– Recommended for people who want to read statistical data on their ebike, like watts, amps, speed, etc.
– Large Screen Stand Alone Cycle Analyst, now a V2.4 CA-DPS with a separate molded shunt
Introduction:
– The Cycle Analyst (formerly called DrainBrain) is the first digital dashboard and battery monitor originally designed around the specific needs of electric bicycles
– However, the flexible setup configurations, wide feature range, and affordable price have led it to widespread appeal in a range of other EV applications
– From the dashboards of MIT’s solar car, to record breaking electric motorbikes, to small trains, powered wheelchairs, and even sailboats and airplanes, the Cycle Analyst has become the e-meter of choice for keeping track of the vehicle’s battery usage and performance characteristics
What it Does:
– Once connected to the vehicle’s power bus, the Cycle Analyst calculates and shows the following information:
– Volts, Watts, Amps: The instantaneous electric power being drawn from the battery
– Amp-Hours, Watt Hours: The net energy that has been pulled from the pack since the meter was reset – the accumulated amp-hours let you know the remaining energy in the battery pack with far greater accuracy than a voltage or LED indicator
– Speed, Distance, Time: All of the basic features of a bicycle computer, including the average and maximum trip speeds, plus a total distance odometer
– Regen, Wh/km: There are several quantities this meter will calculate that you don’t get with other instrumentation, such as the % extra range that was gained from regenerative braking, as well as the vehicle’s average energy use in Watt-hours per kilometer or mile
– Peak Currents and Voltage Sag: Records the maximum forwards and regenerative currents as well as the minimum voltage on the battery pack
– Total Battery Cycles and Amp-Hours: Retains life cycle information on the vehicle’s battery pack, such as how many charge and discharge cycles the pack has experienced and the total amp-hours that were delivered over its entire life
– Furthermore, the Cycle Analyst has the ability to over-ride the user’s throttle and regulate the power delivered to the motor, turning an otherwise dumb ebike into an intelligent device with a user programmable speed limit, current limit, and low voltage cutout
– Speed Limit: This has the utility of providing legal compliance to the speed cap imposed on ebikes in most jurisdictions – when used with a full throttle, it serves as a cruise control on the electric bicycle; it can also be beneficial to riders who want to increase their torque and power by using a higher voltage battery, without simultaneously increasing their top-end speed
– Current Limit: An adjustable amps limit is useful to prevent damage to the batteries from an excessive current draw, to increase the range that you’ll get on a charge, and to protect the motor controller and motor in setups that draws too many amps
– Voltage Cutout: A low voltage cutout is used to protect a battery pack from being discharged too deeply, which can cause cell reversals in NiMH/NiCad packs, permanent cell damage in Lithium packs, and sulfation in Lead Acid batteries – the programmable low voltage rollback allows you to set an appropriate low voltage point tailored to your pack
Additional Features:
– Remote Shunt: Unlike the watt-meters and amp-hour meters designed for RC hobbyists, the Cycle Analyst uses a remote shunt for sensing current rather than running wire through the meter, so you do not need to route heavy gauge battery cables up to the handlebar and back
– Backlit LCD: The display readout is well illuminated for night riding
– Water Resistant: The circuitry is fully enclosed in a sealed box enabling it to withstand exposure to wet and rainy conditions
– Handlebar Mounting: Easily attaches to handlebar tubes from 7/8″ to 1 ¼” diameter with included hardware
– Save on Power Down: Trip data such as amp-hours and distance are saved when the meter is shut off, and are restored when power is re-applied
– Fwd and Negative Amps: Both positive and negative amp-hours are displayed separately, so you can calculate accurate regenerative braking statistics or use it to monitor charging currents as well
– Wide Voltage Range: Operates from 10V to 150V, accommodating the vast majority of all small electric vehicles – a high voltage option for use up to 350V is available on special request
– Flexible Speed Input: Detects vehicle speed either with a magnet and sensor cable or through the hall effect signal on brushless motor controllers
– Data Logging: Devices have a serial output stream that can be used for real-time recording the vehicle statistics to a computer or laptop
Dan Lang –
Awesome Analyst