Notable Features:

• Integrates seamlessly with the OrionBMS for displaying parameters and viewing / clearing error codes.
• Displays up to 4 digital parameters at a time.
• Programmable using the 5 buttons shown on the front of the device.
• Small yet still easy to read.

Product Homepage: http://www.scangauge.com/

Disclaimer: Ewert Energy Systems is not affiliated with Scangauge in any way. Scangauge is copyrighted by it’s owners. Please contact the owners of Scangauge directly for support regarding this product. This application note is not intended to be an exhaustive description of how to use this device.

General connection diagram

Connecting Scangauge

The first step is properly connecting the Scangauge to the OrionBMS via CANBUS (Controller Area Network, an automotive grade differential mode communication network protocol). The OrionBMS has 2x CANBUS interfaces, either of which can be connected to the Scangauge depending on the required baud-rate (speed) of the interface. At the time this document was written, Scangauge only supports either 250 Kbps or 500 Kbps and so it is important to consider this when selecting which CANBUS interface to connect the Scangauge to.

For more information on how to connect to the CANBUS on the Orion BMS, please review the wiring manual (http://www.orionbms.com/manuals/wiring).

Further reading on CANBUS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_bus

Setup Notes:

• If the BMS is being integrated with a vehicle, it likely will already have an OBD2 connector under the steering column where Scangauge can be plugged in to. If the vehicle is being retro-fitted with the OrionBMS, it is important that the CANBUS lines from the BMS are connected in to this OBD2 connector (or spliced in to an existing CANBUS network) so that the two devices can communicate. If the application does NOT already have an OBD2 connector or to integrate without using the vehicle’s existing OBD2 connector, the Orion BMS CAN interface can be connected to a Female OBD2 connector header in order to directly connect Scangauge to the CANBUS lines of the BMS (OBD2 cables and connectors can be purchased from http://www.obd2cables.com).  If connecting the CAN interface directly to an OBD-2 adapter, ensure that the CAN bus has exactly 2 termination resistors (see the Orion BMS wiring manual for more information.)
• The baud-rate of the connected Orion BMS CANBUS interface must be either 250 Kbps or 500 Kbps to conform to OBD2 standards. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the BMS utility.
• The OBD2 ECU ID may be changed from the default value if this ECU ID is already in use in the given application. It is important that only one ECU respond to a given ECU ID. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the utility.

Configuring The Orion BMS

There are three user-settable parameters that may impact Scangauge compatibility:

•  The baud-rate of the connected CAN interface must be either 250 Kbps or 500 Kbps. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the utility.
• The OBD2 ECU ID may be changed from the default value if this ECU ID is already in use in the given application. It is important that only one ECU respond to a given ECU ID. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the utility.
• For applications that do not have an Engine Control Module (ECM) connected to the same CANBUS as the Scangauge (ie: non-vehicle applications, electric vehicles, etc) it may be necessary to enable the “Simulate ECM (For Scantool)” setting in the “Addons” tab of the BMS Profile section in the utility. This setting should be configured to whichever CAN interface is connected to Scangauge as Scangauge will look for several parameters from the Engine computer before it starts normal operation (Scangauge is designed for standard gasoline powered vehicles).

Configuring Scangauge

Mostly, this involves entering the desired parameters (PIDs) into the Scangauge X-Gauge system. Below is a link to a spreadsheet of the most common parameters to monitor from the OrionBMS and their associated X-Gauge settings:

Orion BMS Scangauge PIDs / X-Gauges (PDF)

Please refer to the official Scangauge documentation on how to program specific X-Gauges in Scangauge:

Scangauge Official Documentation

Configuration Note: Certain versions of Scangauge may require the user to force it into “CANBUS” communication mode. Please consult the Scangauge documentation on how to accomplish this.

Torque is an application for Android tablets and smartphones that interfaces with OBD2 enabled devices (via bluetooth or USB) and provides visual feedback in the form of gauges and digital readouts of the various parameters and values provided. Due to the flexible OBD2 support of the Orion BMS, Torque works cleanly with the Orion BMS out of the box.

Disclaimer: Ewert Energy Systems is not affiliated with Torque in any way nor does it guarantee support for Torque. Torque is copyrighted by it’s owners. Please contact the authors of Torque directly for support regarding this software.

Notable Features:

• Integrates seamlessly with the OrionBMS for displaying parameters and viewing / clearing error codes.
• Powerful touch-enabled interface provides easy-to-use display.
• Entire interface is customizable (gauge type, gauge location, gauge look and feel, etc).
• Works on smartphones, tablets and other Android enabled devices (device MUST have USB host or Bluetooth capabilities depending on which adapter is used).
• Can be used to do data logging as well as live web-based performance streaming.

Official Website: http://www.torque-bhp.com

Official Forum: http://torque-bhp.com/forums

General connection diagram

Connecting The Torque Adapter to The Orion BMS

Torque connects to the Orion BMS using either a bluetooth to OBD2 adapter or a USB to OBD2 adapter which is wired in to the CANBUS network.

For more information on how to connect to the CANBUS on the Orion BMS, please review the wiring manual (http://www.orionbms.com/manuals/wiring).

OBD2 Connector Pinout: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-board_diagnostics

Setup Notes:

• If the BMS is being integrated with a vehicle, it likely will already have an OBD2 connector under the steering column where the Torque adapter can be plugged in to. If the vehicle is being retro-fitted with the OrionBMS, it is important that the CANBUS lines from the BMS are connected in to this OBD2 connector (or spliced in to an existing CANBUS network) so that the two devices can communicate. If the application does NOT already have an OBD2 connector or to integrate without using the vehicle’s existing OBD2 connector, the Orion BMS CAN interface can be connected to a Female OBD2 connector header in order to directly connect the Torque adapter to the CANBUS lines of the BMS (OBD2 cables and connectors can be purchased from http://www.obd2cables.com).  If connecting the CAN interface directly to an OBD-2 adapter, ensure that the CAN bus has exactly 2 termination resistors (see the Orion BMS wiring manual for more information.)
• The baud-rate of the connected Orion BMS CANBUS interface must be either 250 Kbps or 500 Kbps to conform to OBD2 standards. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the BMS utility.
• The OBD2 ECU ID may be changed from the default value if this ECU ID is already in use in the given application. It is important that only one ECU respond to a given ECU ID. This setting is available under “Communications Settings” in the BMS Profile section of the utility.

Configuring Torque

The adapter setup portion of Torque is dependent on what OBD2 adapter is being used. Please consult the official Torque documentation / support forum for assistance getting the adapter interface configured.

The next portion is adding the Orion BMS PIDs (viewable parameters such as battery voltage and current) to Torque. There are two different ways to do this.

Method 1 (Manual Entry – For Novice Users):

1. Download the following PDF file: Orion BMS Torque Extended PIDs (PDF)
2. Open Torque and go to “Settings” (usually by pressing the bottom left key [looks like an upside down box] on the phone / tablet and then selecting Settings).
3. Scroll down in the settings list and click “Manage extra PIDs/Sensors”
4. Press the Menu button again (looks like upside down box) and press “Add custom PID”
5. Press “OK” to agree.
6. Fill out the appropriate information from the List of OrionBMS Torque PIDs, starting with the first PID (or whichever ones are wanted / needed).
7. Repeat steps 3 – 5 for all PIDs wanted / needed.
8. Return to the Torque main screen by hitting the Back button (backwards arrow) several times.
9. Press the “Realtime Information” button on the main screen to go to the gauges screen.
10. Long press (press and hold) any area on the screen to bring up a list of options about adding / editing existing gauges. When adding a gauge, the PIDs added manually should be selectable as options.
11. The gauges should be updating regularly at this point.

Method 2 (Automatic Entry – For Advanced Users):

Torque provides a secondary method for bulk loading multiple PIDs into memory by reading them in from a file.

1. Download the following file to the Android device: Orion BMS Torque Extended PIDs (CSV)
2. Install a File Manager application (Astro File Manager is commonly used).
3. Open the File Manager and navigate to the home Torque folder (commonly this is ‘/mnt/sdcard/.torque’ OR ‘/.torque’.
4. Copy the file downloaded above (“orionbms_pids.csv”) in to the ‘extendedpids’ folder (which should already exist).
5. Exit the file manager and re-open Torque.
6. Go to “Settings” and then scroll down to “Manage extra PIDs/Sensors”
7. Press the Menu button on the device (looks like upside down box) and then press “Add predefined set”
8. Select “orionbms_pids” to add them as a predefined PID list.
9. Return to the Torque main screen by hitting the Back button (backwards arrow) several times.
10. Press the “Realtime Information” button on the main screen to go to the gauges screen.
11. Long press (press and hold) any area on the screen to bring up a list of options about adding / editing existing gauges. When adding a gauge, the PIDs added manually should be selectable as options.
12. The gauges should be updating regularly at this point.

The TC / Elcon chargers can be controlled either via an on/off signal, a CANbus interface or via a 2-5V analog input.  The charger is programmed from the factory to support one of these three control methods.  Any charger can be returned to the factory for re-programming to support CAN.

Ordering the charger

When ordering the Elcon charger, we recommend selecting a charge algorithm which is as close to constant current as possible which terminates at a voltage slightly higher than the maximum possible pack voltage.  While the algorithm is not relied on for normal operation, it serves as an additional backup to prevent the pack from becoming severely overcharged in the event of a wiring failure or other failure.

Interfacing with the standard version

For most applications, it is desirable for reasons of extending the battery’s lifespan to charge only to 90-95% state of charge. Unless the battery is being charged at high C rates (the rate of charge verses the amp hour rating of the cells), it should be possible to achieve this simply by using the charger in a constant current mode using the enable and disable switch.  For this configuration, the following diagram shows the simplest connection:

In this setup, the Elcon charger is disabled by default in the event that the BMS is disconnected or fails (fail safe.)  When AC power is present, the 12-15V power supply is energized and supplies power to the Orion BMS’s CHARGE power supply input.  When the BMS detects power at the CHARGE power supply input, it does self checks and tests the battery to ensure it is capable of receiving a charge.  When the BMS determines that it is ready to accept a charge, it pulls the charger safety signal to ground turning on RELAY2 in the above diagram.  When RELAY2 is energized, the Elcon charger is enabled and begins to charge the battery pack.  When the BMS determines that the battery is full or can no longer accept a charge, the BMS shuts off the charger safety signal which then floats high and shuts off RELAY2, turning off the charger.

Notes about the above schematic:

• The external 12-15V power supply should supply a voltage equal to or higher than the always on power supply for the BMS if it is desirable for the BMS to draw operating current from the AC power supply.  Due to the wide operating voltage of the Elcon, a switching mode power supply should be used to that accepts universal voltages from 100-250VAC to match the AC input for the Elcon charger.
• The +12V supply from the Elcon charger cannot be used to power the BMS as it is rated at only 50mA.  Applying a load higher than 50mA may damage the charger.
• The BMS has internal protection to protect against back EMF from the relay coil, though an additional clamp diode can be added if desired for additional protection
• The charger safety signal from the Orion BMS has a maximum load of 100mA (175mA for Rev D and newer.)  A relay with a coil less than 100mA (175mA for Rev D and newer) must be used in this application or an amplification circuit must be used (see the wiring manual for more details.)
• An appropriate opto-isolator or solid state relay may be used instead of a standard mechanical relay.  If either are used, care must be taken to ensure that leakage current is below the threshold for turning the charger on and a pulldown resistor may be required on the charger’s enable line.  (see the wiring manual for examples of opto-isolators connected to the open drain outputs.

In addition to the BMS connection, we strongly recommend setting the Elcon’s maximum charger voltage just above the maximum pack voltage.  This way, if there is a problem with wiring or a problem with the BMS, the charger will shutoff before the batteries are severely damaged.

Interfacing with the CAN enabled version

When interfacing the Orion BMS with the CAN enabled version of the Elcon charger, we recommend also proving an analog shutoff for the charger.  While CAN is itself a robust protocol, it is still a digital protocol which can be susceptible to errors and bus lockups.  An analog backup can turn off the charger even if communication errors are present on the CAN bus such that the batteries are kept in a safe state. The only method of analog backup for this version of the charger is interrupting the AC power to the charger (the enable pin on the DIN connector cannot be used to shutdown the charger when configured for CAN.)

Please see the first method for a description of how the above circuit works.  This circuit works the same way as the first example, however in the CAN version of the charger, the charger is primarily controlled using the CAN interface. An optional relay (RELAY2) on the AC power source to the charger serves as a backup to ensure the charger can be shutoff in all situations.  Because the Elcon chargers can be used on split phase connections (standard residential 240V AC), both AC “hots” must be interrupted using a double pole relay. The relay coil must be less than 100mA for BMS revisions B & C or less than 175mA for revisions D & E. We recommend over sizing the relay to ensure it can properly handle the AC current (for example, for a 15A AC current, we recommend using a 20A relay or larger.)

The CAN module for the Elcon charger at the time of this writing does not include a termination resistor.  A CANBUS requires exactly two 120 ohm termination resistors at the physical ends of the BUS.  Unless the Orion BMS was special ordered with a different configuration, the Orion BMS has an internal termination resistor on the CAN1 interface and no termination resistor on the CAN2 interface.  Please see the wiring manual for more information about proper termination of the CAN bus and for wire length limits for CAN nodes.  The Elcon charger may be connected to either of the CAN interfaces on the Orion BMS (CAN1 or CAN2.)  The Elcon charger is hard-coded to operate at the 250kBps baud rate and both interfaces on the Orion BMS can be changed to a 250kBps baud rate.  All devices on a CAN bus must operate at the same frequency, so if the BMS is integrating with other devices requiring a different frequency, it may be necessary to put the Elcon charger on one of the CAN interfaces and the other devices on the other interface to accommodate both frequencies.

In addition to the BMS connection, we strongly recommend setting the maximum charger voltage just above the maximum pack voltage.  This way, if there is a problem with wiring or a problem with the BMS, the charger will shutoff before the batteries are severely damaged. This option is specified at the time that the charger is ordered.

The Orion BMS utility has built in support for the TC / Elcon charger CAN protocol. Steps for loading the Elcon / TC Charger partial profile:

1.) Open the Orion BMS software utility and load the appropriate profile into the editor by either downloading the existing settings from the Orion BMS (“Recieve Current Profile From BMS”) or by opening a profile previously saved to disk.

2.) On the “Battery Profile” tab, select the “3rd Party Devices” tab and select the Checkbox next to “Elcon / Bestgo / TC Charger”. This will popup a dialog that explains changes made to the profile. Click OK after reading.

3.) Manually ensure the proper baud rate for the CAN interface connected to the Elcon charger. This can be verified on the “Communications Settings” tab and select “250 Kbps” baud-rate for the CANBUS interface that the Elcon / TC Charger is connected to. Note: If changing the baud rate, ensure that all devices on the selected CANBUS interface operate at the same speed. CANBUS baud rate changes only take effect when the BMS is reset or power cycled. If the baud rate is changed for the interface connected to the CANdapter, the baud rate will need to be changed when attempting to connect to the Orion BMS after it is reset.

4.) After verifying all profile settings, upload the new changed settings to the BMS.

The Elcon / TC charger setup should be thoroughly tested before being left alone to ensure that the CANBUS control is working properly.

Note:  CAN Modules for the Elcon chargers manufactured prior to Jul 2011 may lock up if a high frequency of CAN messages are present on the attached CAN interface.  We recommend contacting your Elcon distributor to purchase upgraded equipment.  If an older CAN module is used, the recommended backup relay on the AC input must be installed (see above diagram.)

Analog current limiting method:

NOTE: The pins on the DIN connector of the Elcon charger are not electrically isolated from the high voltage battery pack and a direct connection between the BMS and the charger is not recommended!

NOTE: This method requires the “2-5v Current Limit” functionality to be factory programmed into the charger (ie: it must be enabled by the charger manufacturer at time of purchasing the charger). This feature MAY NOT be available on the charger by default.

Ewert Energy does not have a recommended procedure for interfacing with the 2-5V analog input on the Elcon chargers at this time.  Please consider the CAN enabled version of the Elcon charger if current limiting functionality is needed.

Troubleshooting:

If the charger appears to stop charging prematurely, we recommend connecting to the Orion BMS unit using the BMS utility and monitoring the charge current limit (CCL) to determine if the BMS is restricting the current.  If the CCL is zero, the BMS is turning the charger off for one reason or another.  If the CCL is not zero, the charger may be defective or there may be a wiring problem.  Please see the troubleshooting guide for more information which is available on the Downloads Page.

Important:  After making any changes to the charger configuration it is very important to test the setup while closely monitoring the battery pack to ensure that the charger turns off properly at the correct time.

1. It protects the battery pack from being over-charged (cell voltages going too high) or over-discharged (cell voltages going too low) thereby extending the life of the battery pack. It does this by constantly monitoring every cell in the battery pack and calculating exactly how much current can safely go in (source, charge) and come out (load, discharge) of the battery pack without damaging it. These calculated current limits are then sent to the source (typically a battery charger) and load (motor controller, power inverter, etc), which are responsible for respecting these limits.
2. It calculates the State of Charge (the amount of energy remaining in the battery) by tracking how much energy goes in and out of the battery pack and by monitoring cell voltages. This value can be thought of as a fuel gauge indicating how much battery power is left in the pack.
3. It monitors the health and safety of the battery pack by constantly checking for shorts, loose connections,  breakdowns in wire insulation, and weak or defective battery cells that need to be replaced.

There are also secondary functions that the BMS performs:

• Balances all the cells in the battery pack by intelligently bleeding off excess energy from cells that are charged more than others. This provides the maximum amount of usable energy (capacity) from the battery pack since the pack is only as strong as the weakest cell.
• Monitors the temperature of the battery pack and controls a battery fan to regulate the temperature of the pack. Additionally, it constantly monitors the output of the fan to make sure it is working properly.
• Provides real-time information and values to other devices such as motor controllers, chargers, displays and data loggers using several different methods (CANBUS, analog outputs, and digital outputs).
• Stores error codes and comprehensive diagnostic information to aide in fixing problems with the battery pack should any issues arise.

Figure 1: General overview of connections and signals transmitted and received by the BMS.

Charger Overview:
CAN Communication:  No
Current limiting via 5V analog signal:  No
Field programmable maximum voltage:  Yes

The PFC chargers by Manzanita Micro are designed to be able to connect with distributed style bypass regulators via the REGBUS.  The charger looks for a shutdown signal on the REGBUS to either put the charger into a constant current mode (used for bypass balancing with their proprietary regulator boards) or to simply turn off the charger when the shutdown signal is received.  When receiving the shutdown signal, the behavior of the charger depends on the position of the dip switches.  ****DIP switches 1 – 3 must be OFF for the charger to turn off immediately as soon as the shutdown signal is received, otherwise the charger will continue to charge at a set current for a period of time after the signal has been received, overcharging the batteries.  ****.  See the manual for instructions on setting dip switches.

The shutdown signal is received by the charger when pins 1 and 2 on the RJ-25 connector are shorted together.  If pins 1 and 2 are open (not connected together), the charger will be active.  When pins 1 and 2 are shorted, the charger becomes inactive.  As such, the shutdown signal on the REGBUS connector can be used as a simple method to turn on and off the charger using the charger safety or charge enable signal from the Orion BMS, however the input is not failsafe and therefore proper precautions must be taken.

 

Figure 1

 

The pinout for a RJ25 connector can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rj25_connector.jpg

The schematic in figure 1 shows a configuration where the Orion BMS is connected to the shutdown signal on the REGBUS using a simple normally closed relay.  The open drain charge enable signal from the Orion BMS goes low when charging is enabled to activate the normally closed relay.  When the relay is active, pins 1 and 2 on the reg bus connector are opened and the charger is allowed to charge.  When the charge enable signal from the Orion BMS is inactive (floating), the relay is inactive and pins 1 and 2 on the REGBUS connector are shorted, shutting off the charger.  While the relay is configured to be failsafe (meaning if the BMS were not powered, the charger would not engage), if the REGBUS connector were to become disconnected from the charger, the charger would default to being on rather than off.  Additionally, there have been reports of the charger continuing to charge even though the REGBUS shutdown signal was sent.  Because of these things, it is very strongly recommended that a backup ‘charge safety’ relay be used in series with the AC power to the charger.  Because relays can fail, it is recommended that both control methods are used.  The AC relay acts as a backup method for the BMS to disable the charger and also provides a default behavior of having the charger off.

When selecting a relay, it is important that both AC lines are interrupted to the charger together since the PFC chargers are designed to operate with split phase power sources (2 hot AC lines or 1 hot and 1 neutral.)  Because of this, a 2 pole relay must be used to interrupt both AC input lines at the same time.  The relay must be minimally rated for the maximum possible current, however we strongly recommend selecting a relay with a higher rating than the expected maximum current for added reliability.  For example, if the maximum current drawn by the charger is 20 amps, a 30 amp relay (or higher) should be considered.  Additionally, if the charger could possibly be powered by DC rather than AC, the relay MUST be rated for DC current since AC and DC currents behave very differently and a relay designed to interrupt AC current may not interrupt DC current.

In addition to providing the method for the BMS to turn off the charger, the maximum voltage on the charger should be configured to the maximum pack voltage.  This is done such that if for whatever reason the BMS were unable to turn off the charger that the charger would turn itself off when the maximum voltage of the pack was reached.  This greatly reduces the risk of thermal runaway or significant damage to the battery pack.  Instructions for setting the maximum charging voltage are available in the user manual.

As always, when integrating with any charger, it is important to monitor the first few charge cycles to ensure that the BMS is able to turn off the charger and that it is programmed with the correct maximum cell voltage.  Tests should be performed to ensure that the default mode of the charger is off.  This can be done by either disconnecting the main I/O connector from the BMS and ensuring that the charger turns off or by intentionally causing a serious error code on the BMS by unplugging the total voltage tap connector and ensuring that the charger disengages (errors on the BMS must be reset before normal operation will resume.)  Additionally, the system should be manually monitored during the first full cycle or two to ensure that the charger turns off at the right time.