SamplexPower SAM Series User manual

SAM Series
Inverter /
Charger
SAM-1500C-12
Please read this
manual BEFORE
installing your
inverter
Owner's
Manual

2 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
SECTION 1
Safety Instructions...............................................................................................3
SECTION 2
Features, Applications & Principle of Operation ..................................................5
SECTION 3
Layout .......................................................................................................12
SECTION 4
Installation ...................................................................................................... 14
SECTION 5
Operation .......................................................................................................23
SECTION 6
Protections, Monitoring & Troubleshooting.......................................................30
SECTION 7
Specications ....................................................................................................37
SECTION 8
Warranty .......................................................................................................38
OWNER'S MANUAL | Index
Disclaimer of Liability
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, SAMLEX AMERICA, INC.:
1. MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION
PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION.
2. ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSSES, DAMAGES, COSTS OR EXPENSES, WHETHER SPECIAL, DIRECT,
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE USE OF
ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USERS RISK.
Samlex America reserves the right to revise this document and to periodically make changes to the content
hereof without obligation or organization of such revisions or changes.
Copyright Notice/Notice of Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Samlex America, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this
document is prohibited without express written permission by Samlex America, Inc.

SAMLEX AMERICA INC. | 3
SECTION 1 | Safety Instructions
1.1 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
This manual contains important information regarding safety, operation, maintenance
and storage of this product. Before use, read and understand all cautions, warnings,
instructions and product labels, plus your vehicle’s battery manufacturer’s guidelines.
Failure to do so could result in injury and / or property damage. The following safety
symbols will be used in this manual to highlight safety and information:
WARNING!
Indicates possibility of physical harm to the user in case of non-compliance.
!
CAUTION!
Indicates possibility of damage to the equipment in case of non-compliance.
i
INFO
Indicates useful supplemental information.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of re, electric shock, explosion or injury:
1. Do not connect in parallel with another AC source e.g. Utility AC Distribution
Wiring / generator. This is NOT a Grid Tied Inverter!
2. When working with Multiple Outlet Power Strips, disconnect appliance
plug from outlet strip or turn off the inverter before working on the ap-
pliance. Multiple Outlet Power Strips with switches and circuit breakers
interrupt power only to the “Hot” receptacle terminals.
3. Precautions when working with batteries
•BatteriescontainverycorrosivedilutedSulphuricAcidaselectrolyte.Precautions should be taken to prevent contact with skin, eyes or
clothing.
•BatteriesgenerateHydrogenandOxygenduringchargingresult-
inginevolutionofexplosivegasmixture.Careshouldbetakentoventilate the battery area and follow the battery manufacturer’s
recommendations.
•Neversmokeorallowasparkoramenearthebatteries.•Usecautiontoreducetheriskofdroppingametaltoolonthebattery. It could spark or short circuit the battery or other electrical
partsandcouldcauseanexplosion.•Removemetalitemslikerings,braceletsandwatcheswhenworkingwith batteries and also use caution when working with metal tools.
Batteries can produce a short circuit current high enough to melt /
weld metals and thus, cause severe burn.

4 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
•Ifyouneedtoremoveabattery,alwaysremovetheGround(Nega-
tive) terminal from the battery rst. Make sure that all the accesso-
ries are off so that you do not cause a spark.
4. Do not make any electrical connections or disconnections in areas desig-
nated as IGNITION PROTECTED. Thisincludes12VDCPowerPlug(CigarettePlug) connections and terminal connections.
5. This is not a toy - keep away from children.
6. Do NOT insert objects into the ventilation air vents.
!
CAUTION!
1. Please ensure that the Grid AC Power input is fed from 15A/20A GFCI
protected outlet to provide Ground Fault Protection when the unit is oper-
ating in Charger / Grid AC Pass Through Mode
2.ConnecttheexternalChassisGroundConnection(15,Fig3.1)toEarthGround using at least AWG #8 wire.
3. When Inverter is supplying AC loads, the voltage on the Neutral and Line
Socket of the NEMA5-15R AC outlet with respect to the Ground Socket /
metal chassis of the unit / metal chassis of the AC loads will be a pulsing
DCvoltagewithaverageDCvalueofupto50V(willfalselyread75VACon AC scale of the Voltmeter because of pulsing nature of DC voltage). DO
NOT TOUCH THE NEUTRAL SOCKET / NEUTRAL CONDUCTORS OF THE AC
OUTLETS!
4. Do not connect AC output from NEMA5-15R outlets to AC distribution wir-
ing where the Neutral is bonded to Earth Ground. The inverter will see this
as abnormal condition of Ground Fault and will shut down.
5.DonotusewithPositiveGroundedElectricalSystems(themajorityofmod-
ern automobiles, RVs, trucks and boats use Negative Grounded Electrical
Systems).
6. Observe correct polarity when connecting the DC input terminals of the
inverter to the battery. Connect Positive of the battery to the Positive input
connector of the Inverter and the Negative of the battery to the Negative
input terminal of the Inverter. Reverse polarity connection will result in a
blown fuse and may cause permanent damage to the inverter. Damage
due to reverse polarity is not covered under warranty.
7.ThisInverterwillnotoperatehighwattageappliancesthatexceedtheoutput power limit or the surge power limit.
8. Do not operate this Inverter if it is wet.
9. Do not install in engine compartment – please install in a well-ventilated area.
10. This Inverter is not tested for use with medical devices.
SECTION 1 | Safety Instructions

SAMLEX AMERICA INC. | 5
2.1 GENERAL
i
INFO
For additional technical and operational information on Inverters, Battery
Chargers and related topics, please refer to www.samlexamerica.com/
Support/Application Notes/White Papers.
This unit is a Modied Sine Inverter / Charger with a Transfer Relay with primary
function of Backup AC Power Source. The unit consists of the following 3 components
integrated into a single unit:
•ModiedSineWaveInverterforACbackupwhenGridACPowerfails:•Input:12VNominalLeadAcidBattery(10.5Vto15.5V±0.5V)•Output:1500W(AtPowerFactor=1)at115VAC,60Hz•ACBatteryChargertochargebatterieswhenGridACPowerisavailable:•Input:120VAC,60Hz•Output:13.8VDC,15Atocharge12VLeadAcidBatteries-Flooded,AGMorGelCell
•2-StageCharging-BulkandFloat•ACInputPassThroughtoloadwhenGridACPowerisavailable•Input:120VAC,60Hz,15A•TransferRelayRating:30A2.2 APPLICATIONS
•BackupACPowerSourceorOff-LineACUPStoprovideACpowerduringpoweroutages•12VLeadAcidBatterycharging•RVs,trucksandremotehousing2.3 FEATURES
•Integrated 1500W Modied Sine Wave Inverter, 30A rated Transfer switch, and 2
Stage 12 VDC, 15A Battery Charger
•HighInverterpeakefciencyof87%,lightweight,andcompactforeasyinstallation•SoftStartTechnologyforbettersurgeperformance•SeparateON/OFFcontrolforInverterandBatteryChargerforselectableoperationasInverter/Charger(BackupACPowerSource)orStand-aloneInverterorStand-aloneBattery Charger
•4LEDindicatorstomonitoroperationalstatus•Loadcontrolledfanforefcientcoolingwhenrequired•Allowsuseofhighercapacityexternal12Vbatterybankforlongerbackuptime•CoolSurfaceTechnologyforcoolerandsafertouchtemperature•ElectronicprotectionsincludingGFCIwheninInverterModeSECTION 2 |
Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation

6 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
SECTION 2 | Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation
•LowInterferenceTechnologyforcontrolledRFnoise•IdealforRV’s,Trucksandremotehousing2.3.1 Soft Start Technology
This feature offers the following advantages:
•WhentheInverterisswitchedON,thevoltagerampsupto115VACinaround2sec.If the load was already ON at the time of switching ON of the Inverter, starting surge
current demanded by certain reactive devices like motors etc. will be reduced and
there will be less likelihood of the Inverter shutting down due to overload.
•IftheInverterisswitchedONrstandthenaloadwithhigherstarting/inrushcur-
rent like SMPS / motor is switched ON, the voltage will dip momentarily and then
recover to reduce inrush / starting surge current in the load as above.
•Similaroverloadreductionwillbeinitiatedduringanyothersuddenhigher
loading conditions.
2.3.2 Low Interference Technology
Innovative circuit design and noise ltration circuitry reduces RF interference in TV
picture, audio and radio equipment.
2.3.3 Cool Surface Technology
Normally, heat dissipating components are mounted directly on internal metal chassis
surface of the unit and hence, the chassis surface may rise to unsafe touch-temperature.
In this unit, heat-dissipating components are not mounted directly on the chassis of the
unitbutonPCB(PrintedCircuitBoard)mountedheatsinkand,thereisairgapbetweenthe heat sink and the chassis surface. The heat sink is cooled by load-controlled fan.
As there is no direct contact between the heat sink and the chassis, the chassis surface
remains much cooler and is safer to touch.
2.3.4 Load Controlled Cooling Fans
Cooling is carried out by convection and by forced air circulation by 2 load-controlled
fan. The fan will normally be OFF and will be switched ON automatically as follows:
•InvertersupplyingACload(s):Whenload(s)≥85W•BatteryCharging/ACPassThroughMode:Whenchargingcurrent≥3A±1AThis will reduce energy consumption by the fan and will increase overall efciency.
2.4 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION - INVERTER
Conversion of 12 VDC from the battery / other DC source to 115 VAC takes place in 2
stages.Intherststage,the12VDCisconvertedtohighvoltageDC(around160VDC)usinghighfrequencyswitchingandPulseWidthModulation(PWM)technique.Inthe2ndstage,the160VhighvoltageDCisconvertedto115V,60HzModiedSineWaveAC.(NOTE: 115V is the RMS value of the Modied Sine Wave AC voltage. The peak
value of the Modied Sine Wave AC voltage will be equal to the value of the above
high voltage of around 160V. See the Fig 2.1).

SAMLEX AMERICA INC. | 7
SECTION 2 | Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation
2.4.1. Modied Sine Waveform - Characteristics & Comparison with
Pure Sine Waveform
Please refer to Fig 2.1 below which shows one cycle of Modied Sine Wave and Pure
SineWaveforcomparison.(BothwithRMSvoltageof115VAC)TIME
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Modified Sine
Wave sits at
ZERO for some
time and then
rises or falls
Pure Sine Wave
crosses zero V
instantaneously
Modified Sine Wave
•VRMS = 115VAC
•Vpeak = 160V ± 5V
Sine Wave
•VRMS = 115VAC
•Vpeak = 162.61V
16.66 ms
VOLTS − VOLTS +
Vpeak = 162.61V
Vpeak = 160V ± 5V
VRMS = 115 VAC
Fig 2.1 Modied Sine Wave and Pure Sine Wave - Comparison
The output waveform of the Inverter is a Modied Sine Wave. In a Modied Sine Wave,
thevoltagewaveformconsistsofrectangularpulsesthatapproximatesinewavepulsesof a Pure Sine Wave. The voltage rises and falls abruptly at a particular phase angle
and sits at 0 Volts for some time before changing its polarity. In a Pure Sine Wave, the
voltage rises and falls smoothly with respect to phase angle and the voltage changes its
polarity instantly when it crosses 0 Volts.
!
CAUTION!
Certaindevices(fewexamplesgivenbelow)maymalfunctionwhenpoweredfrom Modied Sine Wave. Check with the manufacturer of the device for suit-
ability of powering with Modied Sine Wave:
•Devicesutilizingzerovoltagecrossingfortimingcontrol:Someclocksusedinconsumerelectronicitems(willnotkeepaccuratetime)•DevicesusingmodulationofRFsignalsonAClinesduringzerocrossinge.g.X-10 System for Home Automation
•DevicesutilizingTriacbasedphasecontrolfortransformerlessvoltagestepdown e.g.:
•Smallbatterychargersforhandtools,ashlights,night-lights,shaversetc.•Variablemotorspeedcontrolinhandtools•Lightdimmers

8 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
SECTION 2 | Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation
•Temperaturecontrollerse.g.:•TemperatureControlledElectricBlankets•Devicesusinghighcapacitancebasedvoltagemultipliersforgeneratinghighvoltage(willcreateveryhighsurgecurrents)e.g.:•PhotographicStrobeLights•LaserPrinters2.4.2 Measuring Modied Sine Wave Voltage with a "True RMS"
Voltmeter
As mentioned above, Modied Sine Wave voltage is a type of square wave that has an
RMS(RootMeanSquare)valueof115VACinthisInverter.Ageneral-purposeACvolt-
meter is calibrated to accurately measure the RMS value of a Pure Sine Wave and NOT
of a Modied Sine Wave. If this general-purpose voltmeter is used to measure Modied
Sinewavevoltage,itwillindicatealowervalue(96VACto104VAC).Foraccuratelymeasuring the voltage of a Modied Sine Wave, use a voltmeter which is designed to
measure“TrueRMSValues”likeFluke87,Fluke8060A,Fluke77/99,Beckman4410etc.
2.5 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION AND CHARGING ALGORITHM - BATTERY
CHARGER
The battery charger is a 2 Stage, Switched Mode Design using Fly Back Topology.
120VACfromtheACInputisrectiedtohighvoltageDCofaround170VDC,whichis then converted to high frequency pulses using MOSFET Switch and then stepped
down through switching transformer. The transformed voltage is rectied and ltered.
A sample of the output voltage is used as feedback signal for the drive circuit for the
switching Mosfet to achieve desired voltage regulation of 13.8 VDC using Pulse Width
Modulation(PWM).Itisdesignedtoprovidemaximumchargingcurrentof15A.2.5.1 Charging / Discharging Curves for Lead Acid Batteries
Fig. 2.2 shows the charging and discharging characteristics of a typical 12V / 24V Flooded
LeadAcidbatteryatelectrolytetemperatureof80°F/26.7°C.Thecurvesshowthe%StateofCharge(X-axis)versusterminalvoltage(Y-axis)duringcharginganddischargingat different "C-Rates". Please note that X-axis shows % State of Charge. State of Dis-
charge will be = 100% - % State of Charge. The value of charging / discharging curent is
expressedas"C-Rate"whichisaratioasdenedbelow:
C-Rate in Amperes = C
Twhere,
C=CapacityofthebatteryinAmpereHours(Ah)T=TimeinHoursoverwhichthebatteryindischargedfromfullychargedconditionto10.5V(12Vbattery)or21V(24Vbattery)atconstantcurrent=C-Ratee.g. if 100Ah
battery(C=100)isdischargedin5Hours(T=5)theC-Rate=100
5=20Amperes

SAMLEX AMERICA INC. | 9
SECTION 2 | Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation
Typical Flooded Lead-Acid Battery Chart - 80˚F / 26.7˚C
Battery Voltage in VDC
Battery State of Charge in Percent (%)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
16.5
16.0
15.5
15.0
14.5
14.0
13.5
13.0
12.5
12.0
11.5
11.0
10.5
10.0
9.5
9.0
C/5
C/40
C/20
C/10
DISCHARGE
CHARGE
C/20
C/3
C/5
C/10
C/100
33.0
32.0
31.0
30.0
29.0
28.0
27.0
26.0
25.0
24.0
23.0
22.0
21.0
20.0
19.0
18.0
24V 12V
Standing
Voltage
Fig 2.2 Charging / Discharging Curves for Typical Flooded Lead Acid Battery

10 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
2.5.2 2 Stage Charging - Bulk Charge and Float Charge Stages
The built-in Battery Charger is a "2 stage charger".
Workingofa2StageChargerisexplainedbelow.PleaserefertoFig2.3.Bulk Charge
Stage Float Charge Stage
Charger Current Curve
Charger Voltage Curve
Time
Voltage
Current
9
10
11
12
13
14
1
1
2
2
3
3
15A
0A
LEGEND
1. Charging Starts
1 to 2. Bulk Charge Stage: Constant Current = 15A
2. Exits Bulk & enters Float
2 to 3. Foat Stage: Constant Voltage = 13.8V
Current tapers to 0.25% of Ah Capacity
13.8V
5A
10A
20A
Fig. 2.3 Battery Charger Stages and Voltage/Current Curves
2StagesofChargingare(i)ConstantcurrentBulkStageand(ii)ConstantvoltageFloatStage.A2-StageChargerisabletorechargeabatterytoaround80%capacity.Thistypeof charger is used in Backup / UPS applications where the battery remains charged, is
oatingmostofthetimesandwilldischargeatlesserfrequencyonlyduringpowerout-
ages. Charging details are given below:
i.Thechargeroutputsaconstant,regulatedvoltageof13.8V(FloatChargeStageVoltage)andcandeliverupto15Aofmaximumchargingcurrent(BulkChargeStageCurrent). If the battery tries to draw current higher than 15A due to its discharged
condition, the charger enters Current Limit Condition. Under Current Limit Condition,
the charger will supply constant current of 15A, its output voltage will no longer be
regulated and will drop below 13.8V. However, its output voltage will get clamped to
the battery voltage corresponding to the State of Charge of the battery.
ii. The input resistance of a healthy battery is very low – around 16 milli Ohm at com-
pletely discharged condition to less than 8 milli Ohm when fully charged
SECTION 2 |
Features, Applications &
Principle of Operation