tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post5026004203138556870..comments2024-03-26T01:53:19.600-07:00Comments on ElectricRCAircraftGuy.com--RC, Arduino, Programming, & Electronics: Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging SoftwareGabriel Stapleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-2054316038186145592024-02-29T02:32:16.979-08:002024-02-29T02:32:16.979-08:00What a wonderful blog! I really liked it.What a wonderful blog! I really liked it.Avex Tenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01670822403745944182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-79015430397534461672017-06-27T02:44:36.262-07:002017-06-27T02:44:36.262-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.reginald suricthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02865395258495641241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-67132457973696233592015-10-29T07:21:01.790-07:002015-10-29T07:21:01.790-07:00Hi sop, before I respond, let me start by saying I...Hi sop, before I respond, let me start by saying I am *not* affiliated with HobbyPartz/NitroPlanes/Xheli/NitroRCX (they are all the same company) in any way, shape, or form.<br /><br />But I do think I can respond with a little bit of economics and philosophical insight, and help with the temp sensor problem (it's in the "Chinglish" manual). First off, sorry about your bad experience. I think HobbyPartz's customer service is pretty lousy too. HobbyKing's is far better. But, of course a much more expensive company or local hobby shop will be best. <br /><br />In life, there are usually 3 things you balance for any given problem. The saying goes, "choose any 2 of the 3." Ex: in college you can choose from grades, sleep, and social life. Choose 2 of the 3. You can't have them all. In program management you choose 2 of the 3 out of cost, quality, and time. In RC products, you choose from price, quality, and time/customer support. With hobbypartz.com, you get low price and pretty good quality. You sacrifice greatly on support. <br /><br />In actuality, for any given scenario, you're not actually choosing 2 of 3 things, rather, you're balancing among them. Draw an equilateral triangle with one of the 3 things on each point, then place a dot somewhere in the triangle. The distance to each of the 3 points of the triangle determines how much you're leaning towards having that over the other 2. Hobbyparts would have their dot very close to price, close (but not as close) to quality, and very far from customer support. Every company is somewhere on the spectrum. <br /><br />Due to money always having been my primary concern up to pretty much now, I've always been willing to sacrifice the most on time and support, seeking the lowest price possible with good quality. I'd rather pay $40, for example, and get zero customer support (I'll just use online forums) and wait for 2 months for an item to arrive, than pay $100 for a similar item and drive away with it today.<br /><br />You have to decide where your desires fall on the triangle spectrum.<br /><br />As for hobbypartz's customer support, I never had any success with phone support. Try their online chat. It is slightly better. HobbyPartz doesn't have very educated people in their company. Hobbyking, a competitor, has much more educated people with much more RC knowledge, but still lacks somewhat on support since they are so far away (Hong Kong).<br /><br />If price is not your #1 concern, just go to a local shop and buy their equivalent charger for whatever it costs. Look for one with a temp sensor or whatever features it is you're looking for. It may cost between $50~$300, with varying features of course. Do *not*, however, make the mistake of thinking price corresponds directly to quality, and that “Chinese products are crap,” as so many ignorant Americans do. Every iphone is Chinese-manufactured, are they crap? Price isn't a good indicator of quality. It *may,* however, be a good indicator of support, customer service, time to arrival, etc. <br /><br />A few “name-brand” chargers to look at are Thunder Power, Hyperion, Hitec, E-flite, FMA PowerLab, Traxxas, etc.<br /><br />Side question: when you say Dead on Arrival, what do you mean? The display literally wouldn't turn on, or what did it do?<br /><br />As for the temp sensor on the Thunder (no-name-brand) charger, you have to set it in the settings. You either configure it for use with the datalogging output, *or* the temp sensor, but not both at the same time. Check the manual and see if you can find it. If you do find it, please come back and post how to do it for the next guy. If you need any more help come back and I'll do my best. (My equipment isn't at hand now or I'd just check really quickly). Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-6829228728422483762015-10-28T13:15:28.602-07:002015-10-28T13:15:28.602-07:00I bought this charger from hobbypartz and have had...I bought this charger from hobbypartz and have had a horrid experience with their customer service. First one arrived DOA. Spent a damn hour on hold for support. They tnever emailed me my RMA information, so had to contact them again the next day. My choice was to ship it back for exchange @ my cost. It was $15 return shipping or $15 to ship it back + 15% restock fee to return it. Don't know how you restock a DOA item but I chose an exchange. This $56 charger has ended up costing me $71 at this point.<br /><br />The new one arrived and powered up but the temperature sensor function is not working. I can get the computer monitor software to work. Though honestly I could not care less about the computer monitor. I just wanted to check it to see if the plug was bad on the PCB. I would, however, like to slap the temp sensor on my batteries while charging. So now it comes down to if I want to spend yet another $15 to ship it back for an actual working product or return for an even worse hit. $86 for a 56$ charger or return it and end up spending $38 and have nothing to show for it. First and last time I ever buy from hobbypartz.sophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420192287383634316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-39976216812987515242015-03-28T15:04:08.035-07:002015-03-28T15:04:08.035-07:00Hi Gabriel,
thanks very much for your helpful a...Hi Gabriel,<br /> thanks very much for your helpful and detailed answers! (I did decide to go ahead and purchase the AC680.) Over the last 30 years, I've watched as Battery Science has continuously evolved into the very complex field it is today. Your site is a great resource for knowledge and understanding -- thank you for investing the time!!<br /><br />Regards,<br />DaveDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679092168101774885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-36574942478209093972015-03-28T10:36:46.007-07:002015-03-28T10:36:46.007-07:00For clarification: A battery that is damaged and o...For clarification: <b>A battery that is damaged and overheating, or being charged at too high a rate, will heat up a lot. The temp probe will tell the charger to turn off if it [the battery] is too hot.</b>Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-83602813701792550532015-03-28T10:30:37.411-07:002015-03-28T10:30:37.411-07:00Dave, thanks for the compliments. I have never rea...Dave, thanks for the compliments. I have never really used the temp. probe on the Thunder AC680. <b>Last I checked, your understanding is correct, and it can *not* do PC data-logging and temperature monitoring simultaneously. Perhaps the *software* can, but the *hardware* (charger itself) canNOT without low-level modification or a custom Arduino solution, for example, from what I can tell.</b> This is due to, as you said, the port *either* being the USB connection to the computer, OR being the temp probe input, but not both at once.<br /><br />As for why is the software advertised as allowing for "graphing of temperature curves?" -- I can only say the following: <br />-This charger is only $50 *not* because it's poor quality, but in part because it has a lousy manual, and writing great manuals can be expensive. <b>In my experience, ***when I check reviews and do my best do buy reliable products***, inexpensive Chinese/Asian products are notorious for having poor user manuals, but are generally very high quality otherwise, and they try to provide additional features either for free or for low-cost, which similar "name-brand" products will NOT provide for free.</b> <br /><i>--I see this software as kind of a "freebie." You don't deserve it for what you are paying, but you get it anyway.</i> <br /><br />I'm guessing that the software itself can do temperature logging, with the right input serial data, but the charger itself was not designed to utilize this feature of the software. Perhaps at one point they were going to make this feature, but due to having a somewhat poor user manual, the feature was left out in the charger and not documented.<br /><br />Am I aware of low-cost alternatives which have temp logging? Not really; I'd have to look around. However, if I was to upgrade I'd look very strongly into the <b>iChargers.</b> They are essentially the high-end models of the dirt-cheap Asian chargers. They are very reputable and generally have fantastic reviews and features for a fraction of the price of competitors. You can prob. find software and iChargers with capable hardware and firmware that can do it for <$100. <br /><br /><b>Is temp logging a necessary feature? In my opinion: not really, *unless* you wanted to charge at very high C-ratings and/or were concerned about safety. The temp probe is a safety feature. A battery that is damaged and overheating, or being charged at too high a rate, will heat up a lot. The temp probe will tell the charger to turn off if it's too hot.</b>Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-85207208839271318182015-03-28T10:28:13.399-07:002015-03-28T10:28:13.399-07:00From "Dave," here.
"Hi Gabriel,
Th...From "Dave," <a href="http://www.electricrcaircraftguy.com/2013/01/contact-me.html?showComment=1427438604704#c2562974454929107604" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />"Hi Gabriel,<br />This regards your very helpful post: <br /><br />http://www.electricrcaircraftguy.com/2013/02/thunder-ac680-computer-data-logging.html <br /><br />I'm considering purchasing the Thunder AC680 charger, but was puzzled by one thing: it appears to me that it's impossible to *simultaneously* do PC data-logging and temperature monitoring, since both functions make use of the same (3-pin) connector. Is my understanding correct? If so, why is the software advertised as allowing for "graphing of temperature curves"? <br /><br />Are you aware of any low-cost chargers/conditioners which allow for simultaneous data-logging of voltage, current and temperature? In your opinion, would this be a useful feature, or not so important? <br /><br />Thanks for your insights, and my compliments on an excellent website! <br /><br />--Dave"Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-68614188568734195962014-09-20T20:35:29.989-07:002014-09-20T20:35:29.989-07:00Also, what operating system are you using? The COM...Also, what operating system are you using? The COM port can show up as any number (Ex: COM1, COM5, COM38, COM45, whatever), and it will NOT be the same from computer to computer. It will also change on your computer depending on which USB port you plug it into, and I have even seen some computers where a serial (COM) device won't show up on certain USB ports. So, try plugging it into a different port, or into a USB hub, or not into a USB hub, etc, too, to see if you can get Windows to detect it and properly install the driver.Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-15174592426296854932014-09-20T20:32:33.145-07:002014-09-20T20:32:33.145-07:00If you don't see something under the "Por...If you don't see something under the "Ports (COM & LPT)" section of Device Manager, your driver likely isn't installed correctly. Even though this is a USB device, it communicates with your computer as if it is a serial, or COM device, so the device should *not* show up under the USB section of the device manager. Do you see any icons (ex: a yellow or red exclamation mark or warning sign or something) that indicate devices that didn't install correctly?Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-61148007808130348522014-09-17T23:51:23.478-07:002014-09-17T23:51:23.478-07:00Thanks for the info, but I still can't seem to...Thanks for the info, but I still can't seem to get the monitor to work properly. I have everything set up and plugged in properly, but when I go to the device manager to get the number of the usb port it is plugged into, under location it says "Port_#0001.Hub_#0002". I have tried COM0001, COM1, and many other things and none seem to be the right one. What could the usb port name possibly be?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06454889297131365289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-13331802902960389782014-04-30T08:19:07.150-07:002014-04-30T08:19:07.150-07:00PS. If you do what I recommended, PLEASE reply ba...PS. If you do what I recommended, PLEASE reply back here after you find out if that device works or not. If you get it working, please tell us the correct pinout to the charger. Thanks!<br />~GabrielGabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-79032834270658236142014-04-29T18:13:41.461-07:002014-04-29T18:13:41.461-07:00That's a great question, and I recommend you c...That's a great question, and I recommend you contact the place you purchased it from to see if they can help, as I have not been able to find a place to purchase an exact replacement. However, since writing this post I have learned a *lot* about serial communication protocol, and I believe you could use any generic serial-to-usb adapter as a replacement. I do not know this for sure though, and I cannot test it, as I made a plane for someone and gave it to somebody new in the hobby, along with this charger. <br /><br />Here's what I recommend you do: <br />Buy this serial-to-usb device: (Ebay search for "usb uart ttl 6pin") - direct link here: http://bit.ly/R0rVzr<br />-it costs only $2 with shipping, and I have a couple and use them for other things, but I think it will work on the charger too. Purchase from a seller with a 98% or higher rating. I wouldn't go lower than 97%.<br />-You will need the Windows driver from here: http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx<br />-once you plug in the device & install the driver you will get a serial COM port that the datalogging program can use.<br /><br />There are 6 connections on the serial device. I don't know for sure what the 3 pins on the charger are, but I believe they are Tx, Rx, and GND. Using a multimeter you *may* be able to see if this is the case, but be careful not to short the pins just in case. <br /><br />-I think if you run the Tx, Rx, and GND pins each through a separate 1kOhm resistor (for protection), to the 3 charger pins, alternating the order you have them plugged in, until it works, you will be able to safely find the right sequence and get the charger working with this serial device (UART).Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-90755608421992621872014-04-29T06:57:07.254-07:002014-04-29T06:57:07.254-07:00Thanks for all of the helpful info. Do you know w...Thanks for all of the helpful info. Do you know where I can purchase the 3-pin serial to usb adapter cable? I purchased an AC680, but it doesn't have the adapter cable included. Thanks again.CO_roadiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14284986369202728860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-88405097205823819522014-01-03T17:13:35.061-08:002014-01-03T17:13:35.061-08:00Joey, thanks for the info! I'll make a note f...Joey, thanks for the info! I'll make a note for people to look down here in the comments section to read your post. The coldest I've flown down to is prob. 15 deg F or so, but I only did one flight and I had a transmitter glove (covers your hands *and* Transmitter while you fly) to help shield my hands from the cold and wind. Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-19190976291538020742014-01-03T09:03:47.725-08:002014-01-03T09:03:47.725-08:00Good Morning Gabriel,
I just bought an AC680 and t...Good Morning Gabriel,<br />I just bought an AC680 and thought I would pass along what it took to get it going on Windows 8.1 x64. I didn't need to mess with the DotNetFx40, the software ran well right after install. Win8.1 must have addressed this problem. Press the windows logo key+X and it will bring up a list of admin tools, select 'device manager'. The bridge will show up under 'unknown devices'. My base load of win8.1 did not show any 'ports' at all. The usb/uart bridge comes up "Unknown device" but if you go to http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx<br />the driver is there. Extract to a folder and run the x86 or x64 installer as needed. Letting windows try to find the driver online or trying to manually install the driver by telling windows where the files were extracted did not work. I didn't need to set the com port, the Monitor software had automatically set itself when I restarted it. Hook up the charger, open the Monitor software, and off you go. I don't know if it will always come up as the same com port between sessions, you may have to navigate back to Device Manager to check port number. <br />Great site, my son and I are noob flyers but are looking forward to summer and getting our trainer into the sky. The high here in MN is supposed to be -18f tomorrow, so we will be spending the winter with our RC sim!<br />Best Regards, JoeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00579907100567507721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-19935779108779166142013-05-02T18:53:29.797-07:002013-05-02T18:53:29.797-07:00Hey I'm glad to help. I agree, the directions...Hey I'm glad to help. I agree, the directions are pretty poor, yet in some ways they are more thorough than many other manuals I've seen. I studied and edited the manual for a friend (by hand only. :(), and ended up making many notes and minor corrections in the manual, as well as adding clarity to parts. Learning to use a charger certainly is a learning process. If you have any questions let me know and I'll see if I know the answer. I've thoroughly studied probably a half dozen different charger manuals from many different companies, including the manuals for Electrifly, Thunder, Hyperion, and Thunder Power products, so if you have any questions, again, feel free to ask.Gabriel Stapleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071071884455787806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854741938955568545.post-48593185685768589922013-05-01T22:08:20.818-07:002013-05-01T22:08:20.818-07:00I just wanted to say thank you for your time makin...I just wanted to say thank you for your time making this. I love this charger but I have to say that the directions it came with are quite... difficult to understand. Thank you very much Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com