What's New |  | | | OMG |
A bug was found in the MIMA code that can cause the engine to unexpectedly start when the car is stopped in the PIMA mode. The restart happens approximately 25 seconds after coming to a stop.
Normally this is not a problem as it acts like a restart from autostop, so you are already in neutral or the clutch is in, so the car will not move.
One new MIMA owner was sitting in his car in his garage, reading about MIMA calibration.
MIMA was in the PIMA/Calibration mode, ignition was on,engine not running, in gear, clutch out. The engine started with PIMA, but the brake was on so the car did not move.
Boy was he supprised!
Fortunately no damage was done, and now we have identified the problem and have fixed the bug in the code.
If you are a MIMA owner and want to upgrade your software (recommended) to the latest version, simply e-mail or call me, and we will make arrangements to get your MIMA controller swapped out or reprogrammed.
how to swap the controller
I only have 25 or so microcontrollers and shipping containers available, so as soon as you get the replacement microcontroller that I will send you, you need to return your old one so I can reprogram it and use it to replace another.
For the people near CT, swing by the next time you are in the area, and I can reprogram your old processor it right in the car.
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| 2/1/2012
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grid charger instructions V2.0 draft
... more |
| 1/27/2012
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Programming adapter
Pic programmers can have different programming connectors. The Microchip units have a 6 pin RJ/12 connector, and others have a 5 pin SIP. This set of components lets the RJ/12 type program the SIP, and the SIP program the RJ/12. ... more |
| 1/27/2012
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SOC reset device
After a grid charge, the car may or may nor recognize that a charge has happened.
Thanks to Peter Perkin work on decoding the communication over the OBDII port, for his OBDII C&C device, he has given me the codes required to reset the SOC in the car to 19 ... more |
| 1/25/2012
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How it is wired
Wanted to do some charger/discharger test on a pack that was pretty bad, so I took off the covers, and made this chart, which should be a nice road map for any battery explorers.
********Danger*********
Adding the jumper across where the big fuse and swit... more |
| 1/21/2012
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Broken gas can cap
New England weather can get nasty, so having a generator and some gas is almost a necessity.
I bought several 6 gal cans a few years ago, and one of the plastic caps split, and would not seal.
I went on a quest to buy a replacement cap, but as was my exper... more |
| 1/13/2012
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Pack discharger
The charger can do a much better job of balancing a battery if the pack can be discharged deeply, but not so deep that any cells reverse.
The Dis-charger accessory for the grid charger can do that function better than the driver can.
The discharger is pret... more |
| 1/1/2012
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Understanding the charging and balancing process
Now that we have a large number of charger users, lets explore in more detail what happens during a charge, and how plotting the charge data can tell us about the condition of the pack.
The chart shows the end of the high current zone of charging, as it re... more |
| 12/29/2011
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Graphing the cycle
The new code has the ability to log both the charge and the discharge, and with the automatic discharger, we can do automatic cycles to fully exercise the pack right on the bench or in the car.
The graphs show the log from cycling the prius pack below. Not... more |
| 12/28/2011
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Smart discharger
To fully cycle the packs and therefore recover as much capacity as possible, I am exploring two possibilities. the first is a charger controlled load for the full pack. A 250VDC power mosfet with an optically controlled gate is the HV switch, and the prese... more |
| 12/21/2011
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Why two Joysticks
The Joysticks can be mounted wherever you like with the provided epoxy putty.
The typical positions are on the shifter, or the emergency brake. When driving , and going through the gears, having a joystick at your fingertips allows you to add assist or reg... more |
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