Programming a Sevcon GEN4 size 6 using DVT

[Robotsawyer]

I recently got a electric go kart built to race at our local autocross events. First time out it smoked the previous track record set by karts and cars. I ordered a prebuilt kit for the motor and controller, it consists of a Motenergy ME1115, a Sevcon GEN4 Size 6, and a Sevcon ClearView. It runs on a 24s 5p Lipo pack made of 20 Turnagy Nano-Tech 6s 5000mah 60c Rc LiPos. It preforms very well but does not feel like it is accelerating as hard as it should be able to. After talking to multiple people about the power issue I didn't get anywhere. After talking to John at Motenergy (VERY helpful guy) he suggested that I put the kart against a wall and floor it, check the amperage/voltage. Sure enough it is only putting out 300 amps instead of the 420 that the motor is rated to. With this information I bit the bullet and ordered the Sevcon PC programmer.

This is where I have hit a road block. After getting the licensing worked out to get the Program working, the CAN-USB adapter will not link with the controller (or so it seems). I can not get it to read any data from the controller. I have tried all the different communication speeds and I have tried starting/plugging things in different orders. I have also tried reinstalling the whole program to make sure that it has all that it needs. The USB light lights up solid green every time. The CAN light stays off, sometimes it flashes red and on rare occasions of trying things it will go solid red. The program is not able to retrieve any data from the controller, or send it anything.

So at this point I'm stumped. I'm studying to become a mechanical engineer, so the complex programming errors it spits out at me mean ABSOLUTELY nothing to me. Any help would be DEEPLY appreciated at this point. The only thing I know to check is the wiring of the kit vs the wiring of the converter extension, but that all should be standardized.

So if you have any ideas, list of instructions or a cure to this problem that would be great. Probably knock another second or two off my run times.

Sawyer

 

[amberwolf]

Dunno. There's a number of threads posting this problem of getting comm to the controller to program it, none have resolutions AFAIK.

Search on Sevcon, by topic, to find them.

 

[pm_dawn]

Which of the IXXAT CAN to USB converters do you use ?
Please take a picture of it and post.

I have had problems with using the latest IXXAT converter with DVT.
Now I don't have any Sevcon to try it on anymore.

Regards
/Per

 

[Robotsawyer]

Problem Solved! Due to the motor kit and programmer being ordered from different companies, their wiring was different. After redoing all the wiring on the programmer side of things it finally started to read the GEN4.

So now for the hard part... Learning where everything is in DVT. I'm hoping to over amp the motor from the name plate 420 (It's currently set at 300 amps) to 450 or higher. This motor has the same guts as the water cooled version that can handle 480 amps. I will only be doing 40 second runs with 2-3 minutes in between those runs, so heat shouldn't be a problem. If it is I'll tune it back.

Thanks for the responses,
Sawyer

 

[costicuta2000]

Hello
There is by any chance to change the amperage rate via the clear view display?
The controller is a sevcon gen4 size2 48V 275A and it's seem to be limited to 92A
The top speed is fine for me but I would like more torque at start. (150A for 10 seconds it would be enough).
thanks guys

 

[nuxland]

Problem Solved! Due to the motor kit and programmer being ordered from different companies, their wiring was different. After redoing all the wiring on the programmer side of things it finally started to read the GEN4.

So now for the hard part... Learning where everything is in DVT. I'm hoping to over amp the motor from the name plate 420 (It's currently set at 300 amps) to 450 or higher. This motor has the same guts as the water cooled version that can handle 480 amps. I will only be doing 40 second runs with 2-3 minutes in between those runs, so heat shouldn't be a problem. If it is I'll tune it back.

Thanks for the responses,
Sawyer

Hey,

Can you send me your sevcon config file? I'm trying to get Gm10kw motor to run with it and there are no parameter for that motor in the net. ME1115 should be similar to my motor.

 

[drewjet]

Do you have any more info on the Kart. Sounds awesome.

 

[Robotsawyer]

The kart is built on either a 2011 or 2010 wild kart frame. 4 wheel brakes, custom retread tires and weighed 410 lbs with me in it. At the first of our club events I was .8xx seconds faster than another kart and a lot faster than the next car on the list (normally 70-120 driver per event, mostly cars). Due to me being in the Kart Modified (KM) class, I race for FTD or the course record. KM is the "everything else" class in the kart world. The only time I was beat this year was by a 125cc shiftier kart and a national level driver (I can live with that!!!). The motor preformed about as well as a 20-25hp 30ft lbs of torque engine according to the guy that went into this project with me (he has been around it a lot longer than me). That lead us to upgrade the whole system for this year (However the details will be kept secret until the first event of this year). The "old" system (Like 2 hours of run time) is being sold off on this forum.

Batteries we used were 20 turnagy Nano-Tech 6s 5000mah 65-130c batteries. 5 In parallel and 4 of those packs in series to give us a 25Ah 100.1v (charged) pack. Weighed 44lbs in a aluminum enclosure.

I have a youtube video of the kart up if you search "WNC HSCC Autocross Wild Kart - COIL - Electric Kart - 8-5-2015". The video guy from work came out and did a awesome job putting together a film of the race.

It was a blast to build and play with and it's even faster this year!

 

[drewjet]

Thanks. Looks Awesome. Once you are ready to reveal the new motor let us know.

 

[methods]

If anyone has a Clear View I am trying to figure out how to log it in to Level 4...

Also.. hrm.. Digital I/O not mapped correctly
Hoping logging in at higher level fixes this - else I have to play guessing game to re-arrange Digital inputs to match screen

sigh...
Does anyone have the configuration software for the Clear View???

-methods

 

[Pajda]

I think that Clearview can be somehow configured via "full" version of DVT software. The "costumer" version called as DVTC do not have this function. But this function seems to be only about graphical interface modification.

 

[methods]

Swear I read a blip somewhere that described a sequence of events that would "unlock" higher level activity...
Need to poke around the posted docs again.

-methods

 

[kiwifiat]

Take a look at the quick start guide for clearview on the thunderstruck website.

 

[methods]

Yep - thats where I saw it.
Thanks!

I will give that one go... but I suspect that I am going to have to re-wire the customers 35 pin harness for Clear View to match the expected inputs... as I believe there is yet another "level" of access that I still will not have... if I want to remap inputs. Currently the unit makes a lot of assumptions about the digital input organization.

Seems very aimed at dealers... as with all Sevcon gear.

-methods