I have a setup with 2 WS500 connected to two ElectroMaax Cruiser High-Output 140A. My boat has an alarmsystem that requires the traditional charge lamp signal (GND when alternator not running/faulty and +12V when running) as it is used together with the temperatur and oil pressure sensors to sound an alarm based on the status between the indicators. Without the charge lamp signal, and alarm goes off ~15 seconds after starting the engine because the charge lamp is still on but the oil pressure is now indicating the engine is running which causes a charge alarm. If I force the charge lamp to go off (applying +12v from ignition) I can start and run the engine as expected, but if I turn on the ignition, or after stopping the motors without turning the ignition off, the oil pressure alarm goes off as the alarmsystems sees that the alternator is running (charge lamp is forced to +12v), but there is no oil pressure (as the engine has stopped).
I looked into the programming guide for the WS500, but from my understanding I can not program the feature-OUT to act as I need it too. Either it is default (float until error then pulsing to GND with the error message), Activate In Post Float (not what I need) or Battery Heater Active, also not what I need. I really need a way to tell the alarm system that the engine is running or not so the oil pressure alarm/charge alarm does not activate unnecessary. This is normally provided by the alternator regulator, but I can not see anyway the WS500 can provide this.
I have installed this on a Volvo Penta TAMD63 2000-model engine which doesn\'t have any ECV (purely mechanical engine), so I can not see any other \"sensors\" I can use to indicate a running engine. I can not use the oil pressure sensor, as that in practice will disable the oil pressure alarm as the charge lamp will be activated at the same time the oil pressure sensor indicates a problem, which is the same state as when the engine is off.
Any suggestions on how to solve this? I only see three options;
- WS500 could provide the needed signal (but I don\'t see any way to get that activated)
- An external sensor on the drive wheel/belt for the alternator (but I don\'t like the added parts and the risk of problems) and
- A CANBus adapter that reeds the messages from the WS500 and simulates a charge lamp signal (but I assume this does not exist so I have to create one - if I manage..)
Really appreciate any suggestions - for now I have to avoid leaving the ignition on too long (>~15 sec) when the engine is off. I can live with this for now, but would like to solve it before the day I need to sell the boat
I guess you could partually solve this letting the WS500 Charge lamp output drive an small relay.
Then you would have to use an \"Normal Closed\" output on the relay.
This should give you the +12V when everything is ok. And 0V when Charge Lamp alarm is active. So far so good.
Then you need to figure out how to have this signal only when engine is running.
Involving an Oil pressure alarm switch some how could do it.
Off the top of my head I was thinking you could use the tach wire from the alt to drive a relay that would basically give you an output whenever the alt was turning. You are going to get a pulse out, with maybe a diode and capacitor for half wave rectification, driving a tiny DC relay.
Have not tested this, so it is just out for discussion
Thanks for your quick replies. Using the Oil pressure sensor is not an option because a real failure would then also \"activate\" the charge lamp giving the alarm system the same state as if the engine was not running (both oil pressure \"alarm\" and charge \"alarm\" indicating that the engine is not running, i.e. no alarm).
I have found a tach sensor on the engine I will try to use with a diode and capacitor (thanks for the suggestion) or a frequency to voltage converter to drive a relay to feed the charge lamp input.
