PowerLab 8 User Guide
Full version PDF, also available as on-line help included in the CCS with context-sensitive Help buttons throughout the application
PowerLab 8 Power Spreadsheet
This is a Excel Spreadsheet designed to help you determine what kind of power supply you will require to use the PowerLab 8 based on your unique requirements for battery type, number of cells, desired charge/discharge currents, etc.
Free PL8 Charge Control Software (CCS)
This free Microsoft Windows application is compatible with any version of Windows from Win2000 through Win7. The CCS unleashes the full potential of PowerLab 8. The GUI is simple to use and allows access to over 100 parameters per preset. PL8 includes 25 user presets in the charger, and room for 50 library presets. Show, hide, delete or customize presets, save them down to your computer hard drive, pass them on to friends. Graph all charge and discharge data at the cell level, adjust all charger options, update firmware easily and reliably, and much, much more...
PowerLab 8 Beta Thread on RCGroups
Join the PL8 beta team as they continue to test and support the product on-line in the FMA Support Forum on RCGroups
POWER
FMA Direct and Revolectrix have teamed up once again on this ambitious endeavor. The industry's first 1344W workhorse! So much more than a charger, we had to call it something else, so we chose to label it a "Battery Workstation". Capable of charging, discharging, monitoring, or performing multiple cycles on any current or future battery chemistry at alarming speed, PL8 represents the end of all speculation about who sells the most powerful battery management system in its class for the best value. At $0.24 per WATT, it blows the lid off the competition and represents unprecedented VALUE. If for no other reason, the competition will be scratching their heads trying to figure out how to catch up to this one. But power means little without other key features ofSAFETY, RELIABILITY, FLEXIBILITY, and INTUITIVE OPERATION; the key elements that are painstakingly crafted into the Cellpro product line. The competition will come along with powerful chargers after we lead, but they will have trouble harnessing this power.
From the massive, over-sized heat sink, to the twin cooling fans...From the 40A, 1344W (@ 24VDC/50A input) synchronous charging circuitry, to the 1344W capable "regenerative discharge" capability (see details below)...
Everything about this all-inclusive battery management system screams EXCESSIVE.
SAFETY
Do not be scared off by the claims of this advertisement by thinking this is too much charger for you. This may be the safest, simplest charger you will ever use. That's because it's a Cellpro, and being a Cellpro, that means you can not make a mistake when you use it. It simply will not let you. The charger will never let you charge a LiPo by selecting the wrong cell count. It knows how many cells are connected by monitoring charge voltage on each cell in the pack individually. It performs an entire series of tests to make sure the battery is hooked up correctly to the charger before it ever even starts to charge, checking for valid voltages on each cell, reverse polarity conditions, reversed node wiring to name a few. It constantly monitors the total pack voltage and compares that to the sum of the individual cells. It can not and will not ever charge a single lithium cell above the proper end-of-charge voltage, and because it is a Cellpro, it assures you of the most accurate, laboratory quality readings at all times. Every single Cellpro charger is factory calibrated using custom test equipment developed by the engineering team at FMA in the United States. Furthermore, if a pack has been over-discharged, it will automatically enter low-voltage restore mode. It will reduce charge voltage during cold weather to extend battery life; all parameters associated with this feature can be adjusted by the customer. Even though batteries in general, and especially lithium batteries, represent a volatile potential, the PowerLab 8 reduces the risks associated with maintaining any size battery, any chemistry by magnitudes over other brands. Safety has always been at the forefront of all FMA charger designs. PowerLab 8 represents the next phase in the evolution of safety.
RELIABILITY
Take top-notch components capable of handling all of the stresses associated with super-high power, high voltage operation; things like an over-sized heat sink, extra-heavy 10AWG input wire, twin cooling fans and a gigantic sendust core toroid inductor to handle higher input current and combine these with stable firmware/software that is thoroughly tested in-house and with outside beta testing, and what you get is a new standard in reliability. We don't like getting chargers back from the field for any reason. That's why we've gone the extra mile on this one.
FLEXIBILITY
No, the new Cellpro PowerLab 8 is not just another charger on the block. In fact, it is not just another charger at all. It is an all-encompassing battery management and analysis tool. It is compact, powerful, and easy to use. Combining this kind of performance with the ability to autonomously cycle batteries, graphing all aspects of charge and discharge at the cell level (using the free Charge Control Software) and over multiple cycles provides you with key information about any chemistry battery you might have. As well it will tell you the quality of your battery by monitoring and graphing internal resistance at the cell level; more accurately and faster than ever. It will maximize the health of your batteries and it will quite possibly re-juvinate batteries you thought were beyond rapair. It will do all of this faster and more accurately than other chargers by means of the industry's highest (and adjustable) power balancing current available. After all, what good is 30A of potential charger current if you back it up with spindly balance current? But most importantly, through the type of data the PL8 can provide, it will tell you if you are safe to fly with your battery.
And when we say flexible, we mean it. Simply by calling up the appropriate User Preset, it's EASY to go from charging or cycling something like 30AH, 8s worth of batteries at 30A continuous output in a little over 1 hour, to a 20mAh, 1s LiPo at 10mA.
So you don't have a 12v, 600W or a 24v, 1200W power supply lying around? Not many people do. With smart power management in the PL8, it's easy to limit the unit's input current to match what you do have. This innovative feature has been standard on Cellpro chargers for years but has been vastly expanded in the new PL8. It is now possible to create 2 unique and custom Input Power Source profiles. Using the CCS, begin with a template and adjust parameters to meet your needs. Or enter the appropriate parameters right at the charger. Then easily choose between "Battery" or "Power Supply" input each time (and one time) before you start to use the PL8. Now, thanks to the new 4 button, intuitive interface and high capacity microcontroller in the PowerLab 8, adjusting power limiting at the CCS or at the PL8 just got a whole lot easier.
But perhaps one of the coolest new features makes PL8 the "greenest" battery management system on the planet. Environmentally friendly, regenerative discharge capability of up to 1344W. Unlike traditional methods of discharge, which deplete the output battery's energy in the form of heat across a transistor, regenerative discharge takes most of that energy and puts it back into the input battery. In other words, when you discharge your LiPo for storage, you will be re-charging your Lead Acid input battery. The total amount of power that you can achieve is limited only by the amount of current that your input battery can accept, or 1344W, whichever is lower. Regenerative discharge is an optional feature. Turn it on when you need the highest power discharge. Turn it off and use standard internal discharge of up to 100W if you choose.
INTUITIVE OPERATION
The original Cellpro 4s introduced the whole idea of a super-safe, super-simple charger with power balancing built right into the charger. The Cellpro 10s expanded on this theme enabling customers to do two batteries simultaneously. It also introduced the concept of two-way P.C. communication opening up new doors into customization at the customer level, not just in terms of printing graphs, creating or modifying presets or charger settings, but in streamlined and 100% reliable firmware updates. Cellpro Multi4 took these concepts and extended them to multi-chemistry batteries and open architecture presets, fully customizable with some 80 adjustable parameters. Still, the chargers are easy to use and fool-proof. That's what we hear day after day from happy customers around the world. Sure, they are rich in features, but designed to be simple to use and simple to understand. Cellpro PowerLab 8 is the epitome of the Cellpro philosophy. Its basic operation is patterned after the Multi4, so if you have one of those, you will instantly be familiar with the charger as well as the free Charge Control Software (CCS). But the charger sports a totally new 4 button interface for accessing information. Let's face it, with 4 buttons, it's just easier to use. You requested it. We gave it to you. When REVOLECTRIX says "Designed by You", that's what we mean.
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For Battery types: Lithium Polymer (1s to 8s balanced, 1s to 2s unbalanced), Lithium Ion (1s to 8s balanced, 1s to 2s unbalanced), Lithium Manganese (1s to 8s balanced, 1s to 2s unbalanced), A123 (LiFePO4) (1s to 8s balanced, 1s to 10s unbalanced), NiCd (1s to 21s), NiMH (1s to 21s), 6v, 12v, 24v Lead Acid batteries (Flooded, Gel, AGM, SLA)
Pack capacity: 20 mAh to 360Ah
Input voltage: 10-32VDC, reverse polarity protected
Input current: 1A to 50A, software limited
Power conversion: Synchronous DC/DC converter, supports multiple switcher frequencies of 31.25 kHz, 62.5 kHz, 125 kHz; user selectable by preset, 85% to 93% efficiency depending on output current
Output battery charge current: Adjustable range 10mA to 30A, limited by 50A input current*
Output battery discharge current: Internal discharge 10mA to 10A, 100W max Regenerative discharge 10mA to 30A, 1344W max**
Continuous max output power: 516W @ +12VDC input, 1008W @ +24VDC
Cell balancing: Resolution 78uV (16 bit) for 1s-8s Li or A123 (LiFePO4) balanced charging
Voltage calibration: Cell voltage measurements are factory calibrated to a standard traceable to NIST; calibration is to +/- 6 mV
Current calibration: Charge current is factory calibrated on a 4A standard; calibration is to +/- 1mA
Measurement accuracy:
Voltage resolution: 78uV (16 bit)
Voltage tolerance: +/- 6mV
Charge current: +/- 1%
Capacity added to pack: +/- 1%
Percent capacity (“Fuel”): +/- 5% (with accurate fuel table defined for battery being charged)
Serial data output: 19.2kbps, 8 bits, 1 start bit, 1 stop bit, no parity
Data integrity: Checksum, CRC checking
Cooling fans: Twin, 13 CFM, 50mm diameter
Heat sink: Internal 200W aluminum, thin finned
Output battery connector: “Cellpro” compatible, JST PA series, 9 position
LCD: 2 line, 16 character, light grey/blue backlit
Footnotes: * Please note, for safety reasons, available charger current may be limited for certain battery types and/or charging modes, e.g., non-balanced charge of Li
** Please check bullet number 8 in the section titled “Major Features” below for a detailed description of Regenerative Discharge
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Major Features
• Selectable charge rates range 10mA to 40A
• Continuous maximum output power rating, 1344W @ +24VDC input voltage, 516W @ +12VDC input voltage
• Using +24VDC to +32VDC input, 1344W output will deliver full current rating (40A) over the full range of output voltage up to 33.6V
• Smart power management allows customer to select between programmable input power sources. Using the Charge Control Software (CCS), choose from several templates to get you in the ballpark, then fine tune the settings. Available settings include power supply input current limit, input low voltage limit, regenerative discharge rate and voltage limit. PowerLab 8 stores 1 set-up for Power Supply and 1 set-up for
Battery and asks for verification one time on start-up
• PowerLab 8 supports charging through node wires only (automatic current limiting to 3A maximum) or node wires in combination with discharge wires (charge rate support up to 30A max)
• Initiate charge, discharge, monitor, and multiple cycles at the PL8 or via remote control from the CCS. Graph all major operations when using CCS.
• Open Architecture presets allow for customization of any User Preset including show/hide presets on unit, preset name editing, up to 100 parameters control how presets are displayed and charging/discharge/cycling parameters associated with particular batteries and/or charging strategies. Unit includes 25 user preset banks pre-loaded for most major battery type/chemistries, plus 50 library presets.
• Environmentally friendly, industry first, regenerative discharge capability of up to 1000w. Unlike traditional methods of discharge, which deplete the output battery’s energy in the form of heat across a transistor, regenerative discharge takes most of that energy and puts it back into the input battery. In other words, when you discharge your LiPo for storage, you will be re-charging your Lead Acid input battery. The total amount of power that you can achieve is limited only by the amount of current that your input battery can accept, or 1344W, whichever is lower.
• PowerLab 8 is also equipped with a traditional, 100W internal discharge capability which is non-regenerative.
• Twin cooling fan
• Massive over-sized internal heat sink
• 10AWG silicon input power cable and heavy-duty, removable plier clips
• Massive sendust core toroid capable of 50A continuous input current requirement for maximum output specifications
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Other Features
• Supports native Cellpro batteries automatically
• Adapters available for all popular R/C battery brands
• 2 line, 16 character backlit LCD
• Available opto-isolated PC interface and free Charge Control Software (CCS)
• Intuitive 4 button user interface
• Sleek and attractive high-impact ABS enclosure for maximum airflow efficiency
• Sturdy Aluminum top panel with reliable, recessed tactile buttons
• Quick “preset over-ride access” to common charging parameters like setting charge and discharge current and operational modes of charge/discharge/monitor/cycle(s)
• Additional advanced options menu for adjusting in-depth charging parameters and global options at the unit
• GUI PC software (CCS) allows access to 25 User Presets and 50 Library Presets stored in the unit or available in unlimited number on the P.C.
• Free and reliable firmware updates for the life of the product using the CCS
• Automatic Low voltage restore for recovering damaged or overdischarged packs
• Programmable options allow speaker ON/OFF or volume, LCD contrast, customized welcome screen, and much more
• Cold weather mode reduces end-charge voltage; parameters adjustable by customer including ON/OFF, end-charge voltage offset reduction, and temperature
• Multiple product cases can be interlocked
• Future provisions for master/slave mode whereby one PowerLab 8 master can control one or more slaves, send over preset information, control all aspects of charging and balancing. This feature is perfect for charging multiple packs of same chemistry and capacity using multiple devices such as split packs connected in series during operation all at unbelievable rates.
• Auto charge mode available utilizing advanced fuel gauging technology
• Customizable fuel table lookup values based on presets. Fuel tables can be created using a Fuel Table Wizard in the CCS and applied to individual battery brands by presets for improved accuracy
• COMING SOON! Industry’s first Smart Parallel adapters available to maximize available power potential. Safely connect two packs (2a-6s) of equal cell count/capacity together in parallel; charge, discharge, cycle, or monitor on a single PowerLab 8 unit. These items will be peripheral products, available separately, not included as a part of the actual PowerLab 8 unit.
Please note: all specifications and features listed above subject to change prior to delivery.
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