Embarking on the journey of programming your own electric car controller? The initial steps involve crucial hardware components: the control board and the power board. These boards are the foundation upon which your controller’s software and functionalities will be built. Understanding and acquiring these boards is your first key task in mastering electric vehicle control systems.
To begin, you’ll need a robust power board, ideally constructed with at least 3-ounce copper for handling the high currents involved in electric vehicle operation. Online marketplaces like eBay can be valuable resources for sourcing cost-effective, heavy copper clad PCBs. For instance, you might find options similar to this example of copper clad laminate, which provides a strong base for your power electronics.
Creating your Power Board
If you’re taking the DIY route for the power board, you have a couple of options. For those with a steady hand and precision tools, you can print a power board pattern and transfer it onto a blank PCB. Etching can then be achieved using a Dremel tool. Alternatively, for more precise fabrication, especially if you plan to replicate the board, CNC milling is recommended. G-code for CNC etching is often available online, such as in resources like Open ReVolt Fab Files. Machine shops can also utilize this G-code to professionally mill your board if you prefer outsourcing this step.
Alt text: Detailed view of a power board for an electric car controller, etched using a Dremel tool, highlighting the intricate copper pathways.
The image above illustrates an example of a power board crafted with a Dremel in an earlier stage of development. This demonstrates the feasibility of DIY methods for creating your power board.
Acquiring or Building Your Control Board
For the control board, which houses the brains of your electric car controller, you have two primary choices: purchasing a pre-made board or building one yourself. Pre-fabricated control boards offer convenience and can save time in the initial setup.
Alt text: Image of a ready-to-use control board designed for electric car controllers, showing the integrated circuits, connectors, and other electronic parts.
The image above represents a pre-done control board, ready for integration into your system. Alternatively, if you prefer a more hands-on approach and customization, you can design and create your own control board. Schematics are available to guide you in this process, such as the Cougar Controller Rev2C Schematic. This schematic provides a detailed blueprint for designing your own board using PCB layout software. Furthermore, resources detailing the PCB layers, including the bottom layer, top layer, and component layer, are available to assist in the design and fabrication process.
Alt text: Top-down view of a power board for an EV controller, emphasizing the layout of copper tracks and solder points for component connections.
Alt text: Underside perspective of an electric vehicle power board, illustrating the copper layer and solder points from below.
The images above showcase the top and bottom views of a fabricated power board. The highlighted solder spots indicate where vias have been incorporated to create connections between different layers of the board, essential for complex circuit designs.
With your power board and control board prepared, you are ready to move on to the next crucial phase in programming your electric car controller – integrating these hardware components and beginning the software development process. Having these physical foundations in place is a vital prerequisite before you can delve into the intricacies of controller programming and functionality.
