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CasaDelGato Systems

Current products include a Battery Monitor system for Electric Vehicles, and software for viewing CSV (Comma Separated Value) files interactively.
 

Battery Monitor Systems

A Battery Monitor System helps you extend the life of your (expensive!) Battery Pack.  It's main purpose is to tell you when one or more of your batteries is reaching empty (0% State of Charge) so that you don't ruin the battery.  If you don't know that a battery has reached 0% SOC, you are likely to damage it, or even cause a fire! if you continue driving. 
There are frequent stories on the Electric Vehicle Discussion List about people that had a battery go "bad" (loose capacity) and since they didn't have anything monitoring each individual battery, they didn't notice until they had destroyed the battery, and ended up parked at the side of the road with a dead car.
Also, as your batteries age, they loose capacity.  You may not realize that this is happening until one day you suddenly find you can't get to work.  My Battery Monitor system can warn you when the batteries are reaching empty, which will give you warning that your pack is reaching it's limit, so you may want to replace it - BEFORE you end up dead at the side of the road.

My systems are easy to install, and easy to use.  You can choose many different levels of capability, from the minimal unit that you should look at at the end of a trip, up to a continuously updating display for every battery.

My Electric Vehicle

Photo Gallery of my 1995 Ford F-250 SuperCab LongBed 4WD Truck conversion: F250 Conversion

Product Slideshow

Battery Monitor

$70.00

This unit uses a microprocessor to monitor the voltage on 10 batteries. It checks each battery 100 times a second, and if the voltage goes low for more than about 1/2 second, it flags it as a low battery.
The display changes depending on the state of the batteries being monitored. If all is normal, it doesn’t display anything other than an occasional blink of the decimal point to prove it’s still running.

$70.00

Mini-Display

$5.00

This display board works with one or more of the Battery Monitor boards to bring the battery state indicators near the driver. This allows you to mount the Battery Monitors near the batteries, thus reducing wiring problems, and keeping pack voltage out of the cabin. This unit will also turn on a 12v low power device (such as a light or buzzer) when the Low Now battery indicator is turned on by one or more of the battery monitor boards.

$5.00

Communication Cable

$1.00

This cable is used to connect one or more Battery Monitors to a Display. There are 2 different possible configurations to connect Monitors to Displays, so make sure you know which configuration you need before ordering the cables! A) Bus mode - (Mini Display only) Each of the Battery Monitors is connected to the next one in line, and a final cable runs from the end Battery Monitor to the display. B) Data mode - (Other displays) Each Battery Monitor is connected directly to the Display interface.

$1.00

8x8 Matrix Display

$50.00

This is a bar graph style display to be used with 1 or 2 Battery Monitors. Each battery voltage (or pair for 2 Monitors) is displayed in a vertical bar graph. The display updates about twice a second. As the batteries reach a low voltage (configurable by user), the LED’s become Yellow, then Red if they go below a minimum set voltage. They start flashing Red if the voltage drops even lower. There is a 2’ cable from the display to an interface unit.

$50.00

Corbin Sparrow Battery Monitor System

$199.00

This is a complete Battery Monitor system for a Corbin Sparrow.
It includes an 8x8 Display unit, 2 Battery Monitors, and all cables pre-built.
There are 2 variations of the kit due to the different Battery Layout of the Sparrow.  The difference is if the underseat battery pack is split or not.  If it is split, the 2 big power cables to the back are connected to 2 of the batteries under the seat.  If it is NOT split, then one of those cables runs around the battery pack and connects to the front pack.

$199.00

Contactor/Relay SPST, 150VDC, 10A

$5.00

This is a KUEP-3D55-12 Relay with a 12VDC coil.
SPST Contacts are rated at 150VDC, 10A.
This is a good relay to use for pack voltage accessories (DC-DC, Heater) in lower voltage conversions.

$5.00

Zenn Battery Monitor System

$125.00

This is a complete Battery Monitor system for a Zenn NEV.
It includes an 8x8 Display unit, Battery Monitor, and all cables pre-built.

$125.00

DC-DC Converter, 48/96 volt input

$200.00

This is a converter made from 2 Vicor VI-230-38 DC-DC modules.
The modules inputs may be used either in parallel (48V, range is 42-60V) or series (96v w/center tap, range is 84-120V).
The outputs are in series and adjusted so the total output voltage is 13.6V.  By connecting 2 wires together (via relay) the output may be set to 14.2V.
Total power output is approximately 320W, or 23A.

I only have a few of the Vicor modules, so the complete converter systems will probably sell out quickly.

$200.00

ProtoBoard Set

$50.00

This is a set of PC Boards that help make prototyping various things easier.  I couldn't find ones that had the options I watned, so I had a bunch made up.  I had WAY too many made up...
This set includes the following boards:

  • Qty 15 General Boards (3 5/8" x 2", or 36 contact points long, power buses on both sides, and larger holes in the middle row and outer rows so Headers can be soldered in.)
  • Qty 2 TQFP-64 boards.  These let you use a TQFP-64 style IC in your prototypes.
  • Qty 3 TQFP-44 boards.
$50.00

Where the Name came from