Pro-160 PWM programmable motor speed controller

Pro-160: 12V – 84V, 200A, programmable.

£246.00 – £309.00 inc VAT

The Pro-160 is the new kid on our block. Its unique detachable LCD display lets you see battery voltage, current, and temperature. It’s got inputs for radio control, dead mans handle, slow / fast modes, motor temperature, speed sensing, limit switches and more.

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Please scroll down for full controller specification

Motor noise suppression

We strongly recommend fitting motor noise suppression components to each motor in your system to protect the controller. See this quick explanation of what EMC is and why it matters. We have interference suppression packs  and a page of advice on how to fit them, and other steps to take to reduce RFI.

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Remember to order multicore cable for control wiring

Description

Our new Pro-160 has been designed from the ground up to give the wide range of features you’ve been asking us for. The design brief was for a full H-bridge programmable controller to do away with reversing relays for long term reliability, you wanted full control over the motor current in both drive and regen modes, and you also asked for lots of inputs for radio control, temperature and speed sensors, dead mans handles, limit switches etc. You wanted a display to show voltage, current, and temperature so we gave it one that can also be taken off and mounted conveniently. Oh, and you also wanted it to be the same size and shape as the Pro-150 but with much better current and voltage ratings.

Think it’s safe to say mission accomplished!

We’ve kept the 4QD trademark of super smooth and progressive power, and the built-in keypad means it’s easy to adjust between steady or very dynamic operation.

The standard version is ideally suited for motors up to around 2kW and the high current version up to 3kW. The standard maximum voltage is a nominal 48V, but we also have high voltage variants that can go to 84V.

The key features are:

  • 2 line LCD display makes this not just a controller, it’s a full information system for your installation, see:
    • Battery voltage
    • Motor and battery current [you’ll be surprised how different they can be!]
    • Controller temperature, [+2 external temperatures with optional extra sensors] .
    • Throttle position.
    • Can be mounted conveniently to provide information to the driver.
  • Built in radio control input with battery eliminator circuit [BEC].
  • Easily adjustable control over many features including:
    • Acceleration and deceleration.
    • Maximum speed.
    • Maximum drive current.
    • Regenerative braking current [variable “on the fly” in 2.3.4].
    • Dynamic braking in joystick mode – pull back to brake [in 2.3.3].
    • Low voltage alert and “limp home mode” to protect expensive lithium batteries.
  • Deadmans handle input [push to go or push to stop].
  • A single switch to toggle between any 2 profiles e.g. RC and hand control, or fast and slow. Ideal for training new drivers.
  • 15 profiles for storing different configurations, 1st 9 pre-programmed for the most common applications.
  • Top speed limiting [requires external sensor].
  • Overheat warning and cut-out , also overheat warning for 2 motors with extra sensors.
  • 12V to 84V without adjustment, * depends on version.
  • Peak current 200A, * depends on version and heatsink [not enough? our Pro-360 can handle 360A].
  • Input learning feature allows:
    • Single ended or joystick [wig-wag] operation.
    • Fine tuning of pot or RC stick positions.
    • Voltage control.
  • Safety contactor driver.
  • Parking brake driver for vehicle applications.
  • Other inputs:
    • Emergency stop.
    • 2 x limit switches.
    • Speed sensor.
  • Software updates via uSD card [coming soon are mapped throttle curves, current control mode, closed loop RPM control, and others].
  • Optional communications board to support daisy chaining / double heading of multiple units [coming soon].
  • Based on a specialised Infineon microprocessor with deadtime control to prevent shoot through mosfet failures.

Options

The Pro-160 can be built in a variety of specifications to give exactly what you want;

  • Voltage – the standard specification is 12V – 48V, but by fitting uprated mosfets and capacitors the upper voltage can be raised to 84V.
  • Current – the standard versions can handle up to 140A, but the high current versions will support up to 200A. As with all controllers the time these ratings can be supported depends on the cooling provided.
  • Display / keypad – the standard Pro-160 has a 2 line backlit LCD display and a keypad built into the front of the case. The display can be detached and mounted remotely, either on its own or on an optional adaptor board that has its own keypad.
  • Case – the standard case is black HIPS [high impact polystyrene] with a built in keypad and display window. There are also transparent perspex versions without the keypad in different colours.
  • Heatsink – the standard heatsink is suitable for many applications, for higher loads we will have enhanced air cooled heatsinks available soon.

Simple to fit

The Pro-160 has all the essential control inputs on one 6-way connector. Here’s a video showing how to install one.

The full instruction manual is on the support tab.

Safety

The microprocessor monitors the controller and parts of the external system. Should a fault be detected, the processor will shut down the controller and display an indication of the fault. If a safety contactor is incorporated, the power stage can be disconnected to protect against run away failures.

Versatile

With a range of voltage, current, display, case, and cooling options the Pro-160 is ideal for use in model locos, golf buggies, and industrial applications. It has a high degree of configurability but can still be used as a simple controller right out of the box. In terms of our existing products it has a feature set that is much greater than the Pro-150, a current rating near that of the 4QD-200, and a voltage range way beyond anything else.

Coming soon…..

We’re working hard on the next release of software for the Pro-160, new features we’re working on include;

  • Mapped throttle.
  • RPM control mode with PDI loop control.
  • Comms board for double heading / MU.
  • Display power [watts].
  • Display speed [mph].
  • Test mode.

The manual provides full instructions on setting up and operating the controller.

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_32x32   Read manual

Specification

Pro-160
160-S 160-HC 160-HV 160-HCV
Nominal voltage range 12 – 48 12 – 84
Minimum / maximum voltage 10.5 – 65 10.5 – 96
Suitable for motors up to 2kW 3kW 5kW 7kW
Motor current A [max] 140 200 140 200
Motor current A [1 minute] 140 175 140 175
Motor current A [continuous] Depends on cooling
Programmable parameters Forward & reverse top speed
Forward and reverse acceleration and deceleration ramps [0.1 – 30S]
Drive and regen current
Reverse beep
Low battery alert and limp home
Parking brake behaviour
High pot lockout
Deadband
Input values for zero, full forward & reverse
Dimensions [mm] 181 x 121 x 50
Weight [g] ~700g
Power connections M6 studs
Input 5k – 15k pot, RC [PWM],  0 – 4.7V
Reverse polarity protection N
Overvoltage protection Y [65V] Y [95V]
Pot fault protection Y
Thermal protection Y [also for motor & battery]
Joystick/Wig-wag input Y
Radio Control Y
Parking brake 1A max, delay and threshold programmable
Inhibit function Emergency stop input
Other inputs Deadman, alt profile, speed, 2 x thermistor, 2 x limit, 2 x spare
Powerdown state (motor) Diode bridge
Closed loop RPM control Via software update
Ignition, Electronic Y [Threshold = 10V]
Safety contactor circuit Y
Heatsink Standard plus advanced air cooled
Double heading Y [also comms board coming soon]
Switching frequency 20 kHz
Quadrants 4

Pro-160 thermal performance

Pictures

Inside the Pro-160
Inside the Pro-160
Pro-160 with split display adaptor
Pro-160 with split display adaptor
Pro-160 with display adaptor
Pro-160 with combined display adaptor
Pro-160 end view
End view

Pro-160 front view, standard cover with keypad.

Support

The manual provides full instructions on setting up and operating the controller. The manual is available in PDF  format:

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_32x32   Read manual

The manual is designed to be printed double-sided in A4 booklet format. To print the booklet from the PDF on a double-sided printer, select Booklet in the Page Size & Handling section of the print window, and set Orientation to Portrait.

Software versions

2.3.6 June 2022

New features

  • Push button operation.
  • Limit switch operation.
  • High ambient temperature mode, also high temperature power reduction is now gradual.
  • Optional display of speed in mph / kph,  rpm, and power in watts / hp.

Bug fixes/Minor Changes

  • HPLO disabling now works in all throttle modes.
  • Speed can now be displayed without limiting enabled.
  • Deadmans handle now operates in RC mode.
  • Maximum parking brake threshold increased to 99%.
  • Reverse “R” indicator now shows when controller is driving in reverse, rather than that the reverse switch had been operated.
  • Speed sensor calibration changed to allow lower speeds [<300 rpm] to be measured.

Here is the menu structure for software 2.3.6

2.3.5 – not publicly released

2.3.4 was introduced in June 2021, the main changes were;

New features

  • Variable regen by pot.
  • Inverted joystick option.

Bug fixes/Minor Changes

  • High POT lockout check implemented for VOLT mode.
  • Maximum lockout percentage increased from 99% to 100% to allow high pot lockout to be completely disabled.
  • Communication and error checking between LCD and control board improved. Now able to support up to 10m using screened cable.

Version 2.3 was introduced at the end of March 2020, the main changes were;

  • Support for external temperature sensors.
  • Provision to invert deadman handle operation [push to stop, or push to go].
  • Support for safety contactor.
  • Maximum speed limit [requires external sensor] see speed sensor section below.
  • Update and reset functions moved.
  • Minor changes include;
    • Re-calibration of temperature sensor to correct over reading at high temperatures.
    • Correction to the way the ramp timings were calculated.
    • “Input config” was renamed “Throttle”.

Speed sensor

The speed sensor input looks for a 5V pulse proportional to the RPM of the motor. Our SEN-SPD kit uses a hall effect sensor and a magnet to provide this. Once the kit has been installed set the “Speed sensor active” setting to yes, there are then two ways to set an upper speed limit.

a] Calculate the actual RPM you want based on gearing and wheel size, and enter this into the “Max RPM” setting.

b] Set the “learn” function to on, operate the vehicle [or machine] at the required maximum speed, note the RPM displayed, then enter this value into the “Max RPM” setting. Note; while “learn” is on, the display will show RPM, when “learn” is off the display reverts to normal but will display “speed limit” whenever the upper speed limit is hit.

Here is the menu structure for software version 2.1

Pro-160 menu

We’ve got a video showing how to use the menu here…

Troubleshooting

  1. As well as the fuse tracks F1 and F2, there is this small, zero ohm resistor [R112] that can blow if the control wiring is short circuited. It can be repaired by bridging with a small wire link.
  2. To use only radio control of the Pro-160 it is still necessary to connect the ignition switch terminals of the main control input.
  3. The Pro-160 has sophisticated on board diagnostics and will display a fault code whenever it is not happy with something. A list of all the fault codes is here.

Accessories

Display adaptor board

The Pro-160 display can be removed from its normal position and mounted anywhere convenient for the operator. The display adaptor board allows the display to be mounted together with a remote keypad to make adjustments easy without having to dive under the bonnet. The adaptor board is supplied with a 1m LCD display lead, and a 1m keypad lead. It is possible to have longer leads, but we recommend using screened cable for any display leads greater than 2m.

Pro-160 display adaptor board and seperate display

If you just want to mount the LCD remotely [and don’t need the adaptor board] you will just need the LCD display lead.

Temperature sensor.

These temperature sensors are specially selected and calibrated to work with our Pro-160 / 360 controllers. One or two of these sensors can be plugged directly into the thermistor port on the control board, and the software set to show the temperatures on the display. The Pro-160 / 360 can also provide warnings at user selectable temperatures.

Temperature sensor

[Needs software at version 2.3 or above]

Speed sensor

This speed sensor works with our Pro-160 and Pro-360 digital controllers. It can be plugged into the speed port on the control board, and the software can then be set to show and limit the RPM on the display. The sensor detects a North magnetic field which can be from the 1cm disc magnet included, or any other suitable magnet capable of giving a field of 7mT. Supplied with a 1.5m screened lead and 5 way IDC connector.

speed sensor

You may also need some or all of the following: