Electronic experts - BLUETOOTH

[stevelawiw]

Try to check:
1. Did you pair your phone with the BT module? Yes
2. When you run the app, do you see your BT module in the BT device list (in the app) Yes

It connects, the BT board red led is solid, not flashing. Sometimes it loads the presets, other times not, but I never get to be able to start a charge, it 'drops out' before I get to start a charge.
I made sure the laptop was shutdown and tried but it made no difference.
It's probably something I'm doing, it normally is! I'm off to bed now zzzzz

[Burgerman]

On mine the only thing you see externally is a tiny loop of servo cable emerging from the rear case and the same servo plug connected to the PL8s connector. The power is soldered to the pins on the inside. Plus and minus. From the RC 5V thingy. The plug can be disconnected to use the FUIM3 in case of firmware updates. That MIGHT work fine on BT as well, but not sure I dare test that!

Been working super reliably now for a year or so. I still have to do 2 more, as soon as I get enough time off this bed. And at least 6 months worth of other things.

[snaker]

it 'drops out' before I get to start a charge

Does it mean that the app shows "No signal" after connecting a little while? If so, the app can connect to the BT but the connection is not stable. Did you try to charge through PL8 software with BT? Did it work properly?

[woodygb]

https://forums.tomsguide.com/faq/how-to ... s7.107910/

[stevelawiw]

Thanks Woody I've tried all of the steps in the article but the problem remains.

Does it mean that the app shows "No signal" after connecting a little while? If so, the app can connect to the BT but the connection is not stable. Did you try to charge through PL8 software with BT? Did it work properly?

Yes the app shows "No signal".
I did charge using my laptop and BT last night, so the connection is better than when using the app, but it's not perfect, as after about ten minutes of starting the charge I noticed that the laptop was no longer connected. I didn't try to reconnect, I just let the charge carry on and went to sleep.

On mine the only thing you see externally is a tiny loop of servo cable emerging from the rear case and the same servo plug connected to the PL8s connector. The power is soldered to the pins on the inside. Plus and minus. From the RC 5V thingy. The plug can be disconnected to use the FUIM3 in case of firmware updates. That MIGHT work fine on BT as well, but not sure I dare test that!

Mine is pretty much the same as yours

Except my UBEC is connected outside the box (you can see the two small power wires going into the box), I didn't want to do any soldering inside.
And the power is connected to the BT board rather than the pins of the PL8.

What can I do to improve reliability? Can you tell me what caps I need and where to put them? (polite answers only, please ) If you think that will help

[Burgerman]

Use ferrite ring on power supply output, and 0.1uF Ceramic Capacitor, and any 7v upwards electrolytic (watch polarity) of a sensible size also on the input to the BT thingy.

Until I did this, mine suffered the same way, at say 10 or 20A charge. Now it never does.

[ICEUK]

Can i ask where did u draw the power from? For bt.

[ICEUK]

Its ok i see now, you cut into psu to pl8 wire and joined a small piece of wire for power. Do you think i could solder into one of the fan wires, it gives 12 volts or do you think it will be to much interference?

[stevelawiw]

No. The fan speed varies with load. That won't work. Your best bet is the main power cable if it's a UBEC you want to power.

[ICEUK]

Is this ubec ok? https://hobbyking.com/en_us/kingkong-5v-3a-ubec.html

I think its ok...

Thx for info steve

[stevelawiw]

That's the one I used. Are you also adding the components, ferrite ring, resistor etc?

Posted by Burgerman

Use ferrite ring on power supply output, and 0.1uF Ceramic Capacitor, and any 7v upwards electrolytic (watch polarity) of a sensible size also on the input to the BT thingy.

Until I did this, mine suffered the same way, at say 10 or 20A charge. Now it never does.

[ICEUK]

Yes i am steve, just need to check i get correct parts.

[stevelawiw]

These are the ones I chose
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Monolithic-50V-Ceramic-Capacitors-Chip-Multi-layer-Multilayer/192974683655?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-PCS-GREEN-ROUND-TOROID-FERRITE-CORES-22mm-x-14mm-x-8mm/273916813565?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/aluminium-capacitors/5194059/

If that helps!

Edit: Oh! and a small resistor, 47ohm I think

[ICEUK]

Thx steve,

[Burgerman]

And...
You must do the following. Set BT to be visible to other devices. Set to allow it to initiate connection. When it finds it, add the 1234 serial or whatever yours is. And then check it appears and connects in the black screen below. Then open the DEVICE MANAGER. Be sure the program is open. It MAY crash if you do not DISABLE the extra added com port. Its usually the higher of the two ports. In my case here its the lower one.

The BT device added com3 and com4. Its USING com4. See the software screenshot. So DISABLE com3. If you dont you will get frequent lockups and PL8 program may crash. Once you do it will be easy to connect and reliable. All automatic.

As you can see I am discharging a chair via BT right now in my kitchen. NOTE: It is using COM4.

[Burgerman]

And this is the settings screen.

Once BT is configured to be , on, visible, allow incoming connections etc it will do so in future automatically.

See black screen here to check its connected and will have the name on the BT card you fitted.
In my case woody called it PL8v2 on my request.

[Burgerman]

And in DEVICE MANAGER and with program running and connected, DISABLE the COM port that it has added that is NOT used. Dont delete it. Dont uninstall it. DISABLE it!

Be sure it appears under BlueTooth, and also that the STANDARD serial over bluetooth Adapter COM ports lower down. Note that Com 3 is disabled.

Now it will wok reliably.

[ICEUK]

Thx bm for info

[ICEUK]

Bm. Did take the supply. From the resistor or directly from psu input? Also. Have u got any pictures of how u wired yours inside pl8?

Thx

[Burgerman]

I took the supply directly from the input inside the PL8 by soldring my two small BEC wires to the board. To a 5V BEC as used for model hobby. The one I used and have 4 or 5 here always is the 5V Hobby wing 3A one. Cheap and common on eBay. It includes a ferrite ring etc. They have a jumper for 4 or 6 volt. I added 4X 1A silicon diodes in the supply to the BEC. To drop the max volts from 30V to 27V. Not really rquired but it did say max volts 27V... Unfortunately no pics. It wasnt hard to find a 0 and an input voltage point.

[Irving]

Bm. Did take the supply. From the resistor or directly from psu input? Also. Have u got any pictures of how u wired yours inside pl8?

Thx

You need to take the -ve supply from the ground pin on the 3-pin connector. I took my +ve connection from the + side of the big BLACK capacitor. Using these two points gives a clean supply and no other components were needed. YMMV of course.

Don't take ground from the 'black' input wire or capacitor as the ground line is switched by the PL8 (for some weird reason), so that would introduce ground loop noise into the DC-DC converter, particularly at high charge rates.

[Burgerman]

Don't take ground from the 'black' input wire or capacitor as the ground line is switched by the PL8 (for some weird reason), so that would introduce ground loop noise into the DC-DC converter, particularly at high charge rates.

I didnt know that. I did take my neg from the input wire or close to it somewhere. AND from the neg on the 3 pin.

[ICEUK]

Iring thx for pictures, what does ymmv mean?

[Burgerman]

Your Mileage May Vary

[steves1977uk]

what does ymmv mean?

YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary.

Steve

[ICEUK]

Bm. Did take the supply. From the resistor or directly from psu input? Also. Have u got any pictures of how u wired yours inside pl8?

Thx

You need to take the -ve supply from the ground pin on the 3-pin connector. I took my +ve connection from the + side of the big BLACK capacitor. Using these two points gives a clean supply and no other components were needed. YMMV of course.

Don't take ground from the 'black' input wire or capacitor as the ground line is switched by the PL8 (for some weird reason), so that would introduce ground loop noise into the DC-DC converter, particularly at high charge rates.

IMAG0874.jpg

IMAG0873.jpg

I installed my power as per irivings method, i can get laptop to connect via bt and select com4 on pl8 but the pl8 does not connect.

I had to ports comm 4and 5 i disbled comm 5 and then changed baud rate to 19200 on both.


I have 5volts at BT module.

Any ideas?

[Burgerman]

Send and recieve reversed.
You must turn on all the BT options like make this device discoverable, allow connections, etc. Sometimes you must disable one of the two ports it adds in device manager. NOT uninstall.

And after all that it sould connect if you have the correct com port selected in the CCS software upon opening. Make sure your BT is close enough at least initially. Like 10 to 15 feet away.

[expresso]

Did anyone make a plug and play BT without opening the charger ? for dummies like me to try

[Burgerman]

It more or less is plug and play. But no not so far. Inside makes sense as it needs power. Externally makes no sense as it is hanging off the rear and needs more wires to provide it 5v to work.

[expresso]

yeah knowing me- i would kill my charger trying it - i am still waiting on my new PL8 i ordered in Feb during the sale - nothing yet - good thing i have a few for backup - imagine if you didnt and the only one you have broke -

are they step by step instructions with pictures for dummies to do this - with a parts list etc, ?