From: ROBERT via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> >"You can actually work on them yourself, without having to fight some >automaker's proprietary security stuff." That said; however, on older >conversions and on most conversions the conversion documentation is very weak >and documentation on the individual components is limited or non-exist. Many >companies that made battery chargers, motor controllers, meter, and other >electronic devices had limited documentation or proprietary documentation and >never a schematic or software source code. I would rather hack a production >EV product than reverse engineer or troubleshoot a product from a company that >was out of business. A good example is the original EV1 hardware. Try to >work on that stuff. Its value is nil.
I beg to differ. Most of the early battery chargers and controllers were built with generic parts that are still widely available. There was little or no software in the way, as they didn't *have* microcomputers running them. Schematics can usually be found quite easily on the web, either in the old service manuals or ones that someone has reverse-engineered and posted. If by "EV1" you mean the GM EV1 electric car, then you're right; its controller, charger, and associated systems are essentially undocumented and unfixable -- just the way GM wanted it. But if you mean the GE EV1 EV controllers, they are eminently repairable and hackable. Full service manuals with schematics are available. Virtually every part can be easily replaced with basic tools. There is *no* software to get in the way. I would much rather fix a Curtis 1231 EV controller than a GM Dolphin controller. -- Excellence does not require perfection. -- Henry James -- Lee A. Hart http://www.sunrise-ev.com _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
