Samlexpower SA-1500 Series User manual

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SA-1500 Series
Pure Sine Wave Inverter
User’s Manual

2
Contents
1. Important Safety Instructions………………………………………………
1-1 General safety precautions……………………………………………. 1
1-2 Precautions when working with batteries…………………………….. 1
2. Features…………………………………………………………………………
2-1 Application………………………………………………………………. 2
2-2 Electrical performance…………………………………………………. 3
2-3 Rear panel operations…………………………………………………. 4
3. Introduction…………………………………………………………………….
3-1 Front panel operations…………………………………………………. 5~7
3-2 Rear panel operations………………………………………………….. 8~9
3-3 Installation……………………………………………………………….. 9
3-4 Quick hook －up and testing………………………………………….. 10
3-5 AC safety grounding……………………………………………………. 11~12
3-6 Making DC wiring connections………………………………………... 13
3-7 Inverter operation……………………………………………………….. 14~15
3-8 Power output……………………………………………………………. 16
4. Troubleshooting guide………………………………………………………. 17
5. Maintenance …………………………………………………………………… 18
6. Warranty ………………………………………………………………………... 18
7. Appendices A…………………………………………………………………..
7-1 Dip switch (110V)……………………………………………………….. 19
7-2 Dip switch (220V)………………………………………………………. 19
8. Appendices B…………………………………………………………………..
8-1 Operations of RS232 serial port………………………………………. 20
8-2 Interface command…………………………………………………….. 21~25
9. Appendices C…………………………………………………………………..
9-1 Remote control operations…………………………………………….. 26~27
9-2 Power saving mode…………………………………………………….. 28~31

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1. Important Safety Instructions
1-1. General Safety Precautions
1-1-1. Do not expose the Inverter to rain, snow, spray, bilge or dust.
To reduce risk of hazard, do not cover or obstruct the ventilation
openings. Do not install the Inverter in a zero-clearance compartment.
Overheating may result.
1-1-2. To avoid a risk of fire and electronic shock. Make sure that existing
wiring is in good electrical condition; and that wire size is not
undersized.
Do not operate the Inverter with damaged or substandard Wiring.
1-1-3. This equipment contains components which can produce arcs or
sparks. To prevent fire or explosion do not install in compartments
containing batteries or flammable materials or in locations which
require ignition protected equipment. This includes any space
containing gasoline-powered machinery, fuel tanks, or joints, fittings,
or other connection between components of the fuel system.
1-2. Precautions When Working with Batteries
1-2-1. If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap
and water. If acid enters eye, immediately flood eye with running
cold water for at least 20 minutes and get medical attention
immediately.
1-2-2. Never smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or Engine.
1-2-3. Do not drop a metal tool on the battery. The resulting spark or
short-circuit on the battery of other electrical part may cause an
explosion.
1-2-4. Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces,
and watches when working with a lead-acid battery,
A lead-acid battery produces a short-circuit current high enough to
weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn.
WARNING!
Before using the Inverter, read and save the safety
instructions.

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2. Features
Pure sine wave output (THD < 3%)
Output frequency: 50 / 60Hz switch selectable
Low power “Power Saving Mode” to conserve energy
RS - 232C interface / remote controls port
Built-in voltage and watt meter
Thermostatically controlled cooling fan
Advanced microprocessor
Protection: Input low voltage Overload Short circuit
Low battery alarm Input over voltage Over temperature
2-1. Application
2-1-1. Power tools－circular saws, drills, grinders, sanders, buffers, weed and
hedge trimmers, air compressors.
2-1-2. Office equipment－computers, printers, monitors, facsimile machines,
scanner.
2-1-3. Household items－vacuum cleaners, fans, fluorescent and
incandescent lights, shavers, sewing machines.
2-1-4. Kitchen appliances－microwave ovens, refrigerators and freezers,
coffee makers, blenders, ice markers, toasters.
2-1-5. Industrial equipment－metal halide lamp, high-pressure sodium lamp.
2-1-6. Home entertainment electronics－television, VCRs, video games,
stereos, musical instruments, satellite equipment.

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2-2. Electrical Performance
Specification Model No.
Item SA-1500-112 SA-1500-124
Continuous Output Power 1500W
Surge Rating 2000W
Input Voltage 12V 24V
Output Voltage 100 / 110 / 115 / 120V +/- 5%
Frequency
(Switch Selectable) 50 / 60Hz +/- 0.05%
Peak Output Current 25A
Efficiency (full load) 85% 87%
No Load Current Draw
≦
1.5W Saving Mode
Output Waveform Sine Wave <3% THD
Output Voltage Regulation 100 / 110 / 115 / 120V RMS
-10% / +4%
Input Voltage Regulation 10-16 VDC 20-32 VDC
Protection Overload, Short Circuit, Reverse Polarity (Fuse), Over/Under
Input Voltage, Over Temperature.
Power Saving Recovery
Time 5 Second
Interface Control Port RS-232C With Baud Rate 1200,2400,4800 (Switch Selectable)
Remote Control Unit S-R5 Optional
Safety UL458
EMC FCC Class B
Operating Temperature Range 0 - 40
℃
Storage Temperature Range -30
℃
to 70
℃
Dimensions 390 (L) x 275 (W) x 105 (H) mm / 15.4 (L) x 10.8 (W) x 4.1 (H) Inch
Cooling Thermostatically controlled cooling fan ( 55
℃
ON , 45
℃
OFF)
Weight 7.0 kg / 15.5 lbs.
Note: The specifications are subject to change without notice.
2-3. Mechanical Drawings

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3. Introduction
This power inverter series is the member of the most advanced line of mobile AC
power systems available.
To get the most out of the power inverter, it must be installed and used properly.
Please read the instructions in this manual before installing and using this model.
3-1. Front Panel Operations
3-1-1. Front view
3-1-2. ON / OFF switch
Power ON/OFF switch, leave in the OFF position during installation.
3-1-3. Battery Voltage indicator
The battery voltage bar graph indicates the voltage at the input
terminals of the power inverter. At low input current, this voltage is very
close to the battery voltage. At high input current, this voltage will be
lower than the battery voltage because of the voltage drop across the
cable and connections. Ideally, the voltage should remain in the green
Ares of the bar graph. If the voltage goes into the red area at top and
bottom of the graph, inverter may shutdown.

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3-1-4. Battery Voltage indicator
The AC load watt bar graph indicates the power drawn from the power
inverter by the load. For long term operation, the watt indicator
should remind in the green & orange area of the bar graph.
Short term operation is possible with watt indicator in the red area.
If the watt indicator rises to high values the bar will flash and the
inverter will shutdown to protect itself.
3-1-5. OVP : Over Voltage indicator
The over voltage indicator indicates that the power inverter has shut
itself down because its input voltage exceeded 12 / 24 VDC version.
3-1-6. UVP : Under Voltage Protection indicator
The under voltage indicator indicates that the power inverter has shut
itself down because its input voltage fell below 12 / 24 VDC.
3-1-7. OTP : Over Temperature Protection indicator
The over temp indicator indicates that the power inverter has shut itself
down because its temp has become overheated. The power inverter
may overheat because it has been operated at power levels above its
rating, or because it has been installed in a location which does not
allow it to dissipate heat properly. The power inverter will restart
automatically, once it has cooled off.
3-1-8. OLP : Over Load Protection indicator
The overload indicator indicates that the power inverter has shut itself
down because its output has been short circuited or drastically
overloaded.
Switch the ON/OFF switch to OFF, correct the fault condition, and then
switch the ON/OFF switch back to ON to reset the unit.
3-1-9. Power Saving: Power energy saving enable.
See appendix 9-2 for detailed information.
3-1-10. AC Outlet (Outlet sockets available):

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North America (GFCI) North America (NEMA 5-15R)
Continental European (SCHUKO)Australia / New Zealand
United Kingdom
Universal

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3-2. Rear Panel Operations
3-2-1. Ventilation Openings
Do not obstruct, allow at least 3 inch for air flow.
3-2-2. DC Terminals
Connect to 12V / 24 V battery or the other power sources.
【+】is positive, 【-】is negative. Reverse polarity connection will
blow internal fuse and may damage inverter permanently.
Model voltage Min voltage Max. voltage
SA-1500-112 10.0 VDC 16.0 VDC
SA-1500-124 20.0 VDC 32.0 VDC
WARNING!
Do not connect the 12V model to a 24 battery,
The unit will be destroyed immediately.

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3-2-3. RS-232C
Connect to remote control unit (option accessory) or taken remote
controlled working status by computer.
3-2-4. Connect chassis ground terminal to earth or to vehicle chassis using
#8 AWG wire.
3-3. Protection Feature
Model
DC Input Over Temperature
Protection
Over voltage Under
Voltage
Alarm
Under Voltage
Shut-down Restart Shut-down Restart Shut-down Restart
SA-1500-112 17.1VDC 15.8VDC 10.2VDC 9.5VDC 12.4VDC
85
℃
45
℃
SA-1500-124 34.1VDC 31.5VDC 20.4VDC 19.3VDC 24.8VDC
WARNING!
Operation of the inverter without a proper ground
connection may result in an electrical safety hazard.

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3-4. Installation
Where to install. The power inverter should be installed in a location that
meets the following requirements:
3-4-1. Dry －Do not allow water to drip or splash on the inverter.
3-4-2. Cool －Ambient air temperature should be between 0˚C
3-4-3. Safe －Do not install in a battery compartment or other areas where
flammable fumes may exist, such as fuel storage areas or engine
compartments.
3-4-4. Ventilated －Allow at least three inch of clearance around the inverter
for air flow. Ensure the ventilation openings on the rear and front of
the unit are not obstructed.
3-4-5. Dust-free －Do not install the Inverter in a dusty environments where
are dust, wood particles or other filings/shavings.
These dust can be pulled into the unit when the cooling fan is
operating.
3-4-6. Close to batteries －Avoid excessive cable lengths but do not install
the Inverter in the same compartment as batteries.
Use the recommended wire lengths and sizes (see section 2-10).
Also do not mount the Inverter where it will be exposed to the gases
produced by the battery.
These gases are very corrosive and prolonged exposure will damage
the Inverter.
WARNING!
You may observe a spark when you make this
connection since current may flow to charge
capacitors in the power inverter.
Do not make this connection in the presence of
Flammable fumes. Explosion or fire may result.
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3-5. Making DC Wiring Connections
Follow this procedure to connect the battery cables to the DC input terminals
of the Inverter. Your cables should be as short as possible (ideally, less than
6 feet / 1.8 meters) enough to handle the required current in accordance with
the electrical codes or regulations application. Cables are not an adequate
gauge (too narrow) or too long will decrease the inverter performances such
as poor surge capability and low input voltage warnings frequently and
shutdowns. UVP warning presents due to DC voltage drop across the cables
from the inverter to the batteries.
The longer or narrower the cables, the greater the voltage drop.
Increasing your DC cable size will help improve the situation.
Model No Wire AWG Inline Fuse
SA-1500-112 # 2 200A
SA-1500-124 # 4 130A
WARNING!
The installation of a fuse must be on positive cable.
Failure to place a fuse on “+” cables running between
the inverter and battery may cause damage to the
inverter and will void warranty.

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Also, use only high quality copper wiring and keep cable length short, a maximum of 3-
6 feet.

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3-6. AC Safety Grounding
During the AC wiring installation, AC input and output ground wires are
connected to the inverter. The AC input ground wire must connect to the
incoming ground from your AC utility source.
The AC output ground wire should go to the grounding point for your loads
(for example, a distribution panel ground bus).
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI)
Installations in Recreational Vehicles ( for North American approvals ) will
require GFCI protection of all branch circuit connected to the AC output of the
hardwire terminal equipped Inverter. In addition, electrical codes require GFCI
protection of certain receptacles in residential installations.
While the pure sine wave output of the Inverter is equivalent to the wave form
provided by utilities, compliance with UL standards requires us to test and
recommend specific GFCI.
Samlex has tested the following GFCI －protected 20A receptacles and
found that they functioned properly when connected to the output of the
Inverter.
3-6-1. Neutral Grounding (GFCI’S)
3-6-1-1. 120V models. The neutral conductor of the AC output circuit
of the Inverter is automatically connected to the safety ground
during inverter operation. This conforms to national electrical
code requirements that separately derived AC sources (such
as inverter and generators) have their neutral conductors tied
to ground in the same way that the neutral conductor from the
utility is tied to ground at the AC breaker panel. For models
configured with a transfer relay, while AC utility power is
presenting and the Inverter is in bypass mode, this
connection (neutral of the Inverter’s AC output to input safety
ground) is not present so that the utility neutral is only
connected to ground at your breaker panel, as required.

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3-7. Inverter Operation
To operate the power inverter, turn it on by using the ON/OFF switch on the
front panel. The power inverter is now ready to deliver AC power to your
loads. If you are operating several loads from the power inverter, turn them
on separately after the inverter has been turned on.
This will ensure that the power inverter does not have to deliver the starting
currents for all the loads at once.
3-7-1. Unpack and inspect the power inverter, check to see that the power
switch in the OFF position.
3-7-2. Connect the cables to the power input terminals on the year panel of
power inverter.
The terminal is positive (+) and black terminal is negative (-).
Insert the cables into the terminals and tighten allen nut to clamp the
wires securely.
3-7-3. Before proceeding further, carefully check that cable you have just
connected does tie negative terminal of inverter to the negative output
power source.
3-7-4. Connect the cable from the negative terminal of the inverter to the
negative terminal of the power source. Make a secure connection.
WARNING!
Reverse polarity connection will blow a fuse in inverter
and may permanently damage the inverter.
Damage caused by reverse polarity connection is not
covered by warranty.
WARNING!
Make sure all the DC connections are tight (torque to
9-10 ft-lbs, 11.7-13Nm). Loose connections will
overheat and could result in a potential hazard.

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3-7-5. Set the power switch to the ON position. Check the meters and
indicators on the front panel of the inverter. The voltage bar graph
should indicate 11 to 14 volts (22 to 28V when 24V version is used)
depending on the voltage of the power source. If does not, check
your power source and the connections to inverter.
The other indicators should be off.
3-7-6. Set power inverter switch to the OFF position, the indicator lights may
blink and the internal alarm may sound momentarily.
This is normal. Plug the test load into the AC receptacle on the front
panel of the inverter. Leave the test load switch off.
3-7-7. Set power inverter switch to the ON position and turn the test load On.
The inverter should supply power to the load.
If you plan to accurately measure the true output r.m.s. voltage of
inverter, a meter such as FLUKE 45 BECKMAN 4410 or TRIPLETT
200 must be used.
WARNING!
You may observe a spark when you make this
connection since current may flow to charge
capacitors in the power inverter.
Do not make this connection in the presence of
flammable fumes Explosion or fire may result.

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3-8. Power output:
The inverter will operate most AC loads within its power rating.
When deeming whether a microwave oven can be operated by the inverter,
remember that the power commonly advertised for microwave ovens are the
cooking power (the power delivered to the food) not the power actually
consumed by the microwave oven. The microwave oven will consume 40%
to 100% more than its advertised cooking power. Check the rating sticker on
the back of the oven to determine its actual power requirements.
The 1500W inverter will operate small microwave oven (0.2 to 0.3 cubic foot
capacity) that draws about 1700 watts. It will provide 3 minutes of cooking
time. Some induction motors used in refrigerators, freezers, pumps, and other
motor operated equipment require very high surge currents to start.
The Power Inverter may not be able to start some of these motor even though
their rated current requirement is within the power inverter.
If motor is refused to start, observe the battery voltage indicator while trying to
start the motor. If the battery voltage indicator drops below 11 volts while
inverter is attempting to start the motor, this may be why the motor won’t start.
Make sure that the battery connections are good and the battery is fully
charged.

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4. Troubleshooting guide
Problems and Symptoms
Possible Cause
Solutions
Low output voltage Using average reading
voltmeter
Use true RMS reading meter
and cable.
See page 15
Point 3-7-7. of manual
Load LED bar flash Overload Reduce load.
No output voltage
Low input voltage
Recharge battery,
And voltage indicator
check connections
in lower red zone
and cable.
No output voltage
Thermal shutdown
Improve ventilation,
Over Temp indicator
Make sure ventilation
on, load less than
openings in inverter
1500W.
are not obstructed.
Reduce ambient
temperature.
No output voltage,
Short circuit or Wiring
Check AC wiring
Over Load indicator
error
for short circuit or
On
improper polarity (hot
and neutral reversed).
Very high power load
Remove load
WARNING!
Do not open or disassemble the Inverter.
Attempting to service the unit yourself may result in a risk of
electrical shock or fire.

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5. Maintenance
Very little maintenance is required to keep your inverter operating properly.
You should clean the exterior of the unit periodically with a damp cloth to prevent
accumulation of dust and dirt.
At the same time, tighten the screws on the DC input terminals.
6. Warranty
We warrant this product against defects in materials and workmanship for a period
of 24 months from the date of purchase and will repair or replace any defective
Power Inverter when directly returned, postage paid, to us.
This warranty will be considered void if the unit has suffered any obvious physical
damage or alteration either internally or externally and does not cover damage
arising from improper use such as plugging.
The unit into an unsuitable power sources attempts to operate products with
excessive power consumption requirements, or use in unsuitable environments.
This is the only warranty that Samlex America Inc. makes.
No other warranties express or imply including warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose.
Repair and replacement are your sole remedies and Samlex America Inc. shall
not be liable for damages, whether direct, incidental, special or consequential,
even though caused by negligence or other fault.