An electric bike controller is the brain and heart of an e-bike. So, if you’re wondering how to connect an e-bike controller, you have come to the right place.
You can connect your controller’s power connector to the 3-phase battery, and even the hall sensor connector points to the electrical motor. After doing that, join the throttle to the Thoreau cable connector.
This article contains a detailed guide on how to connect an e-bike controller and other general information about it. Keep reading to learn more.
What Is an e-Bike Controller?
An e-bike controller comprises microcontrollers (main chips) and other peripheral components (sensors, resistors, MOSFET, etc.). Typically, it is composed of an AD circuit, signal acquisition and processing circuit, PWM creation circuit, and an under-voltage and over-current protection circuit.
After we’ve seen what an e-bike controller is, let’s consider The function of an Electric Bike Controller.
Electric Bike Controller: How Does It Work?
The controller monitors the battery’s voltage, turning on the motor if the voltage is too low, and it shuts it down if it’s too high. In addition, it monitors the temperature of the FET (Field-Effect Transistors), shutting down the motor if the temperature is too hot.
How to Connect e-Bike Controller?
Within the e-bike controller system, there are several different wire connections. So, ensure to connect the essential wires to the proper circuits to get the system running.
For example, to connect your e-bike controller, join the power cable connector from the controller to the battery. In addition, the Thoreau cable, hall sensor wires, 3-speed wires, and even the brake wires are specifically arranged where you can connect them from the controller.
Your electric bike can come with either or both of these switches. If your e-bike comes with both, then you are really in luck, as e-bikes with both switches provide additional benefits. The controller comprises different wire colors such as yellow wire, black wire, green wire, etc. Here are a few steps to connect your e-bike controller connectors to the entire system:
1. Ensure You Have The Power Connectors Set Up Properly
The power connector has 3 wires; the two large wires are the positive (red) and negative (black) wires. The smaller wire is a switch that turns on the circuit when connected to the positive and shuts down the circuit when connected to the negative. The power connector helps you connect the ebike battery to the controller.
2. Connect the Thoreau Wires to the Accelerator
The Thoreau cable has three wires, red, green, and black. Ensure to connect the thoreau cable to the accelerator such that all wires match each other. The wires signify positive (red), negative (black), and signal (green). The Thoreau can occasionally have a power switch or a voltage display screen.
3. Join the Hall-Sensor Cable to the Motor
The hall sensor connector. It has five wires. Black (ground), red (positive), and the three other wires are signal wires (blue, yellow, and green). Although it’s not all hall sensor cables that have 5 wires, some have 6 wires.
4. Connect the 3-phased Power Cable To The Brushless DC Wires
The 3 phased power cable is connected to the brushless DC wires. It has 3 wires, blue, green, and yellow. Connect the wires in a matching order from the controller to your motor wires. IF after connecting it and the motor spins backward, swap the position of the blue and green wires.
5. Utilize the Smart Wires Carefully
The smart wires are also called learning or intelligent wires. Each has a mouth that is fitted to be compatible with the other wire. They are usually white and can be connected. The learning wire is used to program the controller to run your motors in any direction you desire.
How to Choose The Best Electric Bike Controller?
When choosing the electric bike controller, ensure to select a controller that is compatible with every other component of the e-bike. Also note, the e-bike you select should support your height as a rider. This is because electric bikes for a short or average-height mam are much different from the electric bike for tall man
Driving Type of the controller
There are two types of controllers—the Sinewave and the Square wave controllers, with each having its respective benefits. For example, the Sine waves are ideal for climbing uphill and are less noisy. Their controls are also predictable and provide smoother operation.
On the other hand, Square controllers are cheaper and best for multiple motors. They are very efficient for abrupt braking and acceleration. Also, this kind of controller offers more effective usage of the power voltage than the Sine wave.
Non-Hall-Sensor or Hall-Sensor Controller
Your electric bicycle conversion kit can include a motor with either a hall sensor or doesn’t have one. Using a sensorless controller, you should utilize a brushless motor controller compatible with a non-hall-sensor operation. You can also check the product description of your electric motor to see if the sensors are available or not.
Electric bike motors that come with hall-sensors are either hall-sensor or dual mode. First, the hall sensor evaluates the electric bike’s motor rotation, letting you know the speed of the ebike. Once that is done, the controller displays a corresponding voltage based on the instantaneous sensor signals. As a result, the hall sensor is stable and consumes less power.
Furthermore, if the motor gets damaged, the controller will display an error code. It will also shut down the motor while the dual-mode is still functioning.
Brushed vs. Brushless Motors
An e-bike brushed motor controller is much simpler than a corresponding brushless speed controller. Its motor’s speed relies on the inputted voltage and can be manipulated via a rheostat. With a brushed motor, a controller isn’t very necessary, but its efficiency will be lesser than its brushless counterpart.
As a result, brushed e-bike motors have a lesser range limit than brushless motors.
Presently, most e-bike manufacturers utilize brushless motors. They depend on internal sensors within the motor to determine the motor’s torque or function based on the received feedback from the wires.
Geared Motors or Direct Drive Motors
Geared motors require lesser current controllers than direct drive motors while dispersing very similar power outputs. However, geared motors require a higher voltage to run. On the other hand, direct-drive motors require high torque to start. Thus, a greater amp max controller is needed to prevent the controller from burning.
The Controller Current and Voltage
Asides from matching the motor type to the motor’s speed controller, it’s important to ensure the e-bike brushless motor controller is compatible with the steady power. Also, ensure that it works well with the amp requirements of the battery system and motor.
A 25 volt, 600-Watt peak motor will need a controller of 24 amps (typically a 25 MOSFET) capacity.
Conclusion
If you’re eager to find out how to connect an e-bike controller, it’s possible. However, without adequate knowledge, you can implement the wrong things and blow up your controller.
But, if you follow the steps given above, you will encounter lesser challenges than heading out without really knowing what to do.