PowerBox Systems Digi-Switch Manuale utente

Instruction Manual

Digiswitch

SmArtswitch

2PowerBox-Systems − World Leaders in RC Power Supply Systems

Dear customer,

We are delighted that you have decided to purchase the PowerBox DigiSwitch or

SmartSwitch from our range.

We hope you have many hours of pleasure and great success with your new power

supply.

1. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The DigiSwitch or SmartSwitch is an excellent choice for any application where

there is no space for mechanical switches and heavy batteries.

In conjunction with modern LiPo or LiFePo battery technology, the DigiSwitch or

SmartSwitch represents an effective weight-saving measure, and also provides

additional security with its integral voltage monitor and electronic switch, which is

both totally reliable and vibration-resistant.

The DigiSwitch reduces the input voltage to 5.9 V (optionally 5.3 V), and therefore

supplies the correct voltage for standard 6 V servos.

The SmartSwitch is ideal for all applications where security has top priority, but

voltage regulation is not required. The micro-controller by which the On / Off swit-

ching system is controlled makes the SmartSwitch the perfect substitute for a

mechanical switch.

The SmartSwitch does not feature an integral voltage regulator, and passes on the

full input voltage to the consumer unit 1 : 1.

The on / off switching process is initiated by pressing the push-button twice. The

micro-controller monitors the sequence, and turns the electronic switch on or off

if the procedure is valid. This eliminates any danger of operating the switch acci-

www.powerbox-systems.com 3

dentally, and produces a connection which is resistant to vibration. The switch is

a latching type, i.e. it stores the last switched state. This means that the system

always remains switched on even if there is a brief interruption in the circuit at the

battery end.

DigiSwitch applications:

- Small to medium-sized xed-wing model aircraft with up to ve standard-sized

servos

- F3A models

- Model gliders with up to eight servos, depending on servo size and model size

- Model helicopters - electric or glow-powered - with rotor diameters up to 1.30 m

and tted with up to ve servos

- RC model cars and boats

- Petrol engine ignition systems which are approved for a maximum input voltage

of 6 V

SmartSwitch applications:

- Small to medium-sized xed-wing model aircraft with up to eight standard-sized

servos

- F3A models

- Model gliders with up to ten servos, depending on servo size and model size

- Model helicopters - electric or glow-powered - with rotor diameters up to 1.60 m

and tted with up to seven servos

- RC model cars and boats

- Petrol engine ignition systems which are approved for a maximum input voltage

of 8.4 V

In the following sections we do not differentiate between the DigiSwitch and

SmartSwitch, since the method of operating the two units is identical.

4PowerBox-Systems − World Leaders in RC Power Supply Systems

2. FIRST USE, OPERATING THE SWITCH

2.1. CONNECTIONS

Connect a battery of your choice to the battery input, taking care to maintain cor-

rect polarity. This can be a 4S (SmartSwitch only) or 5S NiCd / NiMH battery, a 2S

(7.4 V) LiPo / Li-Ion or a 2S (6.6 V) LiFePo pack.

By default the voltage monitor is set up to work with a LiPo battery.

We recommend that you use the LiPo or LiFePo battery packs which we manu-

facture. All PowerBox batteries are equipped with appropriate electronic monitor

and security circuits, balancer and integral charger. All our batteries are supplied

complete with a practical mounting frame of the correct size.

CAUTION: connecting the battery with reversed polarity will instantly ruin the in-

tegral linear regulator!

2.2. SWITCHING ON AND OFF

The Digi- and SmartSwitch features a single button, and is therefore particularly

user-friendly; this button is even employed to set the battery type to be used. The

button transmits the switching signal to the electronic switch, but has nothing to

do with the actual process of switching the current.

The unit is switched on by pressing the sensor button (0.5 sec.), and holding it pres-

sed in until the LED glows orange. Release the button briey, then press it a second

time. The LED now glows green, and the unit is switched on.

www.powerbox-systems.com 5

The procedure for switching off is identical: press the sensor button (0.5 sec.) and

hold it pressed in until the LED glows orange. Release the button briey before pres-

sing it a second time: the LED now goes out, and the unit is switched off.

This two-stage switching procedure eliminates the danger of switching the system

on or off accidentally.

If the LED glows orange or red instead of green when you switch the unit on, then:

- the battery connected to the unit is at or only partially charged

- the unit is set up for the wrong type of battery.

2.3. SETTING THE BATTERY TYPE

If you wish to use a 4s/5s NiCd or NiMH battery, or a 2s LiFePo pack, it is essential

to set the voltage monitor to match your choice, otherwise the LED with ash red

constantly. Please note, however, that the setting has absolutely no effect on the

actual switching process or the voltage regulation system.

This is the procedure for setting up the unit to suit the different battery types:

DigiSwitch:

- Connect the battery, and switch on the DigiSwitch

- Now hold the button pressed in, and watch the LED

- The LED will glow red, then go out again after a while

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green once. If you release the button now, you have selected

the 2s LiPo battery type

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

6PowerBox-Systems − World Leaders in RC Power Supply Systems

- The LED ashes green twice. If you release the button now, you have selected

the 5s NiCd/ NiMH battery type

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green three times. If you release the button now, you have selec-

ted the 2s LiFePo battery type

SmartSwitch:

- Connect the battery, and switch on the SmartSwitch

- Now hold the button pressed in, and watch the LED

- The LED will glow red, then go out again after a while

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green once. If you release the button now, you have selected

the 2s LiPo battery type

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green twice. If you release the button now, you have selected

the 5s NiCd/ NiMH battery type

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green three times. If you release the button now, you have selec-

ted the 4s NiCd/ NiMH battery type

- Pause, hold the button pressed in again

- The LED ashes green four times. If you release the button now, you have selected

the 2s LiFePo battery type

This procedure does take a few seconds, but is designed to prevent the user setting

the wrong battery type accidentally. In any case it only has to be carried out once

when you switch battery types; the setting is stored permanently in the micro-con-

troller.

www.powerbox-systems.com 7

2.4. VOLTAGE MONITOR

The Digi- or SmartSwitch not only regulates the operating voltage of your RC sys-

tem, it also monitors the battery connected to it.

The tri-colour LED, which you have already used to conrm the unit’s power-on

status, also informs you of the voltage of your battery by changing colour. The

four stages are reected by the colours green, orange, red and ashing red. Before

you launch your model, you should always switch the RC system on and move the

sticks around briey: this gives you the chance to check whether the system is “in

the green” while the battery is actually under load. The coloured LED also acts as

a warning if the battery is too small to cope with the servos in your model, or if the

battery cables are of inadequate cross-sectional area.

2.5. INSTALLATION

Please don’t throw away the internal packaging, as it includes a cutting template for

marking out the switch opening in or on the model.

Although the product is well protected against the effects of vibration, you should

still install it in a part of the fuselage where vibration levels are low.

The GRP fuselage sides of a powered model aircraft are not suitable for mounting a

switch - regardless of type - because they always tend to oscillate and vibrate. You

can eliminate this problem by tting a doubler made of 2.5 or 3 mm plywood: cut a

plate 2 to 3 cm larger all round than the switch cut-out, and glue it to the inside of

the fuselage at the appropriate point before sawing out the switch opening.

The plywood plate helps to absorb vibration, and also provides sufcient material

for several turns of the switch retaining screws to “grip”.

8PowerBox-Systems − World Leaders in RC Power Supply Systems

3. OPERATING NOTES

If the battery is left connected to the Digi- or SmartSwitch when it is switched

off, the microprocessor goes into stand-by mode; in this state it draws a minimal

idle current of around 5.0 μμA, which is far lower than the self-discharge rate of any

rechargeable battery.

Nevertheless, it is good practice to disconnect the battery from the unit if you know

you will not be ying the model for a protracted period.

We are frequently asked this question: how much current can the DigiSwitch or

SmartSwitch handle? Here is a comprehensive explanation:

DigiSwitch:

The capacity of the PowerBox DigiSwitch (1 - 3 A) is limited by the performance of

the regulator when cooled efciently, rather than by the switching capacity of the

DigiSwitch. To obtain good cooling and ensure high performance, one of the he-

at-sinks of the DigiSwitch is attached to the outside of the unit. This part is normal-

ly installed on the model’s fuselage side, where it receives a constant ow of coo-

ling air when the model is ying. The internal silver-coloured heat-sink is soldered to

the regulator circuit board due to its greater ability to withstand high temperatures.

The maximum current-handling capacity of the electronic components is 12 A; this

means that the unit can cope with brief peak loads up to this level without problem.

If the DigiSwitch is operated on a 5S NiCd or a 2S LiFePo battery, the maximum

regulator capacity is higher because of the lower voltage level of these cells.

If you nd that the DigiSwitch heats up to an uncomfortable level (above 60°C) in

www.powerbox-systems.com 9

use, then it is a safe assumption that the load connected to it is too great. You can

usually improve the situation by installing the DigiSwitch in a position where the

cooling airow is better, and also by reducing any stiffness in the control surfaces

or mechanical linkages. If none of these measures eliminates the problem, you

should replace the unit with a PowerBox Sensor, as this product is designed for

higher currents. We will be glad to advise you on such matters.

SmartSwitch:

The SmartSwitch requires no cooling in operation. The switching capacity is more

than 20 A, and in practice the limiting factor is the connecting cable.

As already mentioned, the SmartSwitch is not tted with a voltage regulator, and

for this reason it does not constitute a means of operating standard 6 V servos

with LiPo batteries.

10 PowerBox-Systems − World Leaders in RC Power Supply Systems

4. DIMENSIONS

Altri manuali per Digi-Switch

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