ProgressiveRC 8 PowerLab - Manual (Page 9)

Set Smart Power Management
9
You can set a variety of operating options, including the very important power source
voltage and current limits. You can set Smart Power Management either at the
PowerLab 8 (described below) or in the
CCS Supply tab (which is easier).
Because the PowerLab 8 is capable of high power output, it is strongly recommended
that you configure Smart Power Management before you use the PowerLab 8 for
the first time
, and set it again any time you significantly change the power source -
either DC power supply or Lead Acid battery.
The PowerLab 8 stores two Smart Power Management profiles: one for a DC power
supply and one for a Lead Acid battery. When you apply power to the PowerLab 8, the
first thing you do is select the profile that matches the power source you are using. This
makes it easy to change the Smart Power Management profile from a DC power supply
at home to a Lead Acid battery at the field.
If you don’t configure Smart Power Management to match your power source(s), these
are the default settings:
DC supply power source:
• Voltage lower limit: 10V
• Current upper limit: 25A
Battery power source:
• Voltage lower limit: 11V
• Current upper limit: 25A
Regenerative discharge, when enabled (it is disabled by default):
• Regenerative voltage upper limit into Lead Acid battery: 14.40V
• Regenerative current upper limit into Lead Acid battery: 10A
IMPORTANT: To prevent damage to the power source, you must specify the
power source’s voltage and current cutoffs before charging for the first time
with a DC power supply, and before charging for the first time from a battery.
After that, update the power source’s operating characteristics any time you
change to a different DC power supply or battery.
Note: All of the above parameters can be adjusted directly on the PowerLab
8, except Regenerative Amps and Regenerative Voltage, which must be set
using CCS.
The following procedure sets Smart Power Management for both a DC power supply and
a Lead Acid battery.
1. Connect PowerLab 8 to a 10–32V DC power supply or Lead Acid battery.
2. Press any button on PowerLab 8’s panel.
3. At
the Power Source? screen, use the INC or DEC button to select Battery or DC
Power Supply (i.e., what is currently powering the PowerLab 8).
4. Press ENTER to display the User Preset menu.
5. Press INC+DEC (i.e., press both INC and DEC at the same time) to display the
Options menu (Choose TASK?).
6. Press INC or DEC until you see Charger Options, then press ENTER.
7. The Charger Address? screen should display PRIMARY CHANNEL (unless you are