CirKits SPC3-b1 Solar Power Center Alignment Instructions --------------- Work with the board on a non-conductive surface or mount the board permanently in a box as described below. You will need a rechargeable battery, a solar panel in the sun, the SPC3, and a volt meter. Make sure to observe the correct polarity when connecting the battery, solar panel, and load to the SPC3. Use Red wires for + and black wires for -. The SPC3 wire connectors should be snug, but not over-tight. CAUTION: the first time the board is connected to the battery, it is advisable to make a brief connection to be sure that there are no high current shorts from the soldering job. Rechargeable batteries have the ability to produce large amounts of current, short circuiting batteries can cause fires. Remove metal jewelry when working with batteries. Keep loose wire and metal away from the circuitry. The customer assumes all liability for any damages. SPC3 Charge Controller Alignment: --------------------------------- [] Point the solar panel toward the sun, measure the disconnected solar panel voltage with the meter, it must be at a higher voltage than the battery (approximately 17-18V) for the circuit to work. [] Measure the battery voltage with the meter. The battery should be fully charged to perform the charge controller alignment. charge the battery up to 14V with a charger, or connect it directly to the solar panel until it reaches 14V. [] Connect battery to the SPC3 battery terminals and the solar panel to the solar panel terminals. Expose solar panel to the sun. [] LED1 should light up, it can be red, or alternating red/green. [] Red means charging, alternating means pulsed charging at the float point. LED1 should be red when charging a discharged battery, it will start alternating colors as the battery reaches a full charge. [] Measure the battery voltage with the meter. [] Turn the float voltage potentiometer RV1 20 turns clockwise, LED1 should turn red. [] Turn RV1 counter clockwise until LED1 starts alternating red and green. The float voltage setting is now at the battery voltage. Follow the battery manufacturer's recommendation for max full voltage. Typical max voltages are 13.8V for gell cell and 14.5V for wet cell. [] While measuring the battery voltage, adjust RV1 clockwise to align the float voltage set point. If LED1 turns red before it reaches the desired float voltage, wait for the battery to charge. [] Repeat the previous step until the battery is at the desired float voltage and LED1 alternates red/green. [] After the battery has been at the float voltage for an hour, readjust RV1 to fine-tune the float voltage. The float voltage adjustment should be finalized when the system is at room temperature. [] Test the equalize function, connect across the two board holes marked EQU, LED1 should become red and the battery voltage should eventually rise to about 1.8V above the normal float voltage setting. Low Voltage Disconnect Alignment: --------------------------------- [] If you have access to a variable voltage DC power supply, set it to 11.6V, or 0.6V above the desired LVD cutout voltage. Disconnect the battery from the SPC3 and connect the variable supply to the SPC3 battery terminals. If you don't have a variable voltage DC supply, discharge the battery down to 11.6V by connecting a light bulb or other load directly to the battery. This may take a while for larger batteries. Connect the discharged battery to the SPC3 battery terminals. [] Turn the LVD adjustment potentiometer RV2 20 turns counter-clockwise. [] Turn the SPC3 power switch on, the white LEDs should turn on. [] Slowly turn RV2 clockwise until the amber LED turns on. [] Reduce the power supply to 11V, the amber and white LEDs should turn off. You can fine-tune the LVD setpoint by repeating this adjustment. This completes the SPC3 alignment. Recommended Mounting -------------------- The SPC3 should be permanently mounted in a metal or high temperature plastic box to prevent short circuits and resulting fire hazards. The circuit board can be mounted to the box using 4-40 screw hardware and insulated spacers. Drill holes in the side of the box for the power switch and 4 LEDs. Drill holes on the bottom of the box for the board mounting screws. Be sure to allow sufficient ventilation if the SPC3 is used at or near the full 9 amp in /10 amp out current capacity. The battery can be mounted in the same box as the SPC3, be sure to strap the battery down sufficiently and insulate the connectors to prevent shorts. Load and solar wires should enter the box with cable clamps or rubber grommets to prevent movement at the wire connectors. SPC3 Board Operation: --------------------- LED State Indicator: The SPC3 LEDs display the following system conditions: [R/G: OFF]:night time, or there is no sun on the solar panel. [R/G: RED]:Solar is charging Battery. [R/G: RED/GREEN]: Battery has reached float voltage setting. [WHITE LEDs: ON]: Load power is on [AMBER LED: ON]: Battery voltage is low, LVD shutoff soon. Normal Operation: When the sun first hits the solar panel, the SPC3 RED/GREEN LED will turn red, indicating solar power is charging the battery. When the battery charges long enough to reach the float voltage, the LED will be red with occasional green flashes. As the battery reaches a full charge, the LED will be green with occasional red flashes. When the sun goes down, the RED/GREEN LED will turn off. The on-off switch turns the load and the dual white LEDs on and off. After powering the load and discharging, the battery voltage will drop and the amber LED will turn on. When the battery voltage drops further, the load is automatically switched off (LVD). The white LEDs will turn off. If the battery voltage is below the LVD setpoint, the switch will not turn on the load power. Equalization (over charging) is optional, in systems where the battery is frequently discharged, the battery should occasionally be equalized for several hours to bring up the voltage of the weaker cells.