buggiesgonewild.com. © 2006-2017 Buggiesgonewild.com. All rights reserved.