Setting the lo ADJ on a MeanWell?

SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
Researching the MeanWell drivers with the internal dimmer. There's two adjustments. One for the voltage and the other that limits the maximum current. Ending up in one of two modes.

  • Constant voltage mode:
    Output voltage can be adjusted in accordance to data sheet via controller Vo.ADJ. in a range around
    rated secondary voltage (data sheet stating: Voltage Adj.Range):
    This voltage is maintained as long as the maximum current is not exceeded. Then the power supply
    switches into constant current mode.
  • Constant current mode and operates as constant voltage source:
    The controller lo.ADJ is used to set the maximum operating current. The Meanwell HLG goes into
    current limiting and acts as a constant current source.
    This however, works only if the connected load impendance is sufficiently low to the
    operating voltage. (Ohm's law), as in case with LEDs.
What's the procedure to adjusting/setting the constant current?
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
90% of people run them full blast

what are you trying to do? either one will dim. Vo usually will dim more
Click to expand...

I only visual see a difference adjusting the constant current when the voltage is at max. Then you can see a slight dim. Anything in the lower ranges of voltage, I can't see any dimming effect.

According to the specs. It determines a mode of operation. I wanna make sure I'm in the right mode.
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
there is no wrong mode, limiting either voltage or current will reduce the power the chip sees. youre basically always operating in cosntant current mode as your chips are maxing out the driver

in the lower ranges of Vo adjustment you are already limiting current to less than 40%. turning down current doesnt do anything in this case

if you get a meter and experiment with it while looking at this curve, you'll learn more in a few minutes than i could explain in an hour. just remember, the chip can ONLY operate on that curve. so if current to a chip is 1000 mA, it has to be 52V (+/- a volt or due to to temp differences and chip variations. You cant possibly have 600 mA flowing thru a chip and voltage dropping 56V, cause thats not on the operating curve

upload_2017-9-2_12-48-12.png
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
Hooking up the multimeter. Measuring voltage.

Max voltage of the driver is 53.3. That's overdrive on the chips. I'm guessing about 105%. Typical operating voltage on the chip is 51.5v. Actually it's two figures. 51.2 or 51.5v...

Here's what I did. The driver was turned up to the maximum voltage. Full turn to stop of the voltage adjustment. 53.3v.

Lo ADJ ( constant current) was turned down till the voltage measured 51.5v.


Now, the driver at max will only put out 51.5v. 100% of the chips capacity. If my theory is right. It should follow the curve when the lower voltages are used.
 
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CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
SouthCross said:
Max voltage of the driver is 53.3. That's overdrive on the chips. I'm guessing about 105%
Click to expand...
"100%" would be 2200 mA, chips are rated to take 2200 mA all day every day with proper cooling

nominal current is arbitrary for measurement purposes

SouthCross said:
Lo ADJ ( constant current) was turned down till the voltage measured 51.5v.

Now, the driver at max will only put out 51.5v. 100% of the chips capacity. If my theory is right. It should follow the curve when the lower voltages are used.
Click to expand...
when you adjust "Io" (I= standard abbreviation for current), you are limiting the current.

voltage is lower with that particular array at that particular current, if you put just one or two chips on the driver with the same setting voltage would be higher, current should be the same
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
"100%" would be 2200 mA, chips are rated to take 2200 mA all day every day with proper cooling

nominal current is arbitrary for measurement purposes



when you adjust "Io" (I= standard abbreviation for current), you are limiting the current.

voltage is lower with that particular array at that particular current, if you put just one or two chips on the driver with the same setting voltage would be higher, current should be the same
Click to expand...

I'm not at that level. At least at this hour of day. All my info is coming from the chip datasheet. I can't post a picture because it's a download.

http://www.luminus.com/products/cobarrays.html


For the chips they show a range of 200%. They tell you the minimum. What's it's supposed to run at....then the charts. 48v is the lower end of the chip. The range of the chip as driven by the specified driver. Like you know, there's more.

Damn little chips are amazing. Tuning them is even better.
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
A car battery would kill me quicker. You'd have to work at a cob killing you. Throwing the driver in a bath might work. But it's water resistant. So it could be awhile. Unless you bought a waterproof driver. It's White in color. Then you'd be sitting in a bath like a dummy.
 
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CannaBruh

CannaBruh

Well-Known Member
SouthCross said:
A car battery would kill me quicker. You'd have to work at a cob killing you. Throwing the driver in a bath might work. But it's water resistant. So it could be awhile. Unless you bought a waterproof driver. It's White in color. Then you'd be sitting in a bath like a dummy.
Click to expand...
Seriously, you sound like you aren't even aware of the danger, be careful. A car battery is 12V...
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
CannaBruh said:
Seriously, you sound like you aren't even aware of the danger, be careful. A car battery is 12V...
Click to expand...
It's all about the amps.

I've stuck a screwdriver somewhere it shouldn't have been...on a two battery diesel truck. Its the amps that get you. Not the voltage.

50 volts at around 3-7 amps is nothing.
 
CannaBruh

CannaBruh

Well-Known Member
SouthCross said:
It's all about the amps.

I've stuck a screwdriver somewhere it shouldn't have been...on a two battery diesel truck. Its the amps that get you. Not the voltage.

50 volts at around 3-7 amps is nothing.
Click to expand...
100mA at whatever potential across your heart to draw that current and it's over.
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
CannaBruh said:
100mA at whatever potential across your heart to draw that current and it's over.
Click to expand...
Don't grab it with both hands and make a loop. I went from HID to COBs. The difference in fire hazard alone, sold me.

You'll encounter the same level of safety considerations building COBs as you would building a computer.
 
CannaBruh

CannaBruh

Well-Known Member
SouthCross said:
Don't grab it with both hands and make a loop. I went from HID to COBs. The difference in fire hazard alone, sold me.

You'll encounter the same level of safety considerations building COBs as you would building a computer.
Click to expand...
My point was if you're playing with meters be aware the danger, not sure why you're measuring currents building a new pc.
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
CannaBruh said:
My point was if you're playing with meters be aware the danger, not sure why you're measuring currents building a new pc.
Click to expand...
You're telling me. A fuse for the Fluke 77iii runs about $11. You have order the Damn thing. Now I take better care of the meter reading amps.
 
redzi

redzi

Well-Known Member
Got a big insurance policy on your nearest-dearest? Forget about DC competely. Even when it comes to AC you need to think about what your going to throw in that bath tub. What you need is a large contact surface area between positive and neg. charge. Radio...forget about it, not even a blow drier is a guarantee. Your best bet for a good amp surge is a high torque tool like a drill...A CORDED DRILL. To make sure there is no suffering you might want to remove all the electrical goodies from their shell.
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
get yourself a kill-a-watt or watts up plug in meter to determine how much power you are actually drawing. way better than eyeballing
 
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