imax b6 mini charger user manual. IMAX B6 mini. Charging a car battery - a complete guide. Wrong Li-Ion voltage

Microprocessor charger

(NiCd/NiMH/Lithium/Pb)

with built-in balancer

Introduction

Specification

Peculiarities

Intelligent process control

The memory has a function of automatic voltage setting in the process of charging / discharging the battery. This is especially important for lithium batteries, when parameters set incorrectly by the user can lead to overcharging and possible ignition of the battery. Each program in the memory is controlled by a limitation of setting parameters and various sensors, so if a problem occurs, the charge/discharge process is immediately interrupted and a fault message is displayed on the screen. All this allows you to achieve maximum safety when using this charger. All settings can also be configured by the user.

high power

Charger has a high output power of 50 watts, and as a result, it can charge/discharge up to 15 NiCd/NiMH cells, as well as charge up to 6 lithium cells with a maximum current of 5 amperes.

Built-in voltage balancer for lithium batteries

There is no need to buy a separate balancer. This charger has a built-in balancer for working with lithium batteries, consisting of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 LiIo / LiPo / LiFe cells.

Balancing individually each element during discharge

The charger can also monitor and balance each cell of a lithium battery during discharging. If the voltage of one of the elements changes incorrectly, the process is interrupted and an error message is displayed.

Support for all major types of lithium batteries

The charger works with three main types of lithium batteries: LiIo, LiPo and also with promising LiFe batteries. All types have a different chemical composition, so before working with the memory, correctly set the type in the settings chemical composition rechargeable battery.

Lithium battery modes “FAST“ and “STORAGE“

You can charge lithium batteries in special modes. The “FAST“ mode allows you to shorten the battery charging time, and the “STORAGE“ mode allows you to prepare the battery for long-term storage (preservation).

Maximum safety with Delta Peak

The charger automatically interrupts the charging process (for NiCd / NiMh batteries) when the battery reaches 100% full. The principle of operation is based on monitoring the voltage difference, called Delta Peak.

Automatically set current during nickel battery charging

You can set the upper limit of the charging current when charging NiCd or NiMH batteries (“AUTO” mode). This is useful for NiMH batteries with low internal resistance and capacitance.

Peculiarities

Capacity limit

In the memory settings, you can set a capacity limit, upon reaching which, the charging process will be interrupted. The value of the capacitance parameter can be calculated by the formula: charge current multiplied by charge time.

Temperature limit*

The charging process can also be additionally controlled by a thermal sensor (or thermal sensor). Internal chemical reaction battery while charging causes the temperature of the battery to rise. If the temperature limit is reached, the process will be automatically interrupted.

* This function is available with the included thermal sensor.

Time limit:

You can also limit the process time to avoid any possible defects.

Input voltage control

To protect the car battery used as a power source for the charger from a strong discharge, the microprocessor constantly monitors the input voltage. If it falls below a certain limit, the process will end automatically.

For the convenience of the user, it is possible to use 5 cells for storing data on charging / discharging different types of batteries. The user can call up/correct this data at any time.

For nickel batteries it is possible to use sequential charge/discharge operations in any direction (up to 5 cycles). This is especially useful for Ni-Cd workouts and Ni-MH batteries.

Appearance

Connecting the battery to the balancer

The picture on the left shows The right way connecting the battery to the charger when using the battery cell voltage balancing program.

Menu structure

Initial parameters ( set by the user)

When you first turn on the charger, all parameters are set to default. After turning on the charger, a beep sounds and a greeting is displayed on the screen.

All four buttons must be used to select programs and change parameters.

If you need to change a parameter in the current program, press the “START/ENTER“ button, then the selected parameter will flash. Using the "DEC" and "INC" keys, change the parameter to the required value. To confirm the selection, press “START/ENTER” again, to cancel the selection and return to the old value, press “STOP“.

This screen displays the nominal voltage for the lithium battery. The charger works with three types of batteries

And each type has its own voltage:

Li-Fe (3.3 V)

Li-Ion (3.6 V)

LiPo (3.7V)

TO AVOID FIRE THE BATTERY, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SET THE BATTERY CHARGING CHEMICAL TYPE CORRECTLY

The memory automatically recognizes the number of elements

V lithium battery before starting the charge/discharge process. This is to verify the configuration and after user settings. If the battery is very low, automatic detection will not work correctly. To prevent such an error, you can set the time for the microprocessor to check the number of elements. Usually enough 10 minutes (this value is set by default). For high capacity batteries, this setting should be increased. If the battery is of small capacity and the time parameter is too large, this may cause an erroneous result when determining the number of cells. If the processor still incorrectly recognized the battery voltage, it is necessary to increase the auto-detection time,

V otherwise, the default setting should be used.

Delta Peak Sensitivity. This parameter displays the voltage of the Delta Peak parameter for automatic completion of charging for Ni-MH and NiCd batteries. The parameter changes from 5 to 20 millivolts per element. Setting this parameter to a high value is dangerous for overcharging the battery (decrease in sensitivity), while reducing the parameter threatens to prematurely complete the charge (increase in sensitivity). If you are adjusting this parameter, please refer to technical specification batteries.

Default Values: NiCd: 12mV, NiMH: 7mV

USB port / Temperature sensor. The Imax B6 charger on the left has a universal 3rd pin port used as USB interface or temperature sensor port. (For the G.T. Power model, these ports are separated.) If the screen shows a temperature setting (as shown in the figure on the left), you can use the optional temperature control. Here you can set the cutoff temperature. The charging process will be completed automatically to protect the battery once the battery temperature reaches the set value. The temperature can also be set during the charging process.

If the parameter is set to USB port, you can connect the charger to your PC via an optional USB cable to monitor the charging process on the monitor screen.

Cooling time. The battery heats up during the discharge / charge process, so it is necessary to give it time to cool down. The program puts a time delay after each charge/discharge cycle to allow the battery to cool down before the next cycle starts. The parameter can take a value from 1 to 60 min.

Timer. After the set time has elapsed, the charging/discharging process will be stopped. The timer can be set from 0 to 720 minutes. The timer can also be turned off, in which case the charge / discharge process will be uncontrolled in time.

Cut-off by capacity (when charging) . Here you can set the capacity cutoff (up to 5000 mAh), this will allow you to interrupt the charging process when the specified capacity is reached. This restriction can be turned off, which will allow you to charge a battery of any capacity.

Setting up beeps . Here you can turn on or turn off the event tones, as well as the sound of pressing the buttons.

Car battery voltage monitoring . Here you can set the cutoff for the input voltage (within 10.0 - 11.5 V), this will avoid deep discharge of the car battery when working with the charger.

Lithium battery programs

These programs are only for charging/discharging lithium batteries with nominal voltages of 3.3V, 3.6V, 3.7V per cell. Each type of battery has its own charge current.

This screen shows the type of battery being charged on the top left, and the current charge current below. Set the charging current, then the number of cells connected in series (depending on the number of cells, what voltage the charger will supply to the battery, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to set this parameter correctly. On the charger screen, the number of cells is indicated by S. In the figure on the left, the charge for 3 cells is set (3S) After setting the current and voltage parameters, press the “START/ENTER” button for 3 seconds until a melody sounds.

If the charging process has started, the real-time charging progress screen will be displayed. The charging process can always be interrupted manually by pressing the button

Charging Lithium Batteries Using a Balancer

This feature is designed to balance the voltage of LiPo batteries during charging. During balancing, the battery, in addition to the connected power connector, must be connected to the charger with another balancing cable. Balancing ports of different sizes are located on the right side of the charger. The process of charging with a balancer is somewhat different from the usual charge mode. In this case, the microprocessor looks at each element of the battery individually and controls the voltage supply to it to equalize to the nominal voltage.

On this screen, the type of battery being charged is displayed on the top left, and the current charge current is displayed below. After setting the current and voltage parameters, press the “START/ENTER” button and hold it down for 3 seconds until a melody sounds.

This screen shows the parameters for the number of elements selected by the user and the specific microprocessor.

"R" - the number of elements automatically determined by the memory microprocessor.

“S” - number of elements set by the user in the previous screen.

If both numbers match, you can start charging by pressing the “START/ENTER“ button. Otherwise, press the “STOP” button to return to the previous screen to correct the data.

Hi all!
Today, once again, we will talk about the well-known iMAX B6AC charger.
Yes, reviews on this topic have already been repeatedly on the site. However, there are some nuances that were not previously discussed, and we had to delve into the essence as we got acquainted with the subject.
To whom it is interesting, I invite under kat.

In the beginning, as expected, about the charger itself.
In general, this charger allows you to charge, discharge, test a fairly large range of batteries different type, both in a single copy, and in sets of several pieces with their balancing.
I know of three options for iMax b6 chargers - iMax b6 (requires an external power supply), iMax b6 mini (miniaturized version, requires an external power supply), iMax b6AC with mains power supply. There are also variations of them that differ in power and, of course, clones.
An iMax b6AC with a power of 50 watts fell into my hands. I stopped at this option due to the fact that the device already has a 220-volt power supply, and this, in my opinion, is more convenient than looking for a power supply with separate suitable parameters, carry two devices separately, etc. and so on. Briefly - a functionally finished product.

According to the declared characteristics, the monitored memory has the following qualities and capabilities:
Supply voltage:
Direct current from an external source: 11.0 - 18.0 volts;
AC: 100V - 240V 50/60Hz;
Maximum charging power: 50W;
Maximum. Discharge power 5W;
Charge current range: 0.1 - 5.0 A;
Discharge current range: 0.1 - 1.0 A;
Compatible with batteries: Li-ion, Li-po, LiFe, NiCd, NiMH, Pb (lead of all types);

The work process is fully automatic. Stop operation by maximum run time and capacity for all types of batteries. Tracking and termination of work upon reaching a predetermined temperature threshold and ΔV for nickel;
It is possible to train NiCd and NiMH with the allowable number of cells in the battery from 1 to 15 pieces.
Recommendations for setting Delta Peak for NiMh - 0.5 mV, for NiCd - 0.8 mV. Recommended charge current: 0.3A.
It is possible to balance LiIo / LiPo / LiFe batteries from 1-6 pieces with a balancing current of 300 mA;
The voltage of lead batteries is from 2 to 20 volts.
Management is carried out using four buttons. Information about programs, operating modes, settings, etc. displayed on a 1602 blue LCD screen.
It is possible to connect the memory to a computer for software control, data output for plotting or connecting an external temperature sensor.
Actual weight of the device without wires: 462 grams;
Dimensions: 135 * 145 * 40 (with legs) mm.
I want to say right away that the received charger is not original, it is a clone. I can’t judge whether this is good or bad - the original was not in my hands.
Supplied in box color scheme and inscriptions different from the original version.
Unfortunately, during the journey, the box lost its original presentable presentation, but this did not affect the contents.

Contents - a charger in a bag, a power cord with a foreign plug, a set of cords with crocodiles, connectors for various occasions, instructions.

Minor inconvenience with the plug is easily solved with the help of an adapter adapter.
Outwardly, the charger looks good, the legs are rubber and on a smooth surface the charger is easier to rearrange than move.

There is no holographic sticker on the bottom side, which once again confirms that the device is not original.
On the left side are connectors for connecting a power cord and an external power source, ventilation holes, and a thermometer pattern next to the hole of a slightly different shape. A temperature sensor is connected here, as well as a cord for connecting the charger to the computer, which are not included in the kit and must be purchased separately.

Power cord 0.98 m long, three-core - 3 * 0.75 sq. mm.

The original version of iMax b6 mini has a standard connector for connecting to a PC, here you have to get out differently, but more on that later.
On the right side of the socket for connecting the charger with a discharged / discharged battery and connectors for balancing.

Cords - one main and connects to the charger, the rest are already connected to the main and investigated / charged / discharged batteries or devices with them, as well as a cord for connecting external power to field conditions, for example, from a car battery.

The two cords I used later are marked AWG 18, although the diameter of the main one is slightly thicker in insulation.

The cord for connecting an external power supply is AWG22, the rest are AWG22 and AWG24.
All cords are very flexible. The wires are soldered to the crocodiles, but not without a slight touch of negligence).

To inspect the insides, it is necessary to remove the side walls of the case.

All body parts were painted on both sides.
The power supply here is a single PSU, similar to a laptop PSU with just a couple of small holes.

The body of the PSU is glued extremely well. There are no complaints about the quality of the glue. The hair dryer did not help, and since I was not a vandal, I did not go further, although I know that this is not approved by readers.
About the version 1.9 board and the production date of 06/09/2017, one could say that it was assembled well and even with a minimum of flux in the place of manual soldering.

If not for the story with the capacitor in the center of the composition

During soldering, a drop of solder fell on it. Small balls found in the vicinity. The disassembly was carried out after the first inclusion and familiarization with the functionality. Fortunately, everything worked out, traces of solder removed. But why 1000 microfarads is indicated on the board, but in fact 680 remains a question.
On reverse side There is only one outstanding element of the board - this is the n-channel field-effect transistor IRFZ44, made using MOSFET technology (CMOS). Through the thermal pad, heat is removed from it to the lower part of the memory case.

The LCD block can only be removed by soldering it, but by bending it, I examined the marking of the microcontroller - this.
I would highly recommend that you study the instructions before starting operation - the charger is not the easiest, but there are many functions and capabilities. Yes, and the control, which is carried out by all four buttons, the device deserves to be studied. Instructions for English language and quite voluminous.
I found in the network in Russian on iMax B6 - the same iMax B6AC, only without an integrated power supply.
And also already on the iMax B6AC in Russian.
And one more for
In all cases we are talking about clones, but everything works as described. Before starting work, I would advise you to pay special attention to the flowchart of working with the charger (the best one is in the third instruction). Having understood it, there will be no confusion in the buttons and modes.
The above instructions describe in detail the procedure for working with the memory and I see no reason to repeat it, especially since each user will still have to study the instructions.

Here I want to dwell in more detail on some aspects of connecting the memory to a computer, connecting an external temperature sensor and separate design features experimental.
As noted earlier, this memory can be connected to a computer through the existing connector. The connector itself is located on the left side of the memory (clearly visible in the photo of the board above) and is hidden in a slot that is slightly different from the other ventilation holes.
To connect to a PC, you will need a USB-UART adapter that works via the RS-232 protocol. At the local radio market, such a module was bought.

The assignment of the contacts in the charger from left to right is as follows: +5 volts, the transmission line is TX (Transmitted Data) and ground.
To “make friends” with a PC, you only need a TX line and ground - the adapter receives power from the PC. The TX contact of the charger is connected to the RX (Received Data) contact - the receiving line of the adapter.
In 15 minutes he built such a structure.

We find such a window in the memory menu and set USB to Enable.

Everything, devices see each other.
Next, you need to download the LogView program. I downloaded version 2.7.4.494. During the installation process, in the line of one of the windows, select iMAX B6AC. After the installation is complete, go to the Device tab and select the Open port / recording item.
In the drop-down window, our memory will be drawn, if it is not shown, then we find it in the list, and below we indicate the COM port where the USB-UART interpreter is connected.

Then you can start charging / discharging batteries and the program will build graphs, build tables, present information in the form of arrow indicators, calculate capacity, current, voltage, etc.
However, this did not happen in my case.)
It turned out that if you disconnect the charger from the adapter, then at the output of the charger between the TX line and the ground, the voltage changes within almost 5 volts, and when the adapter is connected, it sinks heavily. At the same time, the LED on the RX line flickers weakly on the adapter. It turned out that this LED is connected to the RX line through a resistance to ground. Those. a voltage divider was implemented and the adapter did not have enough amplitude for normal operation.

The LED was soldered out, and only then the system worked as it should. It is possible that in other versions of the adapters it will do without dancing with a tambourine and chanting).
Why can't I use the ChargeMaster program from the official SKYRC website?
Because in the original version, for example, iMax b6 mini, a microUSB port is used to communicate with a PC, and there it is possible to exchange information between the memory and the PC in both directions. Hence the control of the memory from the PC.
In my case, the memory has only a TX (Transmitted Data) line - information only from the memory towards the PC. And although the adapter has a TX output, there is no RX in the memory and information exchange is impossible.
The next interesting point for me was the temperature sensor.
In general, interest in the iMAX B6 arose due to the fact that lately I have constantly come across, sometimes old batteries from laptops, sometimes from other gadgets, sometimes half-dead screwdrivers, and somehow it was necessary to separate even more or less living batteries from unusable ones - discharge, charge, capacity calculation, cyclic procedures.
In the course of familiarization with the memory, several 18650 batteries were tested from a laptop battery and one of the six cans was VERY warmed up. And it cooled down for about two hours for fresh air. It became clear that things were very bad with this jar and should not be used anywhere.
And in order to exclude such cases altogether and protect yourself from fire, explosion and other troubles, a temperature sensor should be used.
I didn’t see the point of buying separately at all, since it’s easier to make it. To do this, you need the sensor itself, three wires, connectors and a datasheet for it.
As a result I got this

Go back to the USB memory / Temp Select menu window and select temperature regime memory port.
The temperature sensor is connected to the same connector where the USB-UART was previously connected, only now all three contacts of the memory connector are needed - +5 volts, the TX line and ground. We connect in accordance with the datasheet. The temperature sensor itself is attached with electrical tape to the battery.
When checking, a threshold was set to reach 30 degrees - the charging process turned off. Next, we set the threshold to whom as it is necessary, and who considers it acceptable.

Unfortunately, you cannot use the temperature sensor and the USB-UART adapter at the same time.

What did you notice from the features of the charger?

If you use the Bytt type button (first from the left) to select charging a lithium battery (it will be displayed on the LiPo screen), connect a Li-ion battery to the charger output, it will be charged up to 4.2 volts.
If you use the Batt type button to select the User Set Program menu item, and then select the type Li-ion battery of the three types of LiIo / LiPo / LiFe offered, the bank will only charge up to 4.1 volts. This is the setting at the software level.
Why the developers decided to do this is hard to say. I thought that only clones were guilty of this, but the material on the network claims that the originals behave the same way.
The next moment that drew attention to itself - you can set the threshold for discharging a can only up to 3 volts. Below does not allow functionality.
Immediately the question arose, how correctly is the calculation of the capacity?
The Sanyo batteries I tested, according to the datasheet, can be discharged up to 2.8 volts, and from this threshold the capacity is calculated, which on the new battery will be 2150 mAh.
For the purity of the experiment, an additional ZKEtech EBD-USB electronic load was used.
First, a charge cycle with the iMax B6AC to 4.2 V - a discharge to 3 V, then a charge from the iMax B6AC to 4.2 V and a discharge with an electronic load to 2.8 V. As a result, the battery capacity readings differed by almost 160 mA.
Thus, the memory does not count the capacity due to the limited lower discharge threshold.
Why did the developers do this? As I see it, for the sake of user safety and battery conservation. An ordinary user, not burdened with knowledge about the existence of a datasheet for a battery, and sometimes with the inability to find a datasheet, has the ability to discharge any lithium battery only up to 3 volts that are safe for all cans. And the bank is intact, and the user was not affected by further use overdischarged bank. If I'm wrong, please post your own thoughts in the comments.
Summing up, we can say that the memory in question has a wide range of features and rich functionality. It won't suit everyone. As experiments have shown, it is better to use another device to evaluate the capacity of batteries. Otherwise, a quite decent memory will be in demand by modellers, experimenters and soldering enthusiasts.
There is information on the net that iMAX was originally designed to charge model Li-ion and Li-Po batteries, and all other modes are a good fat bonus.

Pros:
- integrated power supply;
- the ability to power from another external power source, for example, a car battery;
- friendship with a wide range of battery types;
- the possibility of balancing batteries;
- cyclic charge / discharge and the choice of the number of cycles;
- sound signaling of the beginning, completion and emergency stops of processes (can be disabled) /

Cons and unanswered questions:
- discharge current only up to 1 Ampere;
- the lower threshold for the discharge of lithium batteries is 3 Volts;

I would like (well, something like this)):
- or a full-fledged miniUSB or USB-UART inside;
- thermocouple included).

And here the iMAX B6 user shared his experience of a car battery.

$10 COUPON: "B6AC"

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