Revolectrix PowerLab Touch Series User manual

PowerLab Touch Series Battery Workstations
User’s Guide
BUMP Firmware v4.06 and later
APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING MODELS:
POWERLAB 6 TOUCH (PN: LC06S40AT-MC)
DUAL POWERLAB 6 TOUCH (PN: LC06S40ATDIC-MC)
POWERLAB 8 TOUCH (PN: LC08S40AT-MC)
DUAL POWERLAB 8 TOUCH (PN: LC08S40ATDIC-MC)
© 2015, 2016, 2017 FMA,Inc.
Updated: 12/18/2017

2
Contents
Contents............................................................................................................. 2
About PowerLab Touch Battery Workstations.................................................................. 3
About BUMP Technology.................................................................................................... 3
PowerLab Touch Battery Workstation Features ............................................................... 4
Cabling and Installation – The Basics................................................................................ 6
............................................................................................................................................... 6
Connecting External CellPro PowerLabs........................................................................... 7
Configuring CellPro PowerLabs for BUMP Control........................................................ 10
Connecting Packs.............................................................................................................. 11
General info ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Single Pack Balanced LiPo Charge/Discharge.......................................................................................... 12
Single Pack Unbalanced Charge/Discharge .............................................................................................. 12
Safe Parallel Balance Charge (Lithium Only)............................................................................................. 13
Operation – Overview of User Interface........................................................................... 14
Operation – Battery Workstation Setup........................................................................... 19
Operation – Using BumpTags........................................................................................... 20
Operation – Using Battery Presets................................................................................... 24
Operation – Using Manual Operation............................................................................... 25
Settings............................................................................................................................... 26
Settings – Power Supplies ................................................................................................ 27
Settings – Feature Controls .............................................................................................. 29
BumpTag Installation......................................................................................................... 30
BumpTag Configuration.................................................................................................... 31
Upgrading Firmware.......................................................................................................... 38
Revolectrix CCS Mobile App............................................................................................. 39
Troubleshooting................................................................................................................. 41
Support options ................................................................................................................. 43
REVOLECTRIX limited warranty....................................................................................... 44
Limits and exclusions .................................................................................................................................. 44

3
About PowerLab Touch Battery Workstations
Decades in the making, the new PowerLab Touch series of Battery Workstations from Revolectrix
combines the amazing POWER, RELIABILITY, FLEXIBILITY, and INTUITIVE OPERATION of
the original Cellpro PowerLab series with integrated BUMP Technology (for more about BUMP
Technology, see below). Countless hours of Research and Development, refining and improving
legacy hardware, writing new firmware and software, as well as a six-month beta test program,
has resulted in four new and amazing PowerLab models; PowerLab 6 Touch, Dual PowerLab 6
Touch, PowerLab 8 Touch, and Dual PowerLab 8 Touch. These flagship products represent the
best REVO has to offer; 6s or 8s capable, Multi-Chemistry, Single or Dual Channel Charging
"engines" based on time-proven reliable power circuit designs, married to a powerful, color touch
LCD user interface; the best of what the original BUMP Controller has to offer, including NFC
BUMPTag operation, Preset, or Manual Control of all Battery Management functions; on-screen
real-time monitoring of all important data, integrated USB, and integrated Bluetooth 4LE for
Android and iOS Devices.
About BUMP Technology
BUMP is an exclusive Revolectrix concept for Battery Management. BUMP technology utilizes
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to communicate with any battery equipped with a
BUMP Compliant Tag, or “BumpTag”. BumpTags are pre-installed and pre-configured on most
Revolectrix batteries, but are also available separately, so a customer can configure them for use
with any battery of his choosing. Once a BumpTag is programmed for a given battery, a simple
“BUMP” of the battery on a Revolectrix BUMP-compliant charger or controller and it is ready to
charge. The Revolectrix PowerLab Touch chargers have BUMP support built in, while BUMP
support may be added to any legacy (or up to 4 of legacy) Cellpro PowerLab BatteryWorkstations
by connecting a BUMP Controller which takes complete control of the PowerLab Workstations.
Unlike conventional methods of battery maintenance which require adjusting settings for every
operation, with BUMP technology, packs only need to be configured one time – when the
BumpTag is configured, then…
Charging is as simple as BUMP, CONNECT, and GO !

4
PowerLab Touch Battery Workstation Features
FEATURES:
•Simple, intuitive color touchscreen user interface
•Complete charger setup with a simple "bump" of the battery ... just bump, connect,
and press Go
•Optimizes charger settings for each individual battery, speeds up the charging setup
process
•Reduces accidental mistakes that could lead to expensive (and potentially
dangerous) battery damage
•Automatic calculation for parallel charging, even for different battery capacities and
C-ratings
•Each BumpTag contains the full factory ratings of the battery (write-once), as well as
user preferences and settings that can be changed at any time
•Each BumpTag contains a unique ID which enables automatic battery history and
performance tracking – battery cycle history is automatically cached and uploaded to
the mobile app whenever it connects via Bluetooth
•Flexible charger setup with BumpTags, Battery Presets, or Manual operations
•Unlimited number of BumpTags can be used with a single workstation, and across
multiple workstations
•Up to 99 Battery Presets, fully configurable directly from the PL Touch interface
•Manual operation mode for quick, simple one-off battery maintenance operations
•External control ports (PL Ports 3 and 4) work with legacy Cellpro PowerLab 6,
PowerLab 8v2, and Dual PowerLab (8x2) Battery Workstations
•Supported Chemistries: LiPo (including LiHV), LiFe, Li-Ion, NiMH, NiCd, and Pb
•Supported Operations: Accurate Charge, Normal Charge, Fastest Charge,
Discharge, Storage Charge, Trickle Charger, and Analyze Cycle
•Analyze Cycle allows battery performance characteristics (Fuel Table, actual
capacity, IR, etc.) to be stored back to the BumpTag for accurate fuel level and cycle
time estimates
•Designed to be easily mounted “under-deck” with the user interface exposed in a
simple rectangular cutout, allowing chargers and electronics to be completely hidden
inside a charging case or beneath charging tables/benches – ideal for integrated
charging solutions for consumer or commercial purposes
•Feature Controls settings allow the capabilities and user interface to be tailored to
specific use-cases – ideal for integration into commercial charging systems such as
drone operations

5
HARDWARE CAPABILITIES:
CONTROLLER INTERFACE
•High-brightness, 2.8" QVGA TFT LCD with resistive touchscreen
•Integrated BUMP wireless interface for configuring and reading BumpTags on batteries
•Integrated Bluetooth 4.0/LE support for wireless real-time monitoring, control, and firmware
upgrades (Android, Apple iOS, and Windows (future) mobile devices)
•Integrated USB On-The-Go (OTG) port for direct connection to Windows PC for firmware
updates, as well as powering/charging mobile devices
•Powerful 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 main processor, plus co-processors for Bluetooth and NFC
•Two (2) external data ports for controlling legacy CellPro PowerLab Battery Workstations
CHARGER ENGINES
•Dedicated main and safety supervisor processors for each unit/channel
•Standard JST-XH balance connectors capable of direct connect of any cell count
(8S 9-pin connector on PowerLab 8 Touch, 6S 7-pin connector on PowerLab 6 Touch)
•Independent, variable per-cell balancing of up to 1000 mA per cell
•Reverse polarity protection on all inputs and outputs (when using properly fused main
charge leads)
•Regenerative Discharge allows full power “green” discharge back into Pb battery power
source
MODEL COMPARISONS:
Model Charger
Channels Max Cells Supported
Input
Voltage
Range
Input
Amps
Max
Output
Amps/Watts
Per
Channel
Internal
Discharge
Amps/Watts
Per
Channel
Regen
Discharge
Amps/Watts
Per
Channel
PowerLab 6
Touch
1
LiXX - 6s
NiXX- 19s
Pb 12V
10-32V
40A
40A
1000W
8A
50W
40A
1000W
Dual
PowerLab 6
Touch
2
80A
PowerLab 8
Touch 1 LiXX - 8s
NiXX- 21s
Pb 12V 10-48V
40A 40A
1350 W 10A 95W 40A 1350W
Dual
PowerLab 8
Touch
2 80A

6
Cabling and Installation – The Basics

7
Connecting External CellPro PowerLabs
SINGLE EXTERNAL CELLPRO POWERLAB, SINGLE POWER SOURCE
CAUTION: ALWAYS INTERCONNECT THE POWER
CONNECTIONS FIRST BEFORE APPLYING POWER TO ANY OF
THE POWERLAB TOUCH OR EXTERNAL CELLPRO POWERLAB
CHARGERS.
Failure to comply with the above may result in damage to the
PowerLab Touch and/or the external CellPro PowerLabs which
would not be covered under warranty.
POWER
SOURCE

8
TWO EXTERNAL CELLPRO POWERLABS, SINGLE POWER SOURCE
TWO EXTERNAL CELLPRO POWERLABS, MULTIPLE POWER SOURCES
COMMON GROUND
POWER
SOURCE
POWER
SOURCE 1
POWER
SOURCE 2

9
•The PowerLab Touch must always have a common power ground (negative) connection to all
externally connected CellPro PowerLabs. If the common ground connection does not exist at
the instant when the positive power wire is connected, excessive current may flow through the
CellPro PowerLab port(s) and damage the PowerLab Touch and/or CellPro PowerLab(s).
•Since the positive pin of the EC-5 input power connector may touch a split-second before the
negative pin, this ground-fault problem can occur even when just plugging in the EC-5
connection to the PowerLab Touch.
•To avoid this risk, make sure you always interconnect the PowerLab Touch and external CellPro
PowerLab power cables first (typically using EC5 Y-cables), then apply power to that common
cable - this ensures the common ground connection is established before the positive
connection is made and current starts flowing through the system.
•The PowerLab Touch and its external CellPro PowerLab(s) MAY use separate power supplies,
however, all of those power supplies must share a common ground connection which is capable
of handling high current loads, and that ground connection must remain connected as long as
any one of the power supplies is active. It's okay to turn on one power supply (and CellPro
PowerLab) at a time, as long as all of the common ground connections are established prior to
ANY power being connected. The common ground connection must remain interconnected until
all power is disconnected from the system.
•Finally, whenever possible, and at least the first time you connect up system components, it is
also recommended that the PowerLab Touch and any/all external CellPro PowerLabs are
powered up and running prior to connecting the ECM communication wires (labeled P3-P4 on
the back of the PowerLab Touch) to the external CellPro PowerLab data ports (on the back of
each CellPro PowerLab) using the supplied JR style male-to-male extensions. After the
PowerLab Touch boots up, you will then see a graphic on the display which illustrates the
proper polarity for these interface cables when plugging them into the PowerLab Touch ports.
Always ensure you make port interconnections at the PowerLab Touch using proper polarity
(black/ground wire to the right when viewed from above). Proper polarity for each external
CellPro PowerLab data port side of the cable (listed as “TO PC”) is illustrated on every CellPro
PowerLab top panel label and varies from model-to-model.

10
Configuring CellPro PowerLabs for BUMP Control
The PowerLab Touch series chargers are capable of controlling legacy CellPro PowerLab series chargers
(PowerLab6, PowerLab8v2, and Dual PowerLab8x2) via the 3-wire data port interface.
The PowerLab Touch chargers have two (2) external data ports available for external chargers.
These data ports use Expansion Channel Mode (ECM) for control which uses unique addresses to identify each
device for communication and, by default, all CellPro PowerLab chargers will have the ECM address set to zero
which makes it the PRIMARY. In order to control the CellPro PowerLabs externally, the ECM address must be
changed to the address which matches the physical port number of the PowerLab Touch data port to which it is
connected – either 3 or 4.
To change the ECM Address of the CellPro PowerLab, perform the following steps:
1. Press INC+DEC to display the Options menu (Choose TASK?).
2. Press INC or DEC until you see Charger Options, then press ENTER.
3. In the Charger Address? screen, select EXPANSION CH. n , where ‘n’ is equal to the port number where
you will connect this CellPro PowerLab (either 3 or 4), then press ENTER.
4. Press and hold BACK to exit options.
NOTE: The Expansion Channel Address of the CellPro PowerLab
must match the physical port number to which it is attached.

11
Connecting Packs
General info
When balance charging, both a balance connector and the main discharge wires must be connected.
When performing a non-balance charge on a LiPo, LiFePO4 (or A123), NiCd, NiMH, or Lead Acid pack,
connect only the pack’s main discharge wires to the two outer banana jacks of the charger.
Pack discharge wires are usually not terminated in banana plugs (e.g., they might be terminated in an
EC5, XT60, or T- connector). For convenience in connecting to the charger, prepare an adapter cable
with banana plugs on the charger end and a connector that mates with the pack’s discharge connector on
the other end. Always include a 40A auto blade fuse in both the red and black discharge leads or purchase
REVO PN: PN: CP8S-SBP18-40A which already includes the fuses and solder on the mating end of the
connector attached to your battery pack. Alternatively, consider one of the Revolectrix MPA or MPA-4P
which vasty simplify the interconnections and allow safe parallel charging. See Parallel Charging below
for details. Visit http://www.revolectrix.com/adapters.htm to explore Native XH Adapters.
The PowerLab Touch balance port accepts direct connection of a universal JST-XH balance connector up to
the max cell count supported by the model (9-pins on 8s models, 7-pins on 6s models). To connect a pack
lower than the 6s or 8s max cell count, align the connector to the right as shown. The negative pin of the
battery pack balance connector (usually identified by a black wire) must be connected to the ground of the
charger balance port (identified by an arrow or “GND”) in all cases.
The PowerLab Touch series does not support balance-wire-only charging.
WARNING: Failure to comply with the above could result in fire and/or
damage not covered by warranty!
Note: After a charge is initiated, never alter the connections between
the charger and the battery packs. Always end the current charge
session before making any connection changes.
CAUTION: When using the banana plug adapter cables described
above, ALWAYS insert the banana plugs into the charger BEFORE
connecting the adapter cable to the pack. Reverse the sequence
when disconnecting the pack. This will prevent the live banana plugs
from touching each other, which would create a dangerous condition
and could seriously damage the pack.
Note: Best practice is to connect balance connector first, then connect
discharge wires.

12
Single Pack Balanced LiPo Charge/Discharge
Single Pack Unbalanced Charge/Discharge

13
Safe Parallel Balance Charge (Lithium Only)

14
Operation – Overview of User Interface
Status Screen - Charger Tabs
The main Status Screen displays the current status of all charger channels. The tab text and background
color will indicate the current charger state.
Selecting the Settings (gear) button will open the Settings screen (see Settings section).
Selecting the Manual operation button will open the Manual Operation screen (see Manual Operation).
Selecting the charger tabs at the top of the screen will change the current selected charger.
If more than one charger is currently in an active state (charging, discharging, etc.), touching the selected
tab a second time will switch to an Overview screen. In this mode, only the active chargers are displayed
and the charger status information consumes the entire display. From this screen, touching any charger
will select that charger and return to the main Status screen.
NOTE: When you bump a BumpTag, that battery will be added to the
setup list for the current selected charge channel, so select the channel
first, then bump the battery you would like to charge.

15
Status Screen - Primary Information
Status Screen – Secondary Information Tabs
The Information tabs are located near the center of the Status Screen and can be touched to change the
information displayed on the lower half of the Status screen. The selected Information tab will also be
automatically changed when the charger changes state – for example, the idle charger screen will switch
to the Supply tab to show input power status since there is not much else useful to display in that state.
NOTE: Manual Rate Controls enable on-the-fly adjustment of the current
charge or discharge rate, but the maximum rates are still limited to the
max values of the attached pack(s) for safety.
TIP: Some Information tabs, such as the Setup tab, will contain multiple
pages of information – touch the selected tab again to toggle through the
available information pages.

16
Pack
The Pack tab shows other state information which varies depending on the current charger state. This
view is helpful to understand why the charger might be limiting power or performing in any way other than
expected. For example, if the maximum power supply amps limit is reached during a charge, or when the
maximum internal discharge watts is reached during a discharge.
Cell Volts
The Cell Volts tab displays the current measured cell voltages. This information is only available when the
charger is in an active state with balance leads connected. Cell voltages which are unusually higher or
lower than average will be highlighted in red or yellow.
The Cell Balance Bypass Indicators show how much charge current is getting “bypassed” around that
particular cell by the balancer circuits. Cells with higher voltages (closer to full) will get a larger
percentage of bypass to allow the other cells to catch up.
Figure 1-Cell Voltages

17
Cell IR
The Cell Internal Resistance tab displays the current measured IR values in milliohms. This information is
only available when the charger is charging and balance lead is connected. Cells with significantly higher
IR than average or rated values will be highlighted in red or yellow.
Figure 2-Cell Internal Resistance (IR)
Supply
The Supply tab displays the voltage, amperage, and wattage being supplied to the selected charger. The
second line of the display shows the total combined input amperage and wattage for all chargers currently
connected to that power supply which is very useful for monitoring the overall load on your power source.
The Supply tab also shows the current selected power supply profile
Figure 3 - Power Supply Information
NOTE: When Regenerative Discharge is used, the supply amperage and
wattage values will be denoted with a minus sign to indicate that power
is flowing out of the charger and back into the power source, and the
totals values will properly reflect what is actually flowing into or out of
the power source.

18
Temp
The Temp tab displays the reported internal temperature of the current selected charger.
Figure 3- Temperature Readings
Setup
The Setup tab shows the actual configured values that have been sent to the charger to perform the
requested operation. This is essentially the details of a “dynamic preset” which is calculated from the
BumpTag(s), Battery Preset, or Manual Operation parameters which were used to setup the operation.
These details are mostly for informational purposes, but can also be useful for debugging problems with
configuration. The second screen of the Setup tab displays the configured Fuel Table for the operation.
Figure 4-Charger Setup

19
Operation – Battery Workstation Setup
The Bump Controller and PowerLab Touch Battery Workstations support several setup methods for battery
management. The best method is installing and configuring BumpTags for each battery pack, but that might
not always be feasible or desirable.
The table below gives a comparison of setup methods and should help to determine when it makes sense
to use each.
BumpTag
(Attached to
Battery)
BumpTag
(Shared by
multiple batteries
of same type)
Battery Preset
Manual
Operation
Per-pack
identification
Yes
No
No
No
Battery history
tracking
Yes
No, history can be
uploaded, but all
packs of that type
are combined
No
No
Automatic “bump”
setup
Yes
Yes
No, must select
Preset from list
No
Portable across
multiple chargers
Yes, all setup
stored on BumpTag
Yes, all setup
stored on
BumpTag
No, configured
and stored per
device
No, nothing is
stored for
Manual setups
Typically, the BumpTag is attached directly to the battery pack and serves to uniquely identify that pack
and to perform automatic charger setup by simply “bumping” the pack on the charger. If individual battery
history tracking is needed, then use separate BumpTags for each pack. Sometimes you may want to use
a single BumpTag for several batteries of the same type – this will not allow you to track battery history per-
pack, but can be useful in situations where history tracking is not critical – see BumpTag Installation for
more ideas for BumpTag placement and usage.
Battery Presets can be used in situations where the features of the BumpTags (per-pack or shared) are not
required. In many cases, a Battery Preset will serve the same purpose as a shared BumpTag, and the
decision comes down to which one is more convenient – to have a shared BumpTag handy (on a keychain,
battery container, etc.), or to manually select a Battery Preset from your list of presets configured in the
charger. If multiple chargers are used, then a shared BumpTag may be more convenient since there’s no
need to configure/manage the Battery Preset across multiple devices – the BumpTag makes it portable.
Manual Operation is used for one-off operations for packs that you don’t normally maintain – possibly
someone else’s pack that needs charging in a pinch. The Manual Operation screen accepts a minimal set
of parameters needed to setup the charger – similar to many entry-level chargers.

20
Operation – Using BumpTags
Starting a battery operation using BumpTags is as simple as:
1. Select the charger you want to use by touching the corresponding charger tab
2. Bump the battery on the “BUMP Zone” of the charger
3. Press the operation button at the bottom of the display to change to the desired operation, if needed
4. Connect the battery
5. Press ‘Go’
When you bump a BumpTag, all of the battery ratings and settings are read by the charger and the
following Battery Details screen is displayed.
Figure 5-Battery Details Screen
The top line shows the unique identifier for this particular BumpTag. The long 14-digit hexadecimal
number is the complete ID, which is guaranteed to be unique. The short 4-digit hexadecimal number is a
“hash” of the complete ID – this value is most likely unique across all of your batteries (but not
guaranteed) and serves as a more convenient identifier that can be more easily recognized and written
on your battery, if desired. This is also the identifier that is shown on the Bump Setup screen, as well as
any other place in the user interface where an ID is needed (including in the mobile apps).
Factory Ratings (write-once) for the battery are displayed below the ID line, and the user Settings
(read/write) are displayed below Ratings. The arrow indicates which operation has been set as the default
for this BumpTag – in the example above it will default to an Accurate Charge operation any time this
BumpTag is used.
The value in the upper-right corner of the screen (with the circular arrows) is the charge counter. This
value tracks how many times this particular battery has been charged. The charge counter is stored in the
BumpTag itself and will only be incremented if 10% or more of the rated capacity has been added to the
battery. So if you need to immediately stop a charge for any reason (possibly to add another battery in a
parallel charge), the charge counter will not get falsely incremented.
The Copy and Settings buttons allow you to create a copy of this BumpTag or change its settings,
respectively. See the “BumpTag Configuration” section for more information.