- Why do I need an e-xpert battery monitor?
The life time of batteries is dependent on many aspects. Battery life time reduces by under-charging, over-charging, too deep discharging, too fast discharging, and too high ambient temperature. By monitoring your batteries with an advanced battery monitor like the e-xpert series, important feedback is given to you so that measures can be taken when necessary. An e-xpert batter monitor also indicates when your battery needs to be charged and when it's fully charged. This way, by extending battery life time, an e-xpert battery monitor will quickly earn itself back.
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- How does an e-xpert battery monitor work?
The capacity of a battery is rated in Amphours (Ah). For example a battery that can deliver a current of 5Amps for a period of 20hours is rated at 100Ah (5 * 20 = 100). An e-xpert battery monitor continuously measures the present current flow in or out of the battery so it can calculate the amount of energy removed from or added to the battery. But since battery age, discharge current and temperature all influence the battery's capacity, you can't rely on an Amp-hours reading. When the same 100Ah battery is discharged completely in two hours, it will give you only 56Ah. As you can see the battery's capacity is almost halved. This phenomenon is called Peukert efficiency. When the temperature of the battery is low too, its capacity is decreased even more. This is why simple Amphour counters or Voltmeters are not able to give you an accurate state-of-charge indication.
An e-xpert battery monitor can display both Amphours removed (not compensated) and actual state-of-charge (compensated by Peukert efficiency, charge efficiency and temperature). Reading state-of-charge is the best way to read your battery. This parameter is given in percent, where 100.0% represents a fully charged battery and 0.0% a completely flat battery. You can compare this with a fuel-gauge in a car.
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- Why shouldn't I use a simple V-meter to indicate my battery status?
A simple volt-meter cannot reliably indicate the state-of-charge of the battery, because battery voltage is heavily dependent on the discharge- or charging-current. Besides this, deep-cycle batteries should be charged when 45-55% of the stored energy is removed while a significant reduction of the battery voltage is seen when 85-100% of the energy is removed. So when using a simple volt-meter, your battery will continuously be discharged too deeply, drastically reducing it's life time.
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- Why shouldn't I use a simple Ah-counter to indicate my battery status?
Since these meters don't have the intelligence of an e-xpert battery monitor, they don't compensate the battery capacity with Peukert-, temperature- and charge-efficiency. Especially Peukert efficiency can reduce the battery capacity drastically. So when you think you've removed 50% of the stored energy, you may actually have removed 100% of the stored energy. This makes an Ah-counter a useless instrument for State of Charge indication.
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- What do I need to install an e-xpert battery monitor?
All e-xpert battery monitors will be shipped with a 500Amp/50mV current shunt, an installation guide, a user manual and some shunt connection terminals. The battery monitor uses a 5 or 6 wire connection to the battery and shunt (Vsupply, Vsense/Vmain, Vaux (lite & pro only), ground, Shunt+ and Shunt-). The two shunt wires must be twisted together to minimize noise pickup. Although the installation of the battery monitor is quite easy, we also offer socalled connection kits in different lengths. These kits contain professional twisted pair cable, inline wire fuses and crimp terminals. The connection kit contains all you need to professionally install an e-xpert battery monitor.
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- How do I setup an e-xpert battery monitor?
An e-xpert battery monitor is a very flexible instrument and can be implemented in all 12V and 24V lead acid battery systems. In the user friendly setup menu, all specific parameters like battery voltage, capacity, charge parameters, alarm settings etc. can be set according to your application. All these settings are stored into internal memory and will not be lost when the power fails. In the enclosed user manual, a step by step setup procedure will walk you through all settings in a clear way.
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- How does the e-xpert's communication port work?
The e-xpert 501 and e-xpert pro are equipped with a socalled 'RJ12 expansion port'. This expansion port can be used for connection to an external temperature sensor or to an external communication interface. Currently two types of communication interface boxes are available, one RS232 type and one USB type. With these interfaces, the e-xpert can be connected to a Windows PC running the advanced E-XpertLink or TBS Dashboard software. In the near future an Ethernet box is also planned. Such an interface box will allow multiple e-xpert's to be connected to one host system.
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- What is E-XpertLink?
E-XpertLink is an advanced Windows host software package, that will add more functionality and flexibility to the E-xpert 501. Some features of this software are:
- fully graphical setup menu
- save all e-xpert 501 settings to disk
- readout all measured parameters in real time using separate meter windows
- readout/clear all history events
- enable password protected e-xpert 501 setup menu's
- plot all measured parameters in a graph window
- use the PC as a datalogger
- Peukert calculator
E-XpertLink will be shipped along with the RS232 and USB communication kits.
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- What if my battery voltage exceeds the e-xpert's maximum input voltage of 35VDC?
To enable implementation of the e-xpert battery monitor in battery systems with higher voltages than 35VDC, we have designed the 1:5 voltage prescaler kit for the e-xpert 501 and pro. This kit contains a 1:5 voltage prescaler box which stretches the input voltage range of the E-Xpert from 9..35VDC to 27..175VDC. This means that battery systems from 36VDC up to 120VDC can be monitored by the E-Xpert battery monitor.
Unlike the solutions applied by our competitors, the 1:5 voltage prescaler box has a build in DC-DC converter. This means that the E-Xpert itself, will be powered by the high battery terminal voltage too. The undesirable battery load imbalance, when powering the battery monitor from a lower voltage tap in the series string, will be avoided this way.
The e-xpert pro will soon be available as an 'HV' version enabling direct implementation of this instrument in 36V, 42V or 48V battery systems without the need for a prescaler. In the near future a 1:10 prescaler will be launched for the e-xpert pro which stretches the input voltage range up to 350VDC.
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- Why is an e-xpert RS232 or USB communication interface fully isolated?
There are several reasons to include isolation in a data interface. For example, isolation reduces or eliminates ground-loop noise and common mode voltage effects, as well as the possible consequent damage to the interface and other connected equipment. In battery monitoring systems, it is very likely that an electrical path exists between the input and output of the data interface. This can result in permanent damage to equipment connected in this chain. By isolating the data lines in the RS232 or USB interface, this electrical path will be interrupted so that all these problems are eliminated.
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- What kind of optional kits are available for the e-xpert series?
To offer a total solution to your battery monitoring needs, we offer a number of socalled kits. The following kits are currently available:
- Connection kit in lengths of 10m, 15m, 20m and 30m (incl. professional twisted pair cable and terminals)
- Temperature sensor kit in lengths of 10m, 20m and 30m
- RS232 Communication kit (incl. E-XpertLink, an isolated RS232 interface box and cabling)
- USB Communication kit (incl. E-XpertLink, an isolated USB interface box and cabling)
- 1:5 voltage prescaler kit (incl. 1:5 voltage prescaler box and crimp terminals)
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- What is a current shunt?
A current shunt is a device that converts current to voltage, in order to create a usable signal to be measured by the e-xpert battery monitor. The shunt must always be placed in the main current path with one side connected to the minus terminal of the battery and the other side connected to the DC load. Note that the shunt must always be connected to the MINUS terminal of the battery. Placing the shunt into positive battery lead, will lead to large measurement errors and may damage the battery monitor due to the large common mode input voltage.
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