PDM Installation & Configuration: Step 5: Configure Outputs
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Step 5: Configure Outputs
02.56
| 00:00 | - In the 5th step of the PMU configuration process, we're going to connect to and configure the PMU. |
| 00:06 | This is of course going to be a different process for the various different PMUs on the market because they all have different approaches to this but generally there are 3 main parts. |
| 00:15 | Setting the current limit, defining the inputs and defining the control strategy. |
| 00:20 | To make things as easy to follow as possible, I like to focus on just a single output channel at a time as this lets me work through the lists we've created in the earlier steps and make sure nothing gets left out. |
| 00:31 | The first thing to configure for each output channel is the current limit. |
| 00:34 | The reason for this is that it's quite possible we're going to find some problems with the system at this step, either in the wiring or the calculated current draw and we want to make sure we've got this basic level of protection in place from the get go to help avoid any permanent damage. |
| 00:49 | Most PMUs will have a function where you can directly control an output channel in the configuration software. |
| 00:54 | At this point I suggest you manually turn the output on and confirm the operation of the connected devices. |
| 01:01 | When you do this, watch the current level flowing through the output channel and make sure it's close to your theoretical values, this will confirm that you've got the overall current level set correctly. |
| 01:11 | For any connected devices that utilise speed control, try a few different speed settings and confirm that the speed of the attached device does actually change. |
| 01:19 | While doing this, keep an eye on the PMU temperature. |
| 01:22 | As mentioned, speed controlling electro mechanical devices generates heat and you need to make sure that the PMU is capable of dissipating this heat. |
| 01:30 | There's one important exception to this testing process and that's to never power ignition modules or smart coils without their controlling element which is usually the vehicle ECU, also powered and configured. |
| 01:42 | If ignition modules or smart coils are powered without a correct control in place, they'll likely default to turning on, letting current flow through that coil continuously. |
| 01:53 | This will quickly heat up and destroy ignition modules and smart coils. |
| 01:57 | Next, for each output channel, you need to define the corresponding input channels. |
| 02:03 | Initially this will mostly require setting up those input channels from scratch but the further you progress down the list of output channels, the more and more inputs you'll find already configured because they've been reused for other purposes. |
| 02:14 | The last part of the output channel configuration is to link the inputs to the outputs via the correct control strategy or logic path. |
| 02:22 | This is where it's a really different process for each PMU in the market and is often closely linked with the input setup task. |
| 02:30 | We show this in detail for a couple of different brands of PMU in the worked examples section of the course. |
| 02:35 | Once you've made it to the bottom of your output channel list, the PMU should be fully configured. |
| 02:40 | As the decisions around the inputs used by the PMU are driven by the output channel definitions, once we reach the bottom of our output setup list, all the inputs must also be set up. |
| 02:50 | We can now move onto the final testing. |
