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Question Cytron 30A motor controller error

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Building Q&A / FAQ' started by Tomsix, Aug 4, 2021.

  1. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Hi guys.

    I would like to ask a question, got the Cytron 30A motor controller and it is wired on an arduino as described here,
    shortly after switching on, one of the chips heats up and stops working
    in the picture i marked which chip is that

    7812CG RDL34

    I hope someone can tell me something what I doing wrong Inkedletöltés_LI.jpg
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2021
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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  3. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    i don't know if my problem is the same with this,

    got uploaded the modified code on the arduino and worked fine with Cytron for a while but after 5 minutes it stopped to move without any signs.
    Now its dead...2 Boards at the Same time
  4. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Was it under load when it failed or not?
  5. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Just wired everything together after the i changed the code for Cytron
    After this everything seems top be Okay.

    But 5 Minutes later the Boards stopped to work.

    This one Chip get to Hot on the Attached picture
  6. Dschadu

    Dschadu Active Member

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    This is a voltage regulator for 12 V. Check your connections for a short.
    You can also measure the resistance between +12V and gnd while powered off.
    Everything lower than 30 Ohms is critical, but it depend on your input voltage. This is just a quick test to check for obvious errors and shorts. If an IC is damaged, it is likely that you will not find the issue with this method.
    Btw, 50°C is fine for that chip. Even 80°C is still ok
    • Informative Informative x 1
  7. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Im on 24 V not 12 V but thank for the Idea
  8. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    the chip heats up even if only the power source is connected, without Motors and arduino etc..
    The onboard power led
    is only dimly lit, as if it were a short circuit somewhere
  9. Dschadu

    Dschadu Active Member

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    Did you measure what I advised?
  10. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    can u make a picture what i need to measure exactly please.

    there is a lot 0f thing i didnt know
  11. superwhitewish

    superwhitewish Member

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    Maybe there's problem with your power supply. Check the actual voltage.
  12. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Here is a reply from Cytron Support:

    It's perfectly normal for the 7812 regulator to get hot under 24V as it's just a linear regulator.
    I suspect that the problem is due to regenerative current as he is using switching power supply to power up the motor driver.

    For your information, this motor driver is a regenerative motor driver.
    During motor deceleration, the power generated by the motor will be channeled back to the power source.
    Usually when a rechargeable battery is used to power the motor, this regenerative current flows back and charges the battery.
    However, when a switching power supply is used instead, the power supply cannot absorb this regenerative current and will cause the voltage to rise.
    In some cases, the voltage spike will trip the power supply over voltage protection. If this voltage is more than the maximum limit, it will damage the motor driver and the power supply.
    Please refer to this article for more information about regenerative braking.

    To overcome this problem, we suggest to connect a rechargeable battery or shunt regulator in parallel with the power supply.
    During motor deceleration, the regenerative current will be absorbed by the battery or dissipated by the shunt regulator via its onboard high power resistors.
    Please make sure the voltage rating for the shunt regulator is slightly higher than the power supply voltage.
    The shunt regulator will be smoked instantaneously if the power supply voltage is more than the shunt regulator voltage rating.
  13. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Got 24 V measured
  14. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    how can i calculate or which shunt Regulator should i Order.
    Thanks for any Advise
  15. Cameron Olson

    Cameron Olson Member Gold Contributor

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    What are your SMC3 settings for the motors? I had this issue when pmwmax or Kp was set too high. I burnt through 3 boards because of this.
  16. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Hi, the actual setting are this:

    Kp400
    Pwmmax 255
    Pwmmin 0
    Pwm brake 0
  17. Cameron Olson

    Cameron Olson Member Gold Contributor

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    Not sure what motors your using but try setting Pwmmax to 130-140. Mine started to blow around 170 and higher and honestly I couldn't tell the difference in motor output on anything after 140 Pwmmax
  18. Tomsix

    Tomsix Member

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    Motors are 24v 440w 1:50 59nm From sunrise electronics almost like yours I think
  19. Cameron Olson

    Cameron Olson Member Gold Contributor

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    Ok mine are the same except 1:60. Try lowering Pwmmax and see if that works for you. Are you using anything to measure the temperature? An infared thermometer works great for checking board and motor temps