# curtis 1238 programing



## Electric Forklift Guy (Dec 13, 2012)

If your looking to turn on the Regenerative braking and control it with a potentiometer while you're driving

Brake pot 
J1-18 Pot low
J1-17 Pot wiper


You will need a switch to disable the motor throttle.
Depending on throttle type the switch will disconnect J1-16 from the throttle wiper and short it to either j1-15 or j1-18
( Short to J1-15 if it is a 5k-0 , Short to j1-18 if it is 0-5k )

You will need to set "Brake Pedal Enable" to "On" in the control interface
You will need to set "Brake Type" to "3" 
You will need to set "VCL Brake Enable" to "Off"
You will need to set "Regen Current Limit" ....._this one you'll have to figure out yourself , if you set it too high your rear tires will grind away and the controller will get very hot._

You will need to disable all functions associated with "holding position".

The down side to this is:

1. it disables regen via throttle mapping ( VCL ),it will no longer work automatically.
*the Potentiometer will be the only method of controlling regenerative braking*.

2. You will need to set the brake potentiometer to zero when enabling the drive motor.
This can be done by twisting the know or using a different set of terminals on the same switch you used to disable the throttle. 

*You do not want to be moving when "Switching modes"*

And There's a good chance I'm forgetting a few settings in the interface 
So I recommend reading this 
http://fsip.biz/Documents/Curtis 1232_34_36_38.pdf

Whats going to take time is fine tuning the controller.


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## santar (Mar 8, 2011)

Thanks for your quick answer forklift guy.

Can you pleasse also help me with the interlock seting and wiring. Or should i somehow disable it? How is the ussual way to switch that. I have it now on the throttle switch and it cycles the main contactor every time i push the throttle. The motor throttle is chennic hall efect throttle with micro switch.

I also have a problem with curtis 840 display.
It works ok, but after some time 1-3 minute is there only ********. And there is no eror message on 1314 pc programing station. I have not found what is caussing this ******* mesaage or what it means.

With the regen i should to find a solution, maybe let it without pot regulation. Do you have any idea how to switch some small regen if driving on gasoline.


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## Electric Forklift Guy (Dec 13, 2012)

santar said:


> Thanks for your quick answer forklift guy.
> 
> Can you pleasse also help me with the interlock seting and wiring. Or should i somehow disable it? How is the ussual way to switch that. I have it now on the throttle switch and it cycles the main contactor every time i push the throttle. The motor throttle is chennic hall efect throttle with micro switch.
> 
> ...


You would need to get WinVCL on your laptop and program the controller to recognize one of the inputs ( Like J1-10 , Switch 4 ) to change the operating mode to what you want.

Curtis only makes that software available to equipment manufacturers, we cant get it.

What you might want to consider doing is

1. Find a high amp alternator that will fit ,a local *automotive audio shop* can help you find one ,you currently have a 100 Amp alternator I think the 360 Amp Delco alternator can be made to fit. But I am not familiar with your car.

2. Get several DC powered chargers for Ltihium ion batteries ( Talk to the people who make solar powered home systems to locate the right chargers )

Use the alternator to charge the battery .

It would be safer ( no danger of overcharging and causing the battery to explode )

You could charge the battery while not moving.

You wont have to modify the Curtis 1238 or its programming.

You could turn the chargers on and off with a solenoid operated contactor connected to a switch.



*Oh , the 840 will display ******* if your laptop is connected to the controller .*


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## Enfield1 (Feb 28, 2017)

Hi,


Wonder if the two of you might be able to help. My project is up and running (just) and I am slowly getting the bugs ironed out - like an Orion 2 with US Firmware not European and the J1772 got confused! It goes and runs well, but for the life of me I can't get the regen to work. (perhaps I should say - the way I want it to work)



The System is a Curtis 1238 - 7501, AC31, 4 Tesla modules, Orion 2 BMS, and a TCC/Alcon charger.



I dont find the Curtis manual very clear and I suspect that their words mean different things to me than they actually intend! They appear to have Throttle Brake , EM Brake Control, and 'Interlock' brake control. As well as Emergency Reverse!



I dont want to use the over-run throttle regen, I want and have set the throttle with a 'coast mode', so that at zero throttle I have no positive or negative motor torque. I have the position holding all off. I then want to use a processed variable voltage on the Brake Pot input to control the regen.



The only way to get regen appears to be if I use an 'offset' on the throttle - effectively giving me a negative throttle input. I dont want to be 'floating the throttle' to give me coast.



I have the controller set up with both Throttle and Brake pots (I am using 0 to 5 V inputs, and the throttle works fine, the Brake pot is giving the correct raw and input signals in the 'Monitor' function of my 1313). Externally, I have set the Interlock to only drop out if I drop either of the active Forward and Reverse inputs. 



Is the correct method to drop the Interloc input to 'open' with the car in either forward or reverse, and will the Brake pot input then be able to control regen braking?


Sorry, I am probably being stupid.


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## Enfield1 (Feb 28, 2017)

Hi,


Wonder if the two of you might be able to help. My project is up and running (just) and I am slowly getting the bugs ironed out - like an Orion 2 with US Firmware not European and the J1772 got confused! It goes and runs well, but for the life of me I can't get the regen to work. (perhaps I should say - the way I want it to work)



The System is a Curtis 1238 - 7501, AC31, 4 Tesla modules, Orion 2 BMS, and a TCC/Alcon charger.



I dont find the Curtis manual very clear and I suspect that their words mean different things to me than they actually intend! They appear to have Throttle Brake , EM Brake Control, and 'Interlock' brake control. As well as Emergency Reverse!



I dont want to use the over-run throttle regen, I want and have set the throttle with a 'coast mode', so that at zero throttle I have no positive or negative motor torque. I have the position holding all off. I then want to use a processed variable voltage on the Brake Pot input to control the regen.



The only way to get regen appears to be if I use an 'offset' on the throttle - effectively giving me a negative throttle input. I dont want to be 'floating the throttle' to give me coast.



I have the controller set up with both Throttle and Brake pots (I am using 0 to 5 V inputs, and the throttle works fine, the Brake pot is giving the correct raw and input signals in the 'Monitor' function of my 1313). Externally, I have set the Interlock to only drop out if I drop either of the active Forward and Reverse inputs. 



Is the correct method to drop the Interloc input to 'open' with the car in either forward or reverse, and will the Brake pot input then be able to control regen braking?


Sorry, I am probably being stupid.


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