Adding potentiometer to brake pedal to activate Regen in Navitas AC controller?

[fstop]

This is likely harder than I think it might be and I'm not sure at all that the Navitas tac 2 controller is the same in both RXV and Club Car versions, but...

I understand that the EzGo RXV brake pedal just modulates the regen in the AC controller / motor since it doesn't have any physical brakes other than the emergency electric brake.

I have a Navitas AC controller / motor in my Onward.

Though I like the combo, its current FW leaves something to be desired - in my opinion - in the regen department. I don't like the lift off accel regen feel, and would prefer the brake pedal engage some regen instead and just have the cart coast during lift off of accel pedal.

The controller has connections for an RXV's brake position sensor (I think so anyway...) but if it is there it goes unused in a Club Car application. The Navitas App shows me that there is a constant ~4.7v on the brake input, so it is measuring something somewhere.

My thought is fitting a brake pedal position sensor (RXV part is about $40, and I think modulates ~5v to probably 1v maybe depending on pedal position) to my Onward linkage or pedal, and setting it up so that the Navitas would provide some mild Regen braking (along with the drum / mechanical brakes, which I obviously would't monkey with) as the brake is depressed to increase braking and improve efficiency.

The thought would be to limit how much regen could be applied by using the App and the sensor installation so that you wouldn't get a sudden regen that would throw you forward - limit it to a mild to moderate amount at maximum just in order that you would generally be using regen instead of drum brakes (even though drums would be applied at the same time, but only lightly until you press harder on the pedal, at which point the regen wouldn't increase any more past whatever you set the max regen to be, only the drum brake pressure would increase).

So a sort of "helper" regen that could likely do about 75% of my type of braking.

I don't like the lift-off accel type of regen - I'd prefer none in that scenario, but it would be nice to have some regen when you apply the brakes instead of "wasting" it completely with the drums.

Is the RXV brake position sensor as simple as a variable 0-5v signal depending on pedal position? I realize this may be better aimed at RXV users, but since I'm contemplating the feasibility of merging this into my Onward, I thought I'd start here.

There are probably a dozen reasons why this wouldn't / couldn't work but I'm curious at any rate.

Thanks for any insight.

[MrBritGolfFan]

Originally Posted by fstop

This is likely harder than I think it might be and I'm not sure at all that the Navitas tac 2 controller is the same in both RXV and Club Car versions, but...

I understand that the EzGo RXV brake pedal just modulates the regen in the AC controller / motor since it doesn't have any physical brakes other than the emergency electric brake.

I have a Navitas AC controller / motor in my Onward.

Though I like the combo, its current FW leaves something to be desired - in my opinion - in the regen department. I don't like the lift off accel regen feel, and would prefer the brake pedal engage some regen instead and just have the cart coast during lift off of accel pedal.

The controller has connections for an RXV's brake position sensor (I think so anyway...) but if it is there it goes unused in a Club Car application. The Navitas App shows me that there is a constant ~4.7v on the brake input, so it is measuring something somewhere.

My thought is fitting a brake pedal position sensor (RXV part is about $40, and I think modulates ~5v to probably 1v maybe depending on pedal position) to my Onward linkage or pedal, and setting it up so that the Navitas would provide some mild Regen braking (along with the drum / mechanical brakes, which I obviously would't monkey with) as the brake is depressed to increase braking and improve efficiency.

The thought would be to limit how much regen could be applied by using the App and the sensor installation so that you wouldn't get a sudden regen that would throw you forward - limit it to a mild to moderate amount at maximum just in order that you would generally be using regen instead of drum brakes (even though drums would be applied at the same time, but only lightly until you press harder on the pedal, at which point the regen wouldn't increase any more past whatever you set the max regen to be, only the drum brake pressure would increase).

So a sort of "helper" regen that could likely do about 75% of my type of braking.

I don't like the lift-off accel type of regen - I'd prefer none in that scenario, but it would be nice to have some regen when you apply the brakes instead of "wasting" it completely with the drums.

Is the RXV brake position sensor as simple as a variable 0-5v signal depending on pedal position? I realize this may be better aimed at RXV users, but since I'm contemplating the feasibility of merging this into my Onward, I thought I'd start here.

There are probably a dozen reasons why this wouldn't / couldn't work but I'm curious at any rate.

Thanks for any insight.

Came across this post. Can you not just dial the regen down to 0% in the app or OTF?