60A 14.4kW Premium OpenEVSE L2, Current display, RGB LCD RTC

[GlennD]

Here is something I've always wondered. Can the pilot signal indicating the current the EVSE is capable of outputting be a dynamic value? Say for instance, If you have a 100 amp service in your house, and the load on the panel climbs to a value where the panel is near it's capacity while a car is charging at 27 amps... could the EVSE sense the total load on the service panel and reduce it's pilot signal value in real time causing the charger in the car to draw less current to prevent an overload? I built a load shed system for a place I owned once (google "john's load shed") but a system like I just mentioned would be a lot more elegant.

No EVSE that I am aware of uses dynamic current but the specification allows it.


Brad, you can set an OpenEVSE from Chris to exceed its specs. He tries to sell to experienced knowledgeable people that know what they are doing. That is the reason he discontinued the kits. People purchased them and they did not have a clue.

 

[johnrhansen]

I guess I'll have to experiment and find out. The current signal is just a difference in the duty cycle of a square wave isn't it?

 

[VegasBrad]

Brad, you can set an OpenEVSE from Chris to exceed its specs. He tries to sell to experienced knowledgeable people that know what they are doing. That is the reason he discontinued the kits. People purchased them and they did not have a clue.

He discontinued the kits? :shock:

 

[GlennD]

By kits I am saying the DIY stuff. He still sells a collection of completed parts like his 30A or 50A kits. What he does not sell is items that require a bit of common sense. When you buy a Plus unit it comes with a trivial chore of mounting the power modules. He has already programmed the unit.

 

[GlennD]

I guess I'll have to experiment and find out. The current signal is just a difference in the duty cycle of a square wave isn't it?

Yes it is. The break point is 30A. The square wave has equal positive and negative wave forms. In the wiki at the OpenEVSE forum Chris has a good explanation.

 

[VegasBrad]

Glenn, oh you mean this: http://store.openevse.com/collections/full-kits/products/diy-starter-kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I thought you were talking about his EVSE kits and I was like what?! that's his main thing!
that's too bad I thought the circuit board kits were neat. i felt the price he charges $65 for a completed quick kit with SMD components and super small size is well worth the diff. in price so i keep getting those.

 

[GlennD]

Glenn, oh you mean this: http://store.openevse.com/collections/full-kits/products/diy-starter-kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I thought you were talking about his EVSE kits and I was like what?! that's his main thing!
that's too bad I thought the circuit board kits were neat. i felt the price he charges $65 for a completed quick kit with SMD components and super small size is well worth the diff. in price so i keep getting those.

When the surface mount unit was $135 it made sense to build either the Barbouri or the DIY ver 2 unit. At $65 it no longer makes sense unless you have a bunch of parts on hand that you want to use.

The current price under cuts the JuiceBox since it is cheaper and it comes with a power supply. Price wars are great for the consumer.

 

[VegasBrad]

Chris really has his price down on that board, I see he dropped it over time and said he had passed the discount along to us, very cool.
what is a Barbouri board? Ive seen that name but don't know what it is.

 

[GlennD]

Chris really has his price down on that board, I see he dropped it over time and said he had passed the discount along to us, very cool.
what is a Barbouri board? Ive seen that name but don't know what it is.

Greg ( Barbouri) developed a version of the OpenEVSE. It differs in that it uses a switch instead of an opamp for the output. It also has a switching 5V regulator on board. It runs on 12V.

Before Chris offered his DIY boards he featured the board on his site. It takes about $100 to build up. You can find schematics in the deprecated file section if you are interested. The version is 4.21.

Greg established his own site when Chris went with his own shop.

https://code.google.com/p/diy-openevse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[dsinned]

Being a JuiceBox owner, one of the best features of the competing OpenEVSE is that it apparently has a RTC function in hardware.

This feature is not (yet?) available in a JB; not even in the so-called "Premium" unit. Because of this I have to repeatedly set "the clock" running in software to the correct time, so the timer initiates a charge at the actually scheduled time. Before each charge, correcting the time can be easily accomplished with the Remote Key Fob and menu driven user interface on the uLCD, but is still a PITA that this has to be done so often.

I'm told with the WiFi option, the JB will eventually be able to set/maintain the actual time via an Internet connection, as well as to self-update to newer firmware enhancements. Once that is available, JuiceBox will surely become more popular with the EV community.

In order of priority, with perhaps an increase in total cost, here are my "wish list" items for the JuiceBox:

1. Real time clock
2. iPhone App
3. Larger display screen
4. Safety Agency approval
5. Dual J1772 (40A total) outputs for charging two EVs in a load sharing mode, or sequentially

The first four are probably in the works for release to production by early next year. The last is truly a wish list item, but would be highly desirable for those of us with two EVs parked in our garages.

 

[VegasBrad]

Chris really has his price down on that board, I see he dropped it over time and said he had passed the discount along to us, very cool.
what is a Barbouri board? Ive seen that name but don't know what it is.

Greg ( Barbouri) developed a version of the OpenEVSE. It differs in that it uses a switch instead of an opamp for the output. It also has a switching 5V regulator on board. It runs on 12V.

Before Chris offered his DIY boards he featured the board on his site. It takes about $100 to build up. You can find schematics in the deprecated file section if you are interested. The version is 4.21.

Greg established his own site when Chris went with his own shop.

https://code.google.com/p/diy-openevse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Glenn, I love electronics history! I searched the internet and came up short, where do you get your 1/4" 90deg. female disconnects?

 

[GlennD]

Chris really has his price down on that board, I see he dropped it over time and said he had passed the discount along to us, very cool.
what is a Barbouri board? Ive seen that name but don't know what it is.

Greg ( Barbouri) developed a version of the OpenEVSE. It differs in that it uses a switch instead of an opamp for the output. It also has a switching 5V regulator on board. It runs on 12V.

Before Chris offered his DIY boards he featured the board on his site. It takes about $100 to build up. You can find schematics in the deprecated file section if you are interested. The version is 4.21.

Greg established his own site when Chris went with his own shop.

https://code.google.com/p/diy-openevse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Glenn, I love electronics history! I searched the internet and came up short, where do you get your 1/4" 90deg. female disconnects?

The package says P345 Flag Disconnect Terminal #12-10 Wire .250 Female
Casey Electric Supply.

The terminals came from Ebay. You have to make sure you get good American terminals. I purchased some red insulated ones from China. The metal has no strength and deforms easily. Into the trash they went!

 

[VegasBrad]

Perfect, thanks

 

[VegasBrad]

EDIT: This one is sold but I have recieved alot of inquires about custom builds. YES I definatly take orders for anything you would like to see in your EVSE. Lead time is only 3 days. Private message me or if you have a general question you think the rest of the community can benifit from post it here.