# 1000 Amp DC controller still available



## Jens Rekker (Oct 26, 2007)

I was surprised to see that you can still get the CafeElectric Zilla 1K controller. I have no links or financial interest in the outfit in Australia that is offering them, but conventional wisdom was that the Zillas were completely unavailable and I thought some kiwi converters might thank me for letting them know

The Zilla 1K is unique in giving DC converters up to 300 kW of controller power to play with (300V x 1000A = 300,000W). The DC conversions have a couple of limitations; no regen and low power controllers. The largest Curtis controller theoretically gives you a maximum of 72 kW power to your DC motor (144V x 500A = 72,000W). With voltage drop caused by internal resistance of your batteries, the effective max power is even lower (say, 120V x 450A = 54,000W). The practical result of the power limitation is that many EV conversions struggle with acceleration and hill-climbing. The Curtis controller voltage offering also tops out at 144 V, whereas many of the higher efficiency configurations and LiFePO4 battery strings might better use voltages higher than that (e.g. 75 x 3.2V LiFePO4 cells makes an excellent 240V DC battery pack for long range and power performance).

A Zilla controller won't give you regen, but it will give you better power performance and open up possibilities such direct drive coupling of motor to diff, shedding the need for a gearbox. I know a converter in the South who bought one of the last Zilla's from Cafe Electric in August last year. His reason was to be able to run a 72 V fork-lift motor with reasonable performance - a Curtis or Altrax would just not have cut it.

Anyway, for those interested - here's the link:

http://www.evworks.com.au/index.php?product=CTL-Z1K-HV


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## Amberwolf (May 29, 2009)

They're also back in production, including new models.
________
GreekGODDESSN1 live


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## Jens Rekker (Oct 26, 2007)

Yep, straight after I made the post I noticed the banner ad from EV Components offering Zillas. It's all good news. One less component bottleneck for coverters in their eternal quest for the best / cheapest EV.


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## lottos (Jun 22, 2008)

There's also this new high end controller:

http://www.evnetics.com/home.html


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## ADAMEV (Jun 3, 2008)

Has this new controller been discussed yet? Check it out

http://www.evsource.com/tls_WarP-Drive.php


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## ADAMEV (Jun 3, 2008)

or this one for that matter:

http://shop.solardirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=396&products_id=950


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## Jens Rekker (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks for letting us know about the NetGain Controls controllers, Adam

If you took the voltage and current add-on options to the logical extent the 0.5 MW power capacity would replicate that of a small power station! I imagine some of the higher powered units would find homes in drag racing EVs.

All the same, the base unit at 1000A and 160V DC would be a tidy little unit for any conversion. My Curtis 500A controller is air cooled and I'm probably at the limit that fans and additional heat sinks can assist it in staying cool. It still overheats on steep uphills and under heavy acceleration on the flat, especially on warm days.

A fluid-cool 1000A controller would be very nice to overcome the cooling problem.

The base NetGain 1000A and 160V DC is priced below the new Curtis 144A 500A, so I expect it will eat into the Curtis market share. I know that I don't think I'd bother with a Curtis now.

Adam's right though, we should have a review of the NetGain release to see if its promise live up to the specs.


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## ADAMEV (Jun 3, 2008)

Upsides
#1 IGBTs must be bolt on. User upgradeable/repairable!
#2 Water cooling
#3 You can see the circuit without voiding your warranty for a change
#4 CANbus could be used for a car computer monitor
#5 Price! Zilla were going for $4000 US right? Try $1950!


Downsides
#1 Hall effect throttle only
#2 CANbus communications only. I suppose you can get an adapter
#3 IGBTs will put out more heat at the low end
#4 You can't put in your own higher power IGBTs, unless you buy the 
higher spec software upgrade.
#5 Schematic says "Go to www.go-ev.com for full documentation"
I can't even find the product on that website!
#6 This could be a logisystems/zepi type prototype at the moment
where alot of them decide on an early death?


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## ADAMEV (Jun 3, 2008)

The Solution1 controller looks packed with features, more $$$ though.


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## carrott (Aug 19, 2008)

ADAMEV said:


> Upsides
> #1 IGBTs must be bolt on. User upgradeable/repairable!


EV source says you can purchase a firmware upgrade to get more voltage or power, which suggests to me that they won't be asking you to fool with the actual hardware.



ADAMEV said:


> #3 You can see the circuit without voiding your warranty for a change


There aren't any warranty void stickers on the Zilla



ADAMEV said:


> #5 Price! Zilla were going for $4000 US right? Try $1950!


The smallest Zilla, at US$1975, is basically the same price as the smallest WarP-Drive. The other 1000A Zilla models are cheaper than the comparable WarP-Drive models. The 2000A Zilla models are a lot more expensive. The zilla is once again available at http://www.evcomponents.com



ADAMEV said:


> Downsides
> #1 Hall effect throttle only


That's not a major downside in my opinion. The 0-5k pot is a source of problems.



ADAMEV said:


> #2 CANbus communications only. I suppose you can get an adapter


I would hope they provide an adapter with their configuration software.

I'm pleased to see it's waterproof. The Zilla won't do well if it's exposed to too much moisture.


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## ngcontrolsf (Dec 14, 2009)

ADAMEV said:


> Downsides
> 
> #2 CANbus communications only. I suppose you can get an adapter
> 
> ...


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## ngcontrols (Nov 4, 2009)

ADAMEV said:


> Upsides
> #1 IGBTs must be bolt on. User upgradeable/repairable!


Well, not quite. The ability to upgrade is all software based. Some people have expressed frustration at paying for something that is already there with the lower priced model. However, it allows for users to get into a unit at a lower price, and upgrade later on without even needing to remove the unit from the vehicle. Many products (especially software) have features that can be unlocked by paying more. The higher power capabilities (especially voltage) require the software/firmware smarts to handle it. You really are getting something for your money. Also, at the higher voltages, some additional features become available with the Interface Module (e.g. voltage limiting on the motor side).



ADAMEV said:


> Downsides
> #1 Hall effect throttle only


As was mentioned in a previous post, this should be viewed as a plus. The goal was to create a truly automotive quality device, with the aftermarket flair that many of us converters want. The only Hall-effect units that will ever be added to the list of compatible units are those with dual channels. This allows for cross checking to verify the throttle really is intended to be "on".



ADAMEV said:


> #2 CANbus communications only. I suppose you can get an adapter


Again, I think most will find that this is an advantage. It does require either the NetGain Controls "Interface Module" or a custom device to interface to the controller. I think we'll see some pretty cool interfacing systems that will not just be to the controller - but rather to everything on the CANbus system. That can include devices like BMS (elithion has CANbus), chargers, additional sensors, etc. Data from each of these devices can be collected and intelligently displayed to the user. It's highly possible that in the near future, we'll have a low-cost adapter that will allow a computer to be connected to the CANbus. We will be gauging interest in such a device, and the feedback on the systems currently available.



ADAMEV said:


> #3 IGBTs will put out more heat at the low end


IGBT's are very common for this type of high voltage capable device. Every choice has its pros and cons. For the intended applications, the IGBT pros outweigh the cons.




ADAMEV said:


> #4 You can't put in your own higher power IGBTs, unless you buy the
> higher spec software upgrade.


The upgrade *is* what provides the higher power capabilities.



ADAMEV said:


> #5 Schematic says "Go to www.go-ev.com for full documentation"
> I can't even find the product on that website!


We'll have to see if we can make this more understandable on the schematic.




ADAMEV said:


> #6 This could be a logisystems/zepi type prototype at the moment
> where alot of them decide on an early death?


Early adopters certainly take this risk. However, there are quite a few substantial differences between the examples you provided and the WarP-Drive. The WarP-Drive is using IGBTs, and an industrial commercial module at that (produced in highly controlled environments). The WarP-Drive is liquid cooled, and carefully monitored in software for overtemp situations. Most of the WarP-Drive (and soon, all of it) is produced by a professional electronics assembler. And finally, it has an impeccable record to date.


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## ADAMEV (Jun 3, 2008)

Great stuff.

Looks like alot of the details are covered so far. All I need now is the battery pack that will survive 1000A without 'bending' them, or my motor for that matter, or my CABLES! 

I'm going to have to build another car at this rate.


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