AirWire900 convertr-60 User Manual - Page 6

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Verifying Battery Polarity - It's Cheap Insurance!

Verify Battery Connector And Wire Polarity!

If you don't have a VOM meter, use the testing diode that came with your CONVRTR-60 to

verify that you have the plus and minus leads properly identified before permanently

connecting the battery. There is no protection for reversed battery polarity.

To verify proper identification of the two battery wires, use the steps below. This is a temporary

hookup. Do not allow the battery wires to short together or brush against the board. This will

damage the board and the battery.

Step 1: Temporarily solder the black or negative wire from the battery (or what you think is the

negative wire) to the pad labeled BN.

Step 2: Temporarily solder the banded end of the test diode into pad labeled with the large plus

symbol.

Step 3: Touch the battery plus wire (or what you think is the plus wire) to the free end of the

diode (the non-banded end). If the green power (PWR) LED turns on, then the polarity is

correct. Label the battery's plus wire and note its color.

If the green LED does not turn on, first verify that the banded end of the diode is in the

CONVRTR's + pad. If that is correct, then reverse the two battery wires. If the green LED now

turns on, mark the wire connected from the battery to the diode as the + wire.

Once you have confirmed and identified the proper polarity, mark the wires or make a drawing

so that you can refer to it when you are ready to make the permanent hookups. Disconnect the

diode - do not leave it attached. It wastes too much energy to be permanently installed.

Remove the test diode after checking polarity. It is too small and will

become too hot if it is kept in the circuit.

Reversing the input polarity to the CONVRTR-60 will damage it

beyond repair. This is not covered by the warranty.

Battery Plus

Test Diode

Battery Minus

Green Power (PW) LED

Caution

Warning!

Using OPS PROGRAM Mode

The CONVRTR-60 both understands and passes on to the attached DCC decoder, any OPS

programming command from an AirWire throttle. This feature allows the attached decoder to be

reprogrammed without modifying any other decoder that may be sharing the same frequency.

When using the OPS PROGRAM mode, the throttle must be set to the same frequency and the same

address as the locomotive. If either is wrong, the command will not be received.

For the attached DCC decoder, any CV supported by the decoder can be changed. Any change to the

decoder using OPS PROGRAM mode, takes effect immediately. Be sure to have your decoder's user

guide available to verify the desired CV number for the effect or action to be changed.

OPS Programming Of The CONVRTR-60, is also possible for its own CVs. As with the attached

decoder, don't use OPS programming to change the locomotive address. The complete list of CVs

inside the CONVRTR-60 are listed on the back page.

Do not change CV1 using OPS PROGRAM mode which is the decoder address.

Use only SVC PROGRAM mode to set the locomotive address so that both the microBooster

and the attached decoder receive the same address.

Overloading And Overheating Fault Protection

Note: Battery Built-Protection can cause loss of power to the CONVRTR. This cause is

easily determined because the battery will not automatically reset itself. The CONVRTR

must be disconnected or switched off for the battery to reset. If this continually occurs, you

must obtain a battery with a higher continuous discharge current rating.

The CONVRTR is self protecting and self-resetting. In the event of an overload or a short circuit,

or if the CONVRTR-60 gets too hot, it will momentarily and automatically shut off its DCC output

to protect itself. If the train was running, it will stop momentarily. If the train was idling, the sound

and any lights will turn off momentarily. Both of these conditions are because the DCC output has

been shut off. Nothing is damaged if this occurs. After about a 4 second delay, the CONVRTR-60

will resume normal operation. If the fault condition still exists, it will shut off again. You need to

determine what caused the CONVRTR-60 to shut down and remedy it.

The 6 A continuous current rating is not an absolute limit. Output current can be higher if there is

sufficient ventilation of the decoder. But if there is limited or no ventilation, the maximum current

could be less. Also, if the CONVRTR-60 is operated in a hot environment, this might also limit the

maximum available current.

A thermal overload (overheating) will cause the CONVRTR-60 to shut down also. The thermal

overload can be caused by several factors or combinations of factors. These factors include

inadequate ventilation, higher than normal motor current, or battery voltages higher than 14.8 volts.

Provide more ventilation if this is a continuous problem and the continuous load current is below 6

amps.

Stage 1 Overload Protection starts at about 10 Amps. This allows continuous operation up to 10A

provided the transistor over-temperature limit is not activated. Regardless of the temperature, if the

load current exceeds 10 Amps for more than a second, the CONVRTR-60 will disable the output,

wait about 4 seconds and then re-enable the output.

Stage 2 Overload Protection trips at a minimum of 55 Amps. If this amount of current is sensed,

the CONVRTR-60 shuts down immediately. This high current is likely due to a short circuit between

the CONVRTR's two outputs or if one of the outputs is shorted to battery plus or minus. Once the

short circuit is removed, the CONVRTR-60 will self-reset and resume normal operation.

Total current load on the CONVRTR-60 is the sum of the amperage from the motor, sound effects

and lights. Thus incandescent bulbs should be replace by LEDs. Not only are LEDs significantly

brighter but they require much less current and have a very long lifetime.