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CurtisDCmotorcontrollerupgrade.
Curtis1204410.3648V/225A

Curtis1204410.3648V/225ADCmotorcontrollerupgrade.
AsIhadmentionedbeforeourelectriccarconversionisbudgetone,soallcomponentsormostofthemare
reallycheaporfree,anditisdoesmeansthatsomeofthosecomponentsarenotreallysuitableforour
conversion,thoughmostofthemcanbeupgraded,onthispageI'lltellyouandshowviathemeansofphotosof
howIdidtheupgradeof1204410Curtismotorcontroller,howtoopenitwithoutdamaging,withoutboilingin
thepotofwater(somesillypeopledoit).
ThemostimportantthingaboutCurtiscontrollersisthatthe"Curtisinstruments"companyusestheverysame
designforthevarietyoftheirproducts,allthisisdictatedbyeconomy,sowecangetabsolutelysimilarlooking
controllersinthesamepackagingandarrangementwithabsolutelydifferentspecs,andifyouopentwodifferent
controllersyou'llfindoutthateverythingissimilarinsideapartfromcomponentsratingsandnumberofmosfets
theyuseforthedifferentcontrollers,forexamplethereisaCurtis1205controllerthatismoreadvancedthan
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1204butthemaindifferenceisthesizethe1205controllerjustlittlelongertoaccommodatemoremosfetsand
onecantakethelogicboardfrom1204andsimplyinstallitto1205andviceversa,insomemodelsthe
controller'sworkingvoltageislimitedbythelogicboardonlythepowerboardisdesignedfor48volts
applicationbutthelogicboardhasanovervoltageprotectionthatlimitscontrollertolovervoltages.
InourcasewewillupgradeCurtis1204410/3648V/225ADCmotorcontrollerthatisthecheapestofits
kindandweakestone,originallydesignedforgolfcars,andnotreallypowerfulenoughtorunthenormalsizecar.
Thegoodthingaboutthiscontrollerisitcanbeopenedveryfastandsafeforcontroller'sinternalcomponents
replacementorupgrade,itiscapabletoworkwithvoltagesupto60Vandcanbeeasilyupgradedupto500A,
Assoonasyou'llopenthiscontrolleryouwillnoticethatthecontrollerisheavilylackspowermosfetsinits
powercircuit,andinsteadof20powermosfetsthatmustbeinstalledtothecontrolleryouwillfindonly10,the
goodthingisthereyoucanfindthatallholesalreadydrilledformosfetsmountingandallyouneedtodoisfind
anextra10powermosfets,plus10resistors(shouldmatchthevalueoforiginallyinstalledones)todrivethe
transistorsgates,thenyouhavetopunchtheholesforcomponentssolderingiontheboard(holesaretherebut
filledwithsolder)andinstallallthemissingparts.
OnthepicturesbelowI'llshowthestepsItakenwhileupgradingtheCurtisDCmotorcontroller.
BelowisthepictureofTypicalwiringdiagramfortheclubcarcontroller.

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Pleasenotethatthiscontrollerusesa3wire5Kpot.Thewiperandoneendofthepotisconnectedtothe
controller.ThesecondendistiedtoB.PlussomemodelsofthiscontrollerarelacktheA2terminal.
Itsaidthattheclubcarcontrollersaresetto225Aandnormalcontrollersof1204seriesaresetupto275Ain
realitythereisnoanysettingsandratingofthecontrollerisdeterminedsimplybythenumberandtheratingof
mosfetstheyusesothemoremosfetsthehighercontroller'sratingandhigherthecost,thusaddinganextra
mosfettheyaddinganextra$100.00tothecostofthecontrollerandasyouallunderstandallthosecontrollers
areheavilyoverpriced,somecompanieslikeAlltraxaredeliberatelymakingtheirmotorcontrollersnon
serviceablebyfillingthemupwithepoxyresinandanyonedollarworthdamageinsideofcontrollerthatburied
underthethicklayerofepoxywillresultincompletecontrollerreplacement,andAlltraxcontrollersarenotthe
cheapestones,anywaythankstoCurtistheircontrollersareserviceablesimpleandreliable,plustheyproviding
allnecessarydataabouttheirproducts.
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OnpicturesbelowistheCurtiscontroller:

Firstofallyouhavetoremovethefrontlidfromthecontroller,todosoyou'llneedasharpknife,justcutthelid
aroundandtrytoremoveitwithoutbreakingit,oncethelidisremovedyou'llseethesiliconhermeticlayeranda
foamprotectivelayerunderthehermetic.

carefullyremovetheremainsofthesiliconandpulloutthefoamprotection.

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Thenextstepistoremovetheepoxyresinthatpreventsusfromunscrewingthescrewsthatareholdingthe
internalsofcontrollerinplace,sotodoitsafelyjustusethepropanetorch,pointtheflametotheresinplugand
holdfor10seconds,thenusetheknifetoscrapetheresinout,repeattheprocedureatleasttwicethesecondgo
willhelpyoutoremovetheresinfromtheheadofthescrew,useasimplescrewdrivertoremovethescrew.
donotworrytheflamewillnotdamagethecontroller,thewholesetupisdesignedasabigheatsinkandhasa
verygoodabilitytodissipatetheheat,buttheresinisnotthatgoodatheatdissipationandthereforewilljust
disintegrateandbecomeverysoftwhilethecontrollerwillremainverycoolduringcompleteprocedure,thus
repeatthisprocedurewitheverysingleepoxyplug,thetotaltimetotakewholecontrollerapartisaround20
minutes.

Nowwecanremoveallscrewsfromthebottomofthecontroller,pleasenotethatunderthescrewsthereare
plasticspacers(insulators)thatpreventthecontrollersinternalsfromelectricalcontactwiththeoutershellofthe
controller,andweneedtoremovethemfirstandonlyafterthespacersremovalwecanpulloutthecontroller
board.
Thusfortheplasticspacersremovalweneedtocleanuptheholesabovethespacersfromtheremainsofepoxy
resinthatkeepsspacersgluedintheirslots.
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forcleaningtheremainsofresinfromtheslotsIusedtheflattipped13mmdiameterdrillbit,andpleasebe
carefulnottodrillthroughtheplasticspacers.Oncetheepoxyremovedfromtheholescompletelyyoucaneasy
pulltheplasticspacersoutwithasmallmetalhook.

Incasetoremovethepowerboardofthecontrollermakesurethatallthespacersarepulledout.

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Belowistheexampleofhowtoremovethepowerboard,pleasebecarefulwithsiliconheatconductiveinsulator.
PlusthereyoucanseetheCurtisamperageratingsettingtheyjustforgettoinstallafewmosfets,alsothereis
theviewofthelogicboardthatneedtobetemporaryremovedaswell,forourupgrade.

Donotunsolderthelogicboard,(thesoldertheyuseishardenoughtodamagetheboardbeforethesolderwill
melt)justcuttheconnectionsoff.

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Asyouseethetotalof9transistorsmustbeaddedtothecontrollertoperformatfullpotential,plusyouwillneed
toadd9resistorsaswellthesamewaytheoriginalonesinstalled,plustheresistorsmustmatchthevalueof
originalones,inmycasetherewere75ohmresistors,thetransistorsforthisprojectIcutfromCurtis36V600A
Sepexcontroller(approximatevalue75V/60A),butforthepreviousprojectIusedIRF540N100v/33Amosfets
andsealedtrimpotsinsteadofresistorsandthisparticularcontrollerisstillperformingokaftertwoyearsof
exploitation.
Onthepicturesbelowyoucanseethecontroller'spowerboardisreadyforupgradeandalsoyoucanseethe
needlelikesteelwire,Ipointedthisneedletothesolderedpointwhereoriginallyatinyholeforthecomponent
installationshouldbe,andwhileapplyingaslightpressuretotheneedle,Iampointingthe80wsolderingironat
theoppositesideoftheboardjustforasecondandthisisenoughfortheneedletopunchthemoltensolder
throughandmakeaperfectholeforthecomponentmounting.
PleasenotethatIamnotaddinganyadditionaldiodes,aspracticeshowstheonesthatalreadyinstalledare
capabletohandletheload,sothereisnoreallyneedforanyadditionalones(thisprojectisforseriesDCmotor).

Hereyoucanseeanexampleoftrimpotsapplication,insomecasesitisimpossibletogettherightcomponents
andtheonlywaytomakethecontrollerworkistousewhatyoucanfindaround,plustrimpotscanbesetupto
anyvalue.

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Whenalltheholesforthecomponentsinstallationarereadytoaccommodateallresistorsandtransistorsjust
insertthelegsoftransistortotheholesandbeforesolderingapplythescrewtoholdthetransistorinplace,then
inserttheleadsofaresistorsolderandcuttheexcess,insertandsoldereachcomponentoneafteranother
makingsurethatnocomponentwasmissed.

Hereyoucanseebothsidesofthecontrollerwithallthecomponentsinstalled,theblueresistorsare
correspondingwithnewlyinstalledtransistors,soweadded9transistorsalltogether:

Thelogicboardisinsertedintoitsslotandleadsarealignedforsoldering.

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Thelogicboardisinstalledandthecontrollerisreadyforthetestrun.

Onthebenchfirst

andonthecarsecond.

Thecontrolleristestedandappearstobeworkingok,sonowwecanstartafinalassembly.

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Applyalltheplasticspacersandscrews,tightenallscrewsandcheckfortheelectricalinsulationtheremustnot
beanyelectricalcontactbetweenthepowerboardandprotectiveshellofthecontroller.

Thecontrolleriselectricallytestedandnowwecanplacethefoamprotectionandthefrontlid,nowvery
importantnote
applytheheatshrinkinsulationonthekeyinputterminalandmakesurethatthesiliconadhesivethat
you'lluseforthefrontlidgluingdoesnottouchestheKeyinputterminal(mostofadhesivesareremain
slightlyconductiveevenaftercompletedrying,justenoughtomakeyourcontrollertomakeyoua
headache),otherwiseyouwillgetyourpotinputshortenedwithpositivekeyinputandresultishighrevsof
theelectricmotorwhenthepotispressedtogetalowrevsandyou'llgetasuddenacceleration.

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Nowapplytheglueandplacethefrontlidwhereitisbelongs.

Donotforgettoapplysomesilicontothescrewsonthebottomofthecontrollerforprotectionagainstmoisture.
onpicturesbelowyoucanseetheoldcontrollerandthenewlyupgradedonethatwillreplacetheoldone.

Finallycontrollerisreadyforperformance.
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Goodluckwithyourcontrollerupgrade.

20092015Ferromit.com.Allrightsreserved.

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