Monkworkz wiring for Amps readout

[gator88]

Hello everyone. I have an RV-10 with Advanced Flight Systems EFIS and am going to install a Monkworkz backup generator in the next few weeks and would like to get some thoughts. My current wiring setup is the main power wire from the primary alternator goes to a current limiter on the firewall, then through the shunt, then to the battery side of the starter relay, and then to the main bus. The master relay is in the tail with the battery and is between the starter relay and the battery. My question is how to get the amps reading from the MZ backup generator.

Option 1: Run the voltage output from the MZ to the same post on the starter relay that the main alternator is connected to. The MZ voltage regulator has a shunt output that I can run to my EFIS and use the Hall Effect pins to then display a second Amps reading, Amps 2.

Option 2: Connect the MZ output to the input side of the shunt that the primary alternator uses and not mess with setting up a second amps reading on the display. I am not sure if this would affect the amps reading from the primary alternator when the MZ was off.

I would appreciate thoughts and suggestions, pros and cons of the options, or alternative ways to get the amps reading from the MZ.

Thanks in advance

 

[Carl Froehlich]

Hello everyone. I have an RV-10 with Advanced Flight Systems EFIS and am going to install a Monkworkz backup generator in the next few weeks and would like to get some thoughts. My current wiring setup is the main power wire from the primary alternator goes to a current limiter on the firewall, then through the shunt, then to the battery side of the starter relay, and then to the main bus. The master relay is in the tail with the battery and is between the starter relay and the battery. My question is how to get the amps reading from the MZ backup generator.

Option 1: Run the voltage output from the MZ to the same post on the starter relay that the main alternator is connected to. The MZ voltage regulator has a shunt output that I can run to my EFIS and use the Hall Effect pins to then display a second Amps reading, Amps 2.

Option 2: Connect the MZ output to the input side of the shunt that the primary alternator uses and not mess with setting up a second amps reading on the display. I am not sure if this would affect the amps reading from the primary alternator when the MZ was off.

I would appreciate thoughts and suggestions, pros and cons of the options, or alternative ways to get the amps reading from the MZ.

Thanks in advance

The Monkworz regulator has an internal shunt. Use it. The install manual will tell you which wires are for;
- the generator on\off switch
- the generator on indication to you EMS display
- The two wires from the internal shunt to go to your EMS input (similar to your existing shunt)

Carl

 

[Moshonsk]

Monkworkz board also has a hall effect output so you can use it or the shunt to measure output. Installed one on my -10 and I was very impressed how well thought out and engineered the system is.

 

[johnbright]

Hello everyone. I have an RV-10 with Advanced Flight Systems EFIS and am going to install a Monkworkz backup generator in the next few weeks and would like to get some thoughts. My current wiring setup is the main power wire from the primary alternator goes to a current limiter on the firewall, then through the shunt, then to the battery side of the starter relay, and then to the main bus. The master relay is in the tail with the battery and is between the starter relay and the battery. My question is how to get the amps reading from the MZ backup generator.

Option 1: Run the voltage output from the MZ to the same post on the starter relay that the main alternator is connected to. The MZ voltage regulator has a shunt output that I can run to my EFIS and use the Hall Effect pins to then display a second Amps reading, Amps 2.

Option 2: Connect the MZ output to the input side of the shunt that the primary alternator uses and not mess with setting up a second amps reading on the display. I am not sure if this would affect the amps reading from the primary alternator when the MZ was off.

I would appreciate thoughts and suggestions, pros and cons of the options, or alternative ways to get the amps reading from the MZ.

Thanks in advance

For Option 1:

• Connect Monkworkz' Proportional Current, Output Molex Connector pin 5, to a type C Enhanced General Purpose Input of SV-EMS-220.
• Monkworkz will output between 0 and 2.7V to indicate 0 to 30A.
• There are three types of SV-EMS-220 General Purpose Inputs, The Skyview install manual calls them A, B, and C with C being aka Enhanced. Type C, Enhanced, is the only type that accepts “active voltage output” like the Proportional Current output from Monkworkz. The Skyview install manual explains the General Purpose Inputs in greater detail compared to the Advanced Flight Systems install manual. Search for “Sensor and Transducer Compatibility Key”.
• Then the SV-EMS-220 inputs need to be configured, Search the Skyview install manual for “EMS Sensor Definitions, Mapping, and Settings”.

Option 2 will work. SV-EMS-2020 will see the current through the shunt whether it comes from the alternator, the generator, or both.

SV-EMS-220 supports only one shunt. This is a mV signal.

 

[Tooch]

I decided not to connect a shunt to the Monkworkz when I installed it in my 10. I already know what amps my plane draws during all operations and I have tested that the Monkworkz can handle the load. I also would know that if I had to use the Monkworkz because of an alternator failure, I would know if by the volt meter and the led light that the generator stopped working.

 

[gator88]

For Option 1:

• Connect Monkworkz' Proportional Current, Output Molex Connector pin 5, to a type C Enhanced General Purpose Input of SV-EMS-220.
• Monkworkz will output between 0 and 2.7V to indicate 0 to 30A.
• There are three types of SV-EMS-220 General Purpose Inputs, The Skyview install manual calls them A, B, and C with C being aka Enhanced. Type C, Enhanced, is the only type that accepts “active voltage output” like the Proportional Current output from Monkworkz. The Skyview install manual explains the General Purpose Inputs in greater detail compared to the Advanced Flight Systems install manual. Search for “Sensor and Transducer Compatibility Key”.
• Then the SV-EMS-220 inputs need to be configured, Search the Skyview install manual for “EMS Sensor Definitions, Mapping, and Settings”.

Option 2 will work. SV-EMS-2020 will see the current through the shunt whether it comes from the alternator, the generator, or both.

SV-EMS-220 supports only one shunt. This is a mV signal.

Thanks for the reply. I don't have Dynon, I have AFS 5600's. They are older units and are not on the SV network - they are SV network capable, so installing the SV network is on my list of things to do this year. The 5600 has Hall Effect input pins and Jonathon at AFS told me I could use those pins with the shunt output from the MZ. I was curious to get people's thoughts on the pros/cons of option 1 vs option 2. Thanks again for the input - it is really appreciated.

 

[johnbright]

Thanks for the reply. I don't have Dynon, I have AFS 5600's. They are older units and are not on the SV network - they are SV network capable, so installing the SV network is on my list of things to do this year. The 5600 has Hall Effect input pins and Jonathon at AFS told me I could use those pins with the shunt output from the MZ. I was curious to get people's thoughts on the pros/cons of option 1 vs option 2. Thanks again for the input - it is really appreciated.

Hi gator88,

Monkworkz has two ways of communicating its current:

• Shunt +/- mV connections across the onboard fuse using the fuse as a current shunt. This is not what you want.
• Analog voltage that varies from 0 at 0A to 2.7 at 30A:
  • This is what you want. Output Molex Connector pin 5.
  • It's called Analog Current Output in the text of the Monkworkz install manual and Proportional Current on the schematic in the Monkworkz install manual.
  • AFS is pointing you to the Hall Effect input of the AFS 5600 because the Hall Effect sensor specified by AFS, which you are not using, puts out a similar analog voltage.

 

[gator88]

Hi gator88,

Monkworkz has two ways of communicating its current:

• Shunt +/- mV connections across the onboard fuse using the fuse as a current shunt. This is not what you want.
• Analog voltage that varies from 0 at 0A to 2.7 at 30A:
  • This is what you want. Output Molex Connector pin 5.
  • It's called Analog Current Output in the text of the Monkworkz install manual and Proportional Current on the schematic in the Monkworkz install manual.
  • AFS is pointing you to the Hall Effect input of the AFS 5600 because the Hall Effect sensor specified by AFS, which you are not using, puts out a similar analog voltage.

Thanks for the input, John,
AFS said I could use the Hall Effect input and I would need to replace the calibration table with numbers that they gave me. I am assuming (uh-oh) that since they have an option for the MZ generator for the SV network, they know what the calibration table should be for this generator. I don't have the SV network, but am looking to upgrade to the SV this year. So given that I update the calibration table, is using the Hall Effect input more accurate, less accurate, or does not matter vs using the analog current output?

 

[johnbright]

Thanks for the input, John,
AFS said I could use the Hall Effect input and I would need to replace the calibration table with numbers that they gave me. I am assuming (uh-oh) that since they have an option for the MZ generator for the SV network, they know what the calibration table should be for this generator. I don't have the SV network, but am looking to upgrade to the SV this year. So given that I update the calibration table, is using the Hall Effect input more accurate, less accurate, or does not matter vs using the analog current output?

Hi gator88,

You can check with AFS but I imagine AFS only has one current shunt input and you are using that already so you cannot use the Monkworkz shunt.

AFS' Hall Effect input will be connected to Monkworkz' Analog Current/Proportional Current output. There is no versus here.

BTW the Monkworkz Analog Current output is not from a Hall Effect sensor but it puts out a linear analog voltage somewhere in the 0-5 range that EFISs are commonly looking for.

• The GRT CS-01 and Amploc Key 100 Hall Effect sensors that are often used also output somewhere in the 0-5V range.
• Monkworkz calls their Analog Current output "synthetically generated by the microcontroller".

 

[kentlik]

Ya, what John said...

 

[gator88]

Hi gator88,

You can check with AFS but I imagine AFS only has one current shunt input and you are using that already so you cannot use the Monkworkz shunt.

AFS' Hall Effect input will be connected to Monkworkz' Analog Current/Proportional Current output. There is no versus here.

BTW the Monkworkz Analog Current output is not from a Hall Effect sensor but it puts out a linear analog voltage somewhere in the 0-5 range that EFISs are commonly looking for.

• The GRT CS-01 and Amploc Key 100 Hall Effect sensors that are often used also output somewhere in the 0-5V range.
• Monkworkz calls their Analog Current output "synthetically generated by the microcontroller".

Thank you for the sage advice, John. I appreciate the feedback. I'm probably a couple of weeks out from the actual install, so that will give me some time to digest the wiring diagrams.