DIY Wireless Electric Vest/Jacket Controller

[antmanbee]

I thought this would be an interesting project. I wanted a PWM controlled circuit rather than a resistor circuit. The remote is an added plus.
The PWM controller was designed for controlling LED light dimming but has an 8A rated circuit. My vest is 4.7A. I added small heat sinks to the chips on the controller board to help.
On the input side I used SAE connectors like on a battery tender so I can easily move from one bike to another. I have a connector on each bike for charging and it doubles now as a connector for my vest.
I have enough parts to make several more. I may try a couple more designs.
For the output I just use a female panel mount.
It all fits nicely in 3/4" schd 40 PVC.

Parts purchased,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072HK1DY4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VWS2S3Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJZCP71/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4B3RPH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007B5V54M/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Kiwi_Roy]

Well Done 

Heating controls are normally done with a pulse width controller operating on a fixed time period but there's no reason you can't use a dimmer.

[antmanbee]

This is a pulse width controller but originally designed to turn led lights on and off and on and off at a high frequency. So when the led lights are dim they are just spending more time in the off state than the on state. Same for my vest. The only issue is how much current it takes when on full and not being switched.
I will need to do a long ride with the vest on to see how it holds up.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The nice thing about the pulse width method the switching devices are either totally On or totally Off, no half measures so they don't generate a lot of heat.
Thats how we normally control large electric heaters only much slower so it operates over a number of cycles for example 30 cycles On then 60 Off would be 30%. They switch as the AC cycles are going through Zero to cut down on noise.
You are switching DC of course, I think it should work well.

[Wayne Orwig]

Good find on the controller.

In the photo, it looks like Q6 is the switch. It is probably the only part that you need to watch out for it getting too hot. Likely a mosfet, so you could parallel another one or two simply enough to handle more power. Until you run into gate capacitance issues.

It appears to be switching the ground side. So if the output touches ground, you are going to get odd behavior no doubt.

Is there anything on the back side of the board? As in, could it simply be put in heat shrink to protect it?

[antmanbee]

Q6 is the largest chip on the circuit. I have another board without the heatsinks and I will take a picture of it when I am home this evening and post it.
There may be markings on the chip.
The back side has a small rf receiver and a coil of wire as an antenna.
If one wanted to make the controller smaller and lighter it could be heat shrink wrapped with maybe another way of cable strain relief.
The LED could be omitted but I like it as it lets me know when it is on and by how bright it glows I can get a relative idea of the power output.

[dguzzi]

You'll turn  into "Rider Man"  with all those electro-magnetic waves altering your DNA!!

[antmanbee]

This is the Q6 output chip,

ISL9N308AD3 manufactured by:
Fairchild Semiconductor   N-Channel Logic Level UltraFET R Trench Power MOSFETs 30V, 50A, 8mOhm




I purchased another different kind of controller that I have yet to try.
It actually states it has a higher current rating of 12A vs the 8A of the one I am using.
But I am of the school that size matters and the 12A one looks puny.