RV-12 current sensing shunt

[bbaggerman]

I am in the process of redesigning my legacy RV-12 electrical system. To free up more panel space I am going to replace my Van's Fuse and Switch Module with a Vertical Power VP-X electronic circuit breaker box. Besides switches and fuse, the Van's panel apparently also has a current sensing shunt. I say apparently because I'll be darned if I can figure out where it is. I was expecting to find an appropriate copper shunt with sense wire whiskers on it but so far no joy. Is it possible they implemented the current sensing shunt with just a PCB trace? Using a PCB trace for current sensing is notoriously inaccurate but maybe accuracy isn't that big of a deal. Still...

Anyone know where the current sense element is in the Fuse and Switch Module?

Anyone have an recommendations for an external current sensing shunt for use with the VP-X ECB?

Attached are a few pictures for reference. BTW, that last picture I attached is some less than acceptable soldering I found on my panel. This solder bridge shorted around the 30 amp generator fuse. Nice!

 

[rvbuilder2002]

I am in the process of redesigning my legacy RV-12 electrical system. To free up more panel space I am going to replace my Van's Fuse and Switch Module with a Vertical Power VP-X electronic circuit breaker box. Besides switches and fuse, the Van's panel apparently also has a current sensing shunt. I say apparently because I'll be darned if I can figure out where it is. I was expecting to find an appropriate copper shunt with sense wire whiskers on it but so far no joy. Is it possible they implemented the current sensing shunt with just a PCB trace? Using a PCB trace for current sensing is notoriously inaccurate but maybe accuracy isn't that big of a deal. Still...

Anyone know where the current sense element is in the Fuse and Switch Module?

Anyone have an recommendations for an external current sensing shunt for use with the VP-X ECB?

Attached are a few pictures for reference. BTW, that last picture I attached is some less than acceptable soldering I found on my panel. This solder bridge shorted around the 30 amp generator fuse. Nice!

It is designed into the copper traces on the pcb.

 

[rv12is]

I am in the process of redesigning my legacy RV-12 electrical system. To free up more panel space I am going to replace my Van's Fuse and Switch Module with a Vertical Power VP-X electronic circuit breaker box. Besides switches and fuse, the Van's panel apparently also has a current sensing shunt. I say apparently because I'll be darned if I can figure out where it is. I was expecting to find an appropriate copper shunt with sense wire whiskers on it but so far no joy. Is it possible they implemented the current sensing shunt with just a PCB trace? Using a PCB trace for current sensing is notoriously inaccurate but maybe accuracy isn't that big of a deal. Still...

Anyone know where the current sense element is in the Fuse and Switch Module?

Anyone have an recommendations for an external current sensing shunt for use with the VP-X ECB?

Attached are a few pictures for reference. BTW, that last picture I attached is some less than acceptable soldering I found on my panel. This solder bridge shorted around the 30 amp generator fuse. Nice!

I don't know if it's the same on the 12, but on my 12iS there are a couple of metallic strips surface mounted on the PCB. I assume these are what they're using for current shunts.

 

[rtlongdon]

I don't know if it's the same on the 12, but on my 12iS there are a couple of metallic strips surface mounted on the PCB. I assume these are what they're using for current shunts.

View attachment 56518View attachment 56519

Yep, that's the shunt. Almost for sure it's 1%. Bourns, Stackpole, Rohm and numerous others produce these. That size is probably 3-5 watts, they work great!

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Yep, that's the shunt. Almost for sure it's 1%. Bourns, Stackpole, Rohm and numerous others produce these. That size is probably 3-5 watts, they work great!

That is what is used for the shunts on the 12iS, but not the 12ULS.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

I am in the process of redesigning my legacy RV-12 electrical system. To free up more panel space I am going to replace my Van's Fuse and Switch Module with a Vertical Power VP-X electronic circuit breaker box. Besides switches and fuse, the Van's panel apparently also has a current sensing shunt. I say apparently because I'll be darned if I can figure out where it is. I was expecting to find an appropriate copper shunt with sense wire whiskers on it but so far no joy. Is it possible they implemented the current sensing shunt with just a PCB trace? Using a PCB trace for current sensing is notoriously inaccurate but maybe accuracy isn't that big of a deal. Still...

Anyone know where the current sense element is in the Fuse and Switch Module?

Anyone have an recommendations for an external current sensing shunt for use with the VP-X ECB?

Attached are a few pictures for reference. BTW, that last picture I attached is some less than acceptable soldering I found on my panel. This solder bridge shorted around the 30 amp generator fuse. Nice!

Regarding the bad soldering…
To me it looks like the terminals overheated and the solder migrated.
The direction it moved match’s what would be a downward direction with the orientation the pcb is mounted in.
If you look closely, there is almost no solder present on what would have been the upper side of the terminal. That would not be possible with the way they are soldered.