EdMcGuirk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:25 am
I admit I am fascinated by the possibilities of a current sensing PDM. But I also wonder if a much cheaper idea could be almost as useful.
1 - Are fuses and relays really all that bulky and unreliable? How about a CAN bus controlled fuse/relay power center? If the control circuitry can control a set of relays and detect/report fuse and relay status, is that good enough?
2 - What about a smaller PDM that is meant to control power in a local area of the vehicle? Like a small PDM to control all the motors in a door (window, mirror, door lock, etc) or control all the tail lights with just a power wire and can bus wire? Unless a really small generic single port PDM could be a CAN interface to a single bulb along a CAN bus string? OK, that's not a PDM but how much should your power distribution in a vehicle look like a tree fanning out from a center or a bus with a single line that passes by each point?
3 - Might even make the communication protocol modular so that the PDM could be CAN, bluetooth, wifi, serial, etc.
Anybody have an opinion on that?
1. This is exactly what my prototype modules have , but with the addition of a current sense (acs type) reporting consumption.
I have some very nice proper OEM style drivers to use later along with fet drives.this is particularly important for some outputs I plan to pwm
2. I have 5 mini modules, front ,rear ,cabin /dash and both doors .
The front controls lights,leveling,fan etc. Basically all bonnet end stuff .
The rear module has both light clusters, tow electric and a few aux circuits.
The cabin controls HVAC, wipers, interior lighting
Doors , all switches and drivers
In addition I have a central gateway input module that takes all the switch gear inputs to transmit to bus. It also deals with obd port .
3. I am using data format from BMW 3series/mini.
The fuel pump and main fans are already canbus sourced from mini and Audi .
For wiring I will have a twisted pair in a ring from the gateway running around the car. Alongside this will be a 3core carrying power and an ignition active line.
The ignition active is for activation of the modules until I learn better how to make it all sleep for lower power consumption .
This is all WIP but I am getting there , my code is based around s development of gpio but for pdu use
Quantum Coupe with V04 on Ford 1.4CVH,Quantum 2+2 with Custom V04 on Jaguar 3.0l AJ30 V6
mini GPIO :done More soon
CANbus broadcast interface: done
Simple sd logger :done
External CAN io: Inputs :done
Gearbox controller: working