Great Planes Equinox - GPMM3160 - Manual (Page 3)

3
4. Press the button once to start
Quick-Balance Mode, indicated by
the respective green LED flashing.
Read note at right.
5. Equinox will move from Quick-
Balance Mode to “Balance
Complete” when all cells are
balanced, indicated by the cell
LEDs flashing five times (x-x-x-x-x).
In the likely event this occurred
while you were looking away and
looked at the Equinox again, it
should be in “Finish Mode” awaiting
a command. Simply press the
button once and the LEDs will flash
again to confirm the pack is
balanced. You can manually reset
Equinox back to Idle Mode by
pressing the button WHILE the cell
LEDs are flashing, or simply
disconnect the pack.
Tech. notes on how Quick-Balance Mode should end
(refer to table below):
* If any cell in the pack drops below 2.75V BEFORE all cells
become balanced, Equinox will automatically stop Quick-
Balance Mode.
* If all cells become within 5-30mV of each other.
* If any cell in the pack is below 3.0V, Equinox will not allow
Quick-Balance Mode to begin.
“Interface Mode” operates quite differently than Quick-Balance
Mode. In Interface Mode, Equinox works along with a separate
charger or discharger and the LiPo. Equinox is connected
between the charger/discharger and the LiPo – current is
transferred between the charger/discharger and the LiPo
through Equinox. Here, Equinox monitors the cell voltages and
controls which cells will be charged or discharged by the
separate charger/discharger to balance all cells.
The easiest way to think of Interface Mode is to pretend you
are charging/discharging your LiPo with your charger or
discharger like normal. BUT, first place Equinox in-line
between the charger/discharger and the battery, set Equinox
in Interface Mode, and then start the charger/discharger. Turn
Interface Mode off after charge/discharge is complete – or at
any time by pressing and holding the button for 3 seconds.
Disconnecting the pack while charge/discharge is occurring
should cause an error message to be displayed on the charger
or discharger.
To use Interface Mode, refer to the included flowchart and
step-by-step instructions that follow:
1. Connect Equinox’s “LiPo Charger/ Discharger” input lead to
the separate charger or discharger.
2. Connect the LiPo to Equinox’s “To Battery” connection using
the appropriate adapter harness.
3. Equinox will immediately show
how many cells are detected in the
pack by lighting the respective cell
LEDs for 2 seconds. Make sure the
number of LEDs which are lit
matches the number of cells in the
pack. Read note at right.
4. All LEDs will turn off after the cell
count is shown. No functions should
be operating at this time. Equinox will
be in “Idle Mode”, awaiting an input
command.
5. Press the button twice to set
Equinox in Interface Mode, indicated by the respective red
LED flashing.
IMPORTANT! While in Interface Mode, Equinox is NOT
CAPABLE of knowing if current is actually passing through it
(between the charger/discharger and the LiPo). Because of
this, Equinox’s amber cell LEDs will likely be active EVEN if
the charger/discharger has NOT yet been started. This is
normal (Equinox is gently discharge-balancing cells at this
time). Then when the charger/discharger is started, the activity
of Equinox’s cell LEDs may still not appear to change. This is
normal as well, but now the charger/discharger itself should
give an indication that charge or discharge has begun. If so,
Equinox will automatically begin to control which cells to
charge/discharge to balance the cells.
6. Starting CHARGE or DISCHARGE:
a. Set the LiPo charger or discharger to the correct voltage
and currents to match the battery. Refer to the charger/
discharger or battery’s instruction manual for details.
b. Start the charger/discharger. The charger/discharger’s own
display should indicate that it has started working with the
battery (through Equinox). If not,
make sure Equinox is in Interface
Mode and that all connections are
good. Refer to the Troubleshooting
Guide at the rear of this manual for
more details.
c. Equinox will control which cells
the charger/discharger will be
balancing at all times, indicated
by the activity on Equinox’s
amber cell LEDs.
d. When charge/discharge is finished,
it will be indicated on the
charger/discharger’s own display
– NOT on Equinox. If you had
been charging a battery, disconnect
it from Equinox at this time as it is
ready for use. If you had been
discharging a battery you can
leave it connected. Read note
at right.
Notes for charging while in Interface Mode: For some
chargers (such as Triton) the current may start at a very low level
(even zero) as the charger performs its own diagnostic checks to
determine if all conditions are safe to start delivering full current.
This is a normal safety feature for some chargers. After a few
minutes the current should gradually increase to near the full
current selection (depending on the condition of the battery).
Refer to the charger’s own instruction manual for details.
INTERFACE MODE
Note: A 120mA discharge
will be applied only to
those cells whose
voltage is out of
balance (based on the
cell in the pack having
the lowest voltage). The
amber cell LEDs may
appear to flash
erratically during this
time which is normal
(the respective cell is
being balanced when
it’s LED is lit). To
manually stop Quick-
Balance Mode at any
time, press and hold the
button for 3 seconds to
return to Idle Mode, or
disconnect the pack. Note: If the pack
contains 3 cells, “CELL
1”, “CELL 2”, and
“CELL 3” LEDs should
light for 2 seconds, etc.
If the number of LEDs lit
does NOT match the
number of cells in the
pack, DO NOT
PROCEED. Disconnect
the pack and refer to
the Troubleshooting
Guide in the rear of
this manual.
Note: After a charge/
discharge ends, Equinox
will stay in Interface
Mode (which must be
shut off manually).
Because of this,
Equinox will actually
be quick balancing
cells in the pack with a
gentle discharge even
though the charger/
discharger is doing
nothing.This is indicated
by continuing activity
on Equinox’s amber
cell LEDs.
This is
normal. If you had
been discharging a
battery, Equinox will
continue trying to balance
all cells in the pack
until it is disconnected.