# [EVDL] How does the ICS-200B cable tension sensor work?



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I've got an old EVI ICS-200B with an Avcon connector I'm about to change over to the new J1772 connector. I just powered it up for the first time, before I get carried away with swapping the connectors, and the nice lady is complaining about the cable tension. There is no stress on the cable, but the sensor is still indicating something is not right. I've looked around the charging cable exit and it appears that there is some sort of clever contact pad or something that the gland nut passes through. It also appears that there is some rust around this area of the box. I can see a small blue circuit board with 4 wires going off to the main board and two white plastic hex standoffs coming off the stain device near this circuit board.

Does anyone have any information on how the strain device works? Is it a common service issue? Are there any replacement parts available? If it can't be repaired, does anyone know how to disable the device or make the system think that the strain is normal?

thanks,
Paul Wallace
'94 USElectricar S10 almost ready to try charging for the first time

_______________________________________________
| Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
| Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
|
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev


----------



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hi Paul,
there have been a couple conversion of AVCON EVSE already
so there should be some knowledge with this problem.
Where are you located? Some EVEAA chapters have experience
with the conversion and the original AVCON specs and may
be able to help you, otherwise it will be a matter of
reverse engineering...

Regards,

Cor van de Water
Chief Scientist
Proxim Wireless Corporation http://www.proxim.com
Email: [email protected] Private: http://www.cvandewater.com
Skype: cor_van_de_water XoIP: +31877841130
Tel: +1 408 383 7626 Tel: +91 (040)23117400 x203 

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Paul Wallace
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 4:57 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [EVDL] How does the ICS-200B cable tension sensor work?

I've got an old EVI ICS-200B with an Avcon connector I'm about to change
over to the new J1772 connector. I just powered it up for the first
time, before I get carried away with swapping the connectors, and the
nice lady is complaining about the cable tension. There is no stress on
the cable, but the sensor is still indicating something is not right.
I've looked around the charging cable exit and it appears that there is
some sort of clever contact pad or something that the gland nut passes
through. It also appears that there is some rust around this area of
the box. I can see a small blue circuit board with 4 wires going off to
the main board and two white plastic hex standoffs coming off the stain
device near this circuit board.

Does anyone have any information on how the strain device works? Is it
a common service issue? Are there any replacement parts available? If
it can't be repaired, does anyone know how to disable the device or make
the system think that the strain is normal?

thanks,
Paul Wallace
'94 USElectricar S10 almost ready to try charging for the first time

_______________________________________________
| Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
| Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
|
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev

_______________________________________________
| Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
| Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
|
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev


----------



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Paul:

I can't tell you how to fix it, but I can tell you how to disable the
feature so that you can enjoy the rest of the EVSE.

There's a set of four-twisted-wires (Black/Brown/Grey/Red) that leads to
the a wireloom around the output (charging) cable.
Cut the four-wire set where it's convenient ( in the future you might want
to re-connect if someone can ever figure out how to fix this feature ).
On the PCB-mainboard-side (of course), leave the red wire disconnected, and
short the other three (Black/Brown/Grey) together (with, for example, a
wirenut).

 HTH



> Paul Wallace <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > I've got an old EVI ICS-200B with an Avcon connector I'm about to change
> > over to the new J1772 connector. I just powered it up for the first time,
> ...


----------



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Tesla198 has it right. The water and rust from the old conduit entry had damaged the little circuit board that is the tension sensor. Here is how it works. The two white standoffs attached to the plastic plate that the gland nut with the charging cable goes through, are positioned in front of a couple of photo reflective devices. These little beauties have both an led and an NPN photo transistor. The white standoffs reflect the LED back to the transistor, causing it to conduct. In my case, the rusty water had eaten though at least one pin of one photo transistor and also a couple of traces on the board. Once I had the board traced, I could see that shorting the black (GND) to the brown and grey (photo sensor outputs) wires would simulate the same condition as no strain on the cable. The unit is now passing POST and I went ahead with the connector change. Now I just need to test it with a real vehicle to make sure that it can actually communicate and source current. !
I wish I had access to the EVI FICS unit so that I could re program it for 40 amps output. That is one of the advantages of these older units, they will actually put out 9.6kw, as much as my charger can handle. Currently, it is limited to 32amps. I may eventually fix the strain limit device, but probably not, since my garage is not a public charging site.

Paul Wallace,
'94 USE S10 ready for 100 CALB cells

_______________________________________________
| Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
| Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
|
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev


----------

