SPC3 9 Amp in / 10 Amp out Solar Power Center

Introduction
The SPC3 is a solar power center, it can handle all of the power functions for a solar charged 12 Volt
DC system. The SPC3 contains a 9 amp photovoltaic charge controller, a 10 amp low voltage load
disconnect circuit and a pair of built-in white LEDs for area illumination. The low voltage disconnect
circuit has a load on-off switch and a battery low voltage indicator. By using the SPC3 as the center
of a solar powered device, long battery life is assured. The SPC3 can be used for a stand-alone solar
lighting system, it can also be used for making solar powered audio and radio devices.
The circuit was designed with the following goals:
Single board smart solar power system with self-contained light.

Analog simplicity with common parts for ease of repair.

High efficiency: low-loss charging and minimal idle current.
Radio-quiet operation, low frequency charge control switching.
Capable of handling resistive, inductive and capacitive loads.
Low switching noise for radio-quiet operation.
Temperature compensation for optimal battery charging at different temperatures.
Specifications
Nominal battery voltage: 12V
Maximum solar panel current: 9 Amps
Maximum load current: 10 Amps, higher power loads can be connected directly to the battery
Night time battery drain current: approximately 150 micro-amps
See the full SPC3 kit specifications for more details.
Charge Controller Theory
The charge controller is shown in the upper half of the schematic. When the PV panel's voltage rises
above 12V, current flows through zener diode ZD1 causing transistor Q2 to turn on and send power
to voltage regulator VR1. VR1 provides 5 Volt power to the rest of the charge controller circuitry. The
charge controller power is supplied by the battery when the sun is shining on the PV panel. During
the night, the Q2 circuit turns off and prevents the charge controller from draining battery power.
The upper half of IC1 is the heart of the charge controller. It acts as a comparator/oscillator circuit.
When the battery voltage is well below the float voltage setting, IC1 turns on, this causes the LED to
turn red and the 4N35 opto-coupler to turn on. The output of the 4N35 activates FET Q1, which
connects the solar panel power to the battery through Schottky diode SD1.
When the float voltage is reached, the circuit oscillates just above and below the float setting and
battery charging current is switched on and off. The oscillation frequency changes with the battery's
state of charge and the available PV panel current. The maximum switching frequency of IC1 is
limited due to the hysteresis provided by R11 and the low-pass characteristics of R6,RV1,R8 and C4.
The thermistor TM1 modifies the float voltage to a slightly higher value when the circuit experiences
colder temperatures. This thermal compensation improves cold weather battery charging.
The lower half of IC1 always produces the opposite output from the upper half of IC1, this is used for
driving the bipolar state indicator, LED1.
If the equalize terminals are shorted together, the preset float voltage setting will rise. This is useful
for occasionally overcharging (equalizing) a battery.

Schottky diode SD1 prevents battery power from leaking back into the solar panel at night. Diode D1
is wired as a crowbar circuit, if the battery is connected in reverse the fuse will blow, saving the rest
of the circuitry from destruction.
Low Voltage Disconnect Theory
The smart switch and low voltage disconnect circuitry is shown in the lower half of the schematic.
The circuit operates like a solid-state version of a latching relay. Unlike simple voltage controlled
switch devices, when the LVD circuit shuts off, it stays off until it is manually turned back on with a
flip of switch S1. This action prevents the load from oscillating off and on due to the rise in battery
voltage after the load is disconnected.
When momentary switch S1 is turned on, transistor Q5 is turned on. This activates the comparator
circuits formed by IC2d and IC2c. When the circuit is active and battery voltage is above the LVD
setpoint, the IC2d comparator output goes low and transistor Q4 is switched off. This allows gate
drive voltage to reach Q3, Q3 connects battery power to the load. Resistor R16 bleeds off the gate
drive voltage from capacitor C8 when the circuit shuts off.
When momentary switch S1 is turned off, the Q3 gate drive voltage is shorted to ground, causing
load power to be switched off.
IC2a and IC2b form a square wave oscillator that produces a frequency of approximately 350 Hz with
a voltage swing from 0-12V. The output of the oscillator is fed to the D3,D4,D5 voltage multiplier
circuit to produce the Q3 gate drive voltage, this is typically around 18.3V. Q3 requires a gate drive
voltage above 12V since it is wired to switch the high side of the load.
Once the LVD circuit has been turned on, diode D7 feeds the load power back to the circuit to keep it
active. Power to LED3 and LED4, the two white LEDs is routed through R17, a current limiting
resistor.
Regulator VR2 provides a reference voltage for the oscillator circuit and for the battery voltage
comparators IC2c and IC2d.
IC2c is the low battery voltage sensing comparator. When the battery reaches 0.6V above the
shutoff point, the IC2c output goes high and turns on the yellow LED. Resistor R21 sets the
difference between the low voltage indication and the power shutoff setpoint.
Diode D8 protects the circuit from reverse voltage spikes when driving an inductive load such as a
relay or motor.
Charge Controller Alignment
Connect the PV panel and battery to the circuit, put the PV in full sun. Turn the float voltage setting
fully clockwise, the dual color LED should turn red. Connect a volt meter across the battery and
monitor the battery voltage. The battery voltage should gradually rise while the sun shines.
Leave the circuit connected until the battery voltage has reached or exceeded the desired fullcharged setting, this is typically around 13.8V at room temperature. Turn the float voltage setting
counter-clockwise until the LED alternates red and green. Adjust the setting until the LED blinks and

the battery voltage is where you want it to be at the full state. When the LED is alternating
red/green, it is normal for the battery voltage to vary by about 10mV.
If a battery pack with a float voltage setting below 13V is used with the SPC3 (NiMH for example),
zener diode ZD1 should be changed to a 1N4740 (10V) and resistor R6 should be changed to 250K.
Low Voltage Disconnect Alignment
Disconnect the battery from the SPC3 and connect a variable voltage power supply that can produce
10 to 15 Volts across the SPC3 battery connection. Observe the correct polarity. Set the variable
supply to 11.6 Volts. Turn the LVD Setpoint pot fully counter-clockwise. Turn the power switch on.
The White power LEDs should turn on. Turn the pot clockwise until the yellow low voltage LED just
turns on. Monitor the supply voltage while you decrease it, at around 11V, the LVD should turn off
the white LEDs. Repeat the adjustment if you wish to fine-tune the shutoff voltage.
Use
Connect a 12V rechargeable battery, photovoltaic panel, and a load to the SPC3 circuit board.
As sun shines on the solar panel, the circuit will pass charging current to the battery. The dual color
LED will turn red while solar charging is taking place. When the battery voltage rises to the full
setpoint, the charging current will be periodically cut off and the LED will alternate red and green.
The load can be operated during daytime charging and at night.
The on/off switch controls the load like a normal power switch. If the battery voltage drops to 0.6V
above the shutoff point, the yellow LED will turn on to warn of an impending shutdown. If the
battery voltage drops further, the circuit will shut the load off, preventing deep discharge of the
battery. This will greatly extend the life of the battery.