BatMon User's Manual

BatMonÔ

User’s Manual September 29, 1999

Model:

BATMON-12

Table Of Contents

Introduction *

Typographical Conventions *

Safety and Important Information Conventions *

General Conventions *

Background Knowledge *

Product Description *

BATMON *

List of Materials and Equipment *

Supplied Materials and Equipment *

Other Required Materials and Equipment *

Installation *

Battery Wiring Practices - Load Circuits *

Mounting the Shunt Assembly and Display Unit *

Wiring the Display Assembly and Shunt Assembly *

Wiring Practices *

Step One and Two - Battery Negative/Negative Distribution *

Step Three - Fusing and Power *

Step Four- Display Cable *

Finishing Steps *

Operation *

Voltage Calibration *

Efficiency Calibration *

Determining the Efficiency *

Setting the Efficiency *

Interpretation of Effective Charge Amps *

An Example *

Normal Operation *

Volts *

Amp-Hours *

Amps *

RESET Switch *

Troubleshooting *

Common Problems *

Does Not Appear to Operate *

AMP-HOURS Channel Drifts to a Large Negative Value *

How To Obtain Technical Support *

Technical Information *

Table of Figures

Figure 1. Four Step Hookup Diagram (AT950602 Sheet 1 of 1 Rev. 0) *

Figure 2. Fuse-Holder Assembly *

Figure 3. Operating Mode Jumper (AT950603 Sheet 1 of 1 Rev. 0) *

Figure 4. Mounting Dimensions Template (AT950601 Sheet 1 of 1 Rev. A) *

Introduction

The BatMon User’s Manual contains detailed information to assist you in installing and operating the BatMon. To avoid accidental damage to, misuse of, or improper installation of the BatMon, it is essential that users follow this manual carefully.

Typographical Conventions

Safety and Important Information Conventions

This document uses the following specific conventions to properly identify safety and important information.

Symbol	Type of information

!	WARNING: This symbol accompanied with text, identifies a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

M	CAUTION: This symbol accompanied with text identifies a situation that could potentially harm or damage equipment.

F	NOTE: This symbol accompanied with text identifies important information that may help with the current topic at hand.

General Conventions

The following kinds of formatting in the text identify special information.

Formatting convention	Type of information

Bold type	Emphasized terms or phrases.

Italic type	Specialized terms. Titles of books.

Background Knowledge

This manual is not intended to teach the basics of electrical systems or its use. It presumes that you are already familiar with the use of electrical equipment and wiring. You may need to consult a dedicated reference to further your knowledge of wiring practices, rules of thumb, and detailed explanations. If you would like to know more about wiring your system properly, an excellent book to consult is, Wiring 12 Volts for Ample Power. This book contains a multitude of information, useful as a reference and a guide, for beginners and experienced alike. Various topics from this book were used in this manual and are explained in whole in this book.

Product Description

The BatMon monitors three functions: voltage, current (amps), and amp-hours for one battery bank.

The BatMon is made in one version.

BATMON

Ample Technology, AT, offers the BatMon for 12 Volt systems only. The unit must be the correct model for the system voltage. Voltages greater than 35 Volts will damage the BatMon, even if applied for a short period. A sustained voltage higher than 20 Volts will damage the BatMon.

List of Materials and Equipment

Supplied Materials and Equipment

Qty.	Part Description
1	BATMON (Display Unit)
1	AH-SHUNT (Shunt Assembly)
1	3 amp fast blow fuse (AGC 3A or equivalent)
1	in-line fuse-holder
1	20' flat Display Cable
1	Manual Addendum (If Applicable)
1	This User's Manual
1	Warranty Card

CAT. # Option	Part Description
	Adjusting Tool

Other Required Materials and Equipment

In addition to the supplied materials and equipment, you must have the following equipment to correctly install the BatMon:

Precision Voltmeter (Digital or analog)
4 - mounting screws for the display assembly, of appropriate length and type, depending on the mounting surface
2 - mounting screws for the shunt assembly, of appropriate length and type, depending on the mounting surface
1 - or 2 screw driver(s) for the eight mounting screws above
1 - 9/16 wrench or adjustable crescent wrench
1 - saber saw or other appropriate mechanism for cutting a hole in the mounting surface for the display assembly
Battery wire (refer to Table 1: Recommended Battery Wire Sizes for proper sizing)
2 - 3/8 inch lugs, of appropriate wire gauge, for battery wire

Installation

This section will walk you through the process of installing your BatMon. It will start out with a brief overview of practices followed by the procedures.


!	WARNING: To reduce the chance of an electrical short circuit while modifying wiring, always disconnect the battery from the electrical system before proceeding with installation of the BatMon. Failure to comply could result in personal injury.

M	CAUTION: Do not install the BatMon with the battery connected to the electrical system. Damage to the BatMon could result.

Battery Wiring Practices - Load Circuits

Wire Length	AWG Wire Size £ 140 Amps	AWG Wire Size £ 200 Amps
10	#2	#2
15	#2	#0
20	#0	#00

A positive distribution post such as the AT #1039-1 or a positive distribution bar such as the AT #1039-5 and a negative distribution bar such as the AT #1039-5 are highly recommended. These two products provide a usable means of mounting multiple wires. The battery positive and negative clamps are usually not an ideal point of distribution since multiple wires can create an unwieldy mess on the battery clamp.

Use the appropriate wire sizes, such as those specified by Table 1 for the Battery wiring. Table 1 wire sizes allow for up to a 3% voltage drop at the given current specification and length of wire. In most load circuits, a 3% drop in voltage is quite acceptable.

NOTE: Table 1 is for the battery wiring.

Mounting the Shunt Assembly and Display Unit


M	CAUTION: Do not subject the Batmon shunt assembly to extreme heat, such as in an engine compartment. Inaccurate readings will result.

Below are some useful tips to aid in the mounting of the Shunt Assembly and the Display Unit.

The Shunt Assembly is designed to be mounted near the batteries. The batteries should also be located away from extreme temperatures. As a rule of thumb, if a human won't enjoy the temperature ranges, neither will a battery nor the Shunt Assembly.
Mount the Shunt Assembly and Display in a dry, moderate temperature, well ventilated, and safe location.
Mount within 20 feet (6 meters) of each other.
If you mount any unit on a shelf, be certain that it will not sit in a pool of water that could eventually corrode the unit.

Do not mount in a closed battery compartment, since the oxygen rich environment can hasten corrosion.
Allow space for wiring.
It is good practice to secure all wiring bundles against motion or vibration, so be sure that there is room surrounding the unit for cable anchors.

First, you should mount the Shunt Assembly.

Find a suitable location, while adhering to the above recommendations, that is as close to the battery as possible. If it is possible, find a location that is in line with the present battery negative cable so that the cable can be spliced there later (in the wiring section).
Mount the Shunt Assembly using two suitable screws (not provided).


F	NOTE: There are two different style Shunt Assemblies. One has four mounting holes and the other has two mounting holes. If you have the style with four mounting holes, use four screws instead of two.

Next, you should mount the Display Unit.

Find a suitable location, while adhering to the above recommendations.

Use the Mounting Dimensions Template, on page *, to aid in marking the display cutout area and screw holes.

Plug the flat style display cable into the modular plug on the Display Unit. DO NOT plug in the Shunt Assembly at this time.

Mount the Display Unit using four suitable screws (not provided). Make sure the display cable can still be routed to the Shunt Assembly for later.

Summary: At this point, the display unit and shunt assembly should be mounted. The display cable should be plugged into only the display unit and accessible as well.

Wiring the Display Assembly and Shunt Assembly

Below are some useful tips to aid in the wiring of the Shunt Assembly and the Display Unit.

Wiring Practices

Remove all power from the electrical system before doing any wiring. Check to confirm power is not applied to any circuits by measurement or visual inspection of clocks, lamps, etc.

Refer to the applicable wiring diagrams. Note all the wire sizes as specified in subsequent sections.

When stringing wire, leave enough slack to allow room for error and anchoring so that the installation will have a clean and professional look. Rule of Thumb: One may save a few pennies at first by cutting corners, but in the long run it may end up costing more.

To aid in troubleshooting and installation, label each wire after each step with a description such as BATTERY+, GROUND, etc. This can be done by using wire numbers, by writing on masking tape, or by writing on the wire's insulation with a fine-point permanent pen.

Use #16 AWG wire for the BATMON connections, unless otherwise specified.

Strip 3/16 - 1/4 inch (5-6 mm) of insulation off wires prior to crimping small wire (AWG 12 and up). Larger diameter wires require roughly twice as much.

Do not strip insulation so much that bare wire is exposed out of the connectors.

Do not solder (tin) any of the wires yourself. Pre-tinned wire is recommended for durability, instead.

Add protective coating to exposed wire ends after they are crimped.

Allow for space to secure all wiring bundles against motion or vibration. When the installation is complete and operating as specified, then detail the wiring.

Refer to the wiring diagram below for the basic Four Step Hookup process.

Step One and Two - Battery Negative/Negative Distribution

The first two steps involve modification to the battery negative cable.

To begin with, make sure the battery negative cable is disconnected from the battery.
If you were able to locate the Shunt Assembly in the path of the battery negative cable, then cut the battery negative cable so that the two cut ends can be crimped and attached to the Shunt Assembly.
Otherwise, cut the cable according to your requirements and add a section of cable where necessary. Use the same cable size, as appropriate (refer to Table 1).
Crimp the ends of the cables with the appropriate sized lugs.
Fasten the two crimped cable lugs to the Shunt Assembly checking the orientation as shown in Figure 1. DO NOT fasten the battery negative at this point.

Step Three - Fusing and Power


!	WARNING: To reduce the chance of an electrical short circuit, always properly fuse all wires leading from the battery. Failure to comply could result in fire, loss of vessel/vehicle, or personal injury/death. Always use fuses where shown. Be sure that fuses are not changed to a different type other than specified, such as to a slow-blow type or to a higher rating.

The BATMON comes supplied with an in-line fuse and fuse-holder. It is a 3 Amp, fast blow fuse (AGC 3A or equivalent). Be sure that this fuse is not changed to a slow-blow type, or to a fuse with a higher rating.

Install the in-line fuse as follows:

Refer to
Figure 2

for assembly of the fuse holder. Use the smallest spring and discard the other springs.

Using a suitable fuse holder (such as the one supplied), insert it close to the source (» 6-12"/15-30 cm).
DO NOT install the 3 amp fuse at this time.

Figure 2. Fuse-Holder Assembly

Step Four- Display Cable

The display cable should already be connected to the display unit.

Continue as follows:

Carefully route the cable. Avoid areas of high heat, noise, or potential wear.
Plug the modular connector into the Shunt Assembly.
Secure the cable with tie straps or some other suitable anchor.

Finishing Steps

Now that the BatMon is installed and wired, it is time to power up the system.

Reconnect the battery to the system.
Insert the 3A fuse into the fuse-holder for the BatMon.
Continue to the Operation section and set the efficiency.

Operation

This section will walk you through the operation of the BatMon. First, you will have to adjust the efficiency, then you can begin normal operation.

Voltage Calibration

The BatMon is calibrated at the factory. Voltage calibration can be made inside the display assembly. To calibrate the voltage: first, remove the four screws on the back of the display assembly; second, look at the bottom of the assembly for a potentiometer adjustment; third, connect a precision voltmeter directly to the battery terminals; fourth, put the BatMon selector switch on the voltage position; finally, adjust the potentiometer so that the BatMon displays the same reading as the precision voltmeter. Calibrating the voltage channel also calibrates the Amps and Amp-hours channels as well.

Efficiency Calibration

Due to energy losses such as heat, every Amp-hour discharged from a battery must be replaced by more than an Amp-hour of recharge. Depending on the battery type, as much as 30% more Amp-hours (70% efficiency) must be returned than were discharged. At the factory, efficiency is set at 80%. Therefore, for every Amp-hour of recharge, only 0.8 Amp-hours actually returns.

Determining the Efficiency

First fully charge the batteries. Next discharge them to about 50%. Then fully charge the batteries again. If the Amp-hours shows less than zero when the batteries are fully charged, then the efficiency is set too low. If the Amp-hours shows more than zero when the batteries are fully charged, then the efficiency is set too high. Efficiency may have to be re-calibrated as the batteries age.

Setting the Efficiency

Figure 3, below, shows the jumper selection on the Shunt Assembly for Efficiency Adjust Mode and Normal Operation Mode. The jumper should be in Efficiency Adjust Mode only when efficiency is being adjusted. During normal operation, it should be in the Normal Operation Mode.

Figure 3. Operating Mode Jumper (AT950603 Sheet 1 of 1 Rev. 0)

To adjust the charge efficiency, first move the jumper to the "EFF ADJ" position (Efficiency Adjust Mode) as shown in Figure 3. When moving the jumper to the "EFF ADJ" position, the Amp-hours channel on the Display Assembly displays effective charge Amps rather than Amp-hours. Use the following formula to calculate the Effective Charge Amps.

Interpretation of Effective Charge Amps

The following steps outline the above formula.

Put the display assembly switch in the AMPS position and note the amps reading.
Multiply the amps reading in step 1 by the efficiency of the batteries.
Multiply the result from step 2 by 20% (0.2). The BatMon displays 20% of the actual effective charge amps.
Ignore the negative sign. This is because charge Amps is normally displayed as positive while the BatMon displays effective charge Amps as negative.
Multiply the result in step 4 by 10. Assume that the decimal point is one place to the left by dropping the decimal point or multiplying by 10.
Adjust the efficiency potentiometer on the shunt assembly to the Effective Charge Amps calculation in step 5.
Repeat steps 1 to 6 if the AMPS channel is not at a stable value.

An Example

Suppose the AMPS channel reads about 100.0 Amps and you wish to set the efficiency at 90%.

First, move the efficiency adjustment jumper as shown by Figure 3. Take 90% of 100.0 to get 90.0 Amps. Now take 20% of that to get 18.0. Drop the decimal point for a display of 180. Adjust the efficiency potentiometer on the shunt assembly until the display on the Amp-hours position shows 180. Efficiency is now set at 90%.

You now observe that the AMPS channel is not stable and has changed during the calibration. Simply reiterate the above process until a reasonable tolerance is reached.

Once you have adjusted the efficiency, return the jumper shown in Figure 3 to the normal operating position. Your BatMon is now ready to operate.

Normal Operation

The BatMon displays battery voltage, battery current, and the number of Amp-hours that have been removed from the battery.

Volts

The battery voltage is measured from 6 to 19.99 Volts full scale.

Amp-Hours

The battery amp-hours are measured to 800 Ah. Amp-hours consumed is displayed as negative, while overcharge Amp-hours is displayed as positive.

Amps

The battery amps ranges from ± 199.9 Amps with 0.1 Amps of resolution. Charge current is displayed as positive, while discharge current is shown as negative.

F	NOTE: Since the BatMon uses about 13.5 mA and the display can only show a resolution of 0.1 Amps, it is normal to see a -0.0 to -0.1 Amp draw on the BatMon with all other loads disconnected from the battery.

RESET Switch

The BatMon does not auto-reset when the batteries are completely charged. It is up to the user to monitor the battery voltage and current in order to determine when the batteries are full. Generally, a battery is said to be full when the voltage is maintaining the absorption voltage (usually 14.4 Volts @ 77° F) and the charge current has declined to less than 2% to 5% of the amp-hour capacity of the battery being charged.

If the BatMon does not read zero on the Amp-hours channel when the batteries are full, then the charge efficiency is not adjusted perfectly.

To synchronize the BatMon with the state of charge, use a blunt non-metallic pointer (such as a blunt toothpick) to reset the Amp-hours reading. Insert the pointer through the hole marked RESET, keeping it straight, and depress the switch located on the internal printed circuit board. The unit should now display zero.

The BatMon should be reset whenever power is applied, and whenever the batteries are fully charged and the Amp-hours display is not reading zero.

Troubleshooting

Common Problems

Does Not Appear to Operate

First Check the BATMON Wiring

ü Connect the negative probe of a digital voltmeter to the battery negative.

ü Connect the positive to the following tabs:

Measure the voltage on the shunt assembly (anywhere on the shunt metallic surface will do). - It should be 0 volts DC. If the voltage is not, then the wiring is faulty.
Measure the voltage on the fuse holder connected to the BATMON. It should be the same as the battery voltage. If it is different, then check the wiring and in-line fuse (fix/replace if necessary).

Fuses Blow

If any of the fuses are blown, then there is a short-circuit somewhere and it should be found and corrected.
If the fuse on the BATMON blows twice in a row, then remove the flat style display cable from the shunt assembly. If the fuse blows again, then the BATMON shunt assembly is damaged. If the fuse does not blow then proceed.
If the fuse only blows when the BATMON is properly wired and the display cable is connected, then the display unit is damaged.

AMP-HOURS Channel Drifts to a Large Negative Value

This is caused by extreme heat. The shunt assembly must be mounted in a location that is free of extreme heat. As a rule of thumb, if a human cannot live indefinitely in the heat, neither will the BATMON.

How To Obtain Technical Support

Hopefully, you will not have to obtain technical support. But if you do, here’s what to do:

Please do the following first (to help in the initial identification of the problem):

Be prepared to give a specific description.
Measure the battery voltages. Mark them in the manual, below.
Battery Voltage ____ . ____ V
Have a pen/pencil and the BATMON manual handy for taking notes while on the phone.

Call the dealer or installer from which the BATMON was purchased for technical support.

Product Servicing: refer to the warranty card for information regarding what is warranty and non-warranty product servicing.

Technical Information

Figure 4. Mounting Dimensions Template (AT950601 Sheet 1 of 1 Rev. A)