Astronics Vertical Power Manuel utilisateur
MA214-20180119 Rev. C.2 Copyright © 2018 by Ballard Technology, Inc.
Primary Power System (PPS)
Primary power control for experimental and light-sport aircraft
Installation and Operating Manual
January 19, 2018
Rev. C.2
PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 PPS Overview............................................1
1.2 Reference Numbers .......................................1
1.3 Terms and Denitions......................................1
1.4 Other Documentation ......................................2
2. Operation
2.1 Main Bus Contactor .......................................2
2.2 Alternator Contactor .......................................3
2.3 Main Starter Contactor .....................................3
2.4 Control / Status ...........................................3
2.4a Control Inputs .......................................3
2.4b Status Outputs .......................................4
3. Electrical System Basics
3.1 Free advice on Designing your Electrical System ................5
3.2 Basic Concepts ...........................................6
3.3 Alternator Options ........................................6
3.4 Wire Sizes and Circuit Protection.............................7
3.5 Grounding - IMPORTANT ..................................7
3.6 Switch Nomenclature ......................................8
3.7 Current Sensing (Shunt) ....................................8
4. Installation and Test
4.1 Planning ................................................9
4.1a Tools and Supplies ....................................9
4.1b Wiring Diagrams .....................................9
4.2 Installation .............................................13
4.2a Mount the PPS ......................................13
4.2b Terminal Wiring .....................................15
4.2c Control/Status Wiring ................................15
4.3 Ground Test.............................................16
4.3a Ground Test without engine running .....................16
4.3b Start Mode Duty Cycle ...............................16
4.3c Ground Test with engine running........................17
4.4 Flight Test ..............................................17
5. Maintenance
5.1 Do’s and Don’ts .........................................18
6. Troubleshooting
6.1 Common Problems .......................................18
7. Specications
7.1 General ................................................19
7.2 Circuit Ratings ..........................................19
7.3 Environmental / Physical ..................................19
PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
Important Notice
This manual contains important information that may affect the safety of your aircraft. Do
not y the aircraft until you fully understand the installation and operating instructions,
and all of the pre-ight checks have been successfully completed.
Read the Limited Warranty (document number AD263 Limited Warranty Vertical Power Product
Line) available at www.verticalpower.com. There is information in the Limited Warranty that
may alter your decision to install this product. If you do not accept the terms of the Limited
Warranty, do not install this product. The product may be returned for a refund if you do not
accept the terms of the Limited Warranty.
Ballard Technology, Inc. is not liable or responsible for a pilot’s action or any situation that
results in personal injury, property damage, missed commitments, lack of use of an aircraft
or any expenses incurred due to: product failure, inaccuracy in displayed data or text les,
display or display format issues, software bugs or problems, upgrade or customization
issues, misinterpretation of the display, warning and/or limit settings, calibration problems,
installation issues (leaks, mis-wiring, obstructions, damage to aircraft or components, incorrect
installation of any parts, wrong parts, parts that don’t t, etc.) or any other issues related to the
installation or operation of this product. All of the above are solely the pilot’s and/or installer’s
responsibility.
The pilot must understand the operation of this product before ying the aircraft. The pilot
will not allow anyone to operate the aircraft that does not know the operation of this product.
The pilot will keep the PPS Operating Instructions in the aircraft at all times. The ability for this
product to correctly control electronic components and detect a problem is directly related to the
pilot’s ability to properly install the system, and the pilot’s interpretation and observation skills.
By installing this product, the aircraft owner/pilot and installer agree to hold Ballard
Technology, Inc. harmless and in no way responsible for monetary compensation, including
punitive damages for any incident, harm and/or damage associated with this product (including
but not limited to the ones listed above). If you do not agree to the above, DO NOT INSTALL
THIS PRODUCT. The pilot, aircraft owner and/or installer may want to obtain an appropriate
insurance policy before installing this product. If you do not have the skills, knowledge, tools,
equipment or facility, to perform and determine the installation of this product is safe, reliable
and accurate and to determine this product is operating properly after installation, DO NOT
INSTALL THIS PRODUCT. If the aircraft owner/pilot and/or installer are unwilling to take
the responsibility for the installation and operation of this product, DO NOT INSTALL THIS
PRODUCT. This product may be returned for a refund by contacting Ballard Technology, Inc.
It is possible for any system to fail thereby disabling electronic components or displaying
inaccurate high, low or jumpy readings. Therefore, you must be able to recognize a system
failure and you must be procient in operating your aircraft safely in spite of a system failure.
IT IS THE BUILDER AND/OR PILOT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE THE
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF BACKUP AND REDUNDANT SYSTEMS NEEDED FOR
SAFE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT. If you do not have this knowledge or skill, contact
the FAA, a certied aircraft mechanic, or a local ight instructor for training prior to building or
ying the aircraft with this system.
Before ying the aircraft verify the instrument markings displayed on the system are accurate
with your POH for every function displayed. Verify that each electrical device is congured
correctly and behaves appropriately. All data must be veried by the pilot before it is used.
Before starting the installation, make sure that your planned installation will not interfere
with the proper operation of any controls. The installer should use current aircraft standards
and practices to install this product. Refer to AC 43.13-2A, Acceptable Methods, Techniques,
and Practices - Aircraft Alterations and AC 43.13-1B, Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and
Practices—Aircraft Inspection and Repair.
The PPS is an experimental system limited to use in experimental aircraft or Light Sport
Aircraft. PPS products are not approved for use in aircraft with FAA or foreign type certicates.
Limited Warranty
For Warranty information, please refer to document number AD263 Limited Warranty Vertical
Power Product Line available at www.verticalpower.com/documents.
Copyright Notice
Copyright ©2018 by Ballard Technology, Inc. Ballard Technology’s permission to copy and
distribute this manual is for the purchaser’s private use only and is conditioned upon purchaser’s
use and application with the hardware that was shipped with this manual. No commercial resale
or outside distribution rights are allowed by this notice. This material remains the property of
Ballard Technology. All other rights reserved by Ballard Technology, Inc.
Trademarks
Vertical Power is a registered trademark of Ballard Technology, Inc. All other product names or
trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Astronics Ballard Technology
11400 Airport Road
Everett, WA 98204
Phone: 425.328.1658
Fax: 425.339.0915
Email: info@verticalpower.com
PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
Change Log
Change date Change
Oct 21, 2015 Initial public release
Mar 29, 2017 Updates based on product changes incl. new pinouts
Aug 24, 2017 Updated grounding instructions
Sep 25, 2017 Updated grounding diagram and Table 4.2b
Jan 19, 2018 Updated current values; added Start Mode Duty Cycle
information; added GND stud and grounding updates
to tables, diagrams and drawings; added maintenance
recommendations.
Page 1
PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
1. Introduction
This manual is the user’s guide for the Vertical Power Primary Power
System (PPS). The PPS is a new and innovative way to simplify wiring
on your aircraft. It replaces a host of mechanical components with solid-
state circuits.
While the PPS makes life easier for the builder, it’s not simply a plug-
and-play solution. The builder must still run wires to electrically-
powered components and this wiring takes some careful planning. Please
take the time to read and understand this manual before proceeding.
This manual describes the steps and techniques necessary to install and
operate the PPS.
1.1 PPS Overview
The PPS controls power from the battery to the starter and the main bus.
It also ties into the alternator b-lead(s) so that alternator power can both
charge the battery and provide power to the main bus.
The Vertical Power PPS
The PPS works with a single-bus architecture. It supports a single battery
and one or two alternators. Additional small backup batteries and E-Bus
circuits can be tied into the PPS via the battery terminal.
It does not implement a true dual-bus architecture (two independent
batteries, alternators, battery contactors, and a cross-tie contactor).
Multiple PPS units can be used to implement a dual-bus architecture.
Please contact support for more information on dual-bus installations.
The system also works with rear-mounted batteries, as shown in one of
the wiring diagrams later in the manual.
The PPS is designed to ‘t in’ with the way master switches and starter
switches are normally wired. No special wiring or provisions are needed.
The PPS also includes fault outputs that show you when the alternator or
main bus line have faulted.
1.2 Reference Numbers
For future reference, we encourage you to record the model number
and serial number of your PPS product. You may wish to use the space
provided below:
Model No: __________________
Serial No: __________________
1.3 Terms and Denitions
Device A user of electrical power. It may be a light, radio,
GPS receiver, contactor, or EFIS, just to name a few. A
device is wired to a power pin on the VP-X.
Pin A pin refers to a physical pin on the connector.
ECB Electronic circuit breaker. A solid-state, circuit
protection module used inside the PPS.
Connector The Primary Power System uses a 28-pin circular
plastic connector for J1. It is made by TE Connectivity.
A mating connector of the same brand is recommended
for compatibility.
AWG American Wire Gauge – a standard that describes the
size of the wire.
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PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
Circuit breaker While the PPS does not use conventional circuit
breakers or fuses, the term is very common and herein
is used to mean the maximum current a circuit will
draw before faulting.
Fault The PPS protects the alternator b-lead and main bus
wires. When a fault occurs, the PPS turn on the fault
light. You can then reset or clear the fault, similar to
resetting a circuit breaker.
1.4 Other Documentation
We provide other documents that should be used in conjunction with this
manual to help you thoroughly plan a safe and effective electrical system
for the type of mission you y. The following documents are available on
the Documents page in the Help section of the Vertical Power web site
(www.VerticalPower.com), and should be reviewed in conjunction with
planning your electrical system.
Document Description
Contactor Wiring Overview of the different types of contactors
used in experimental aircraft, and step by
step instructions how to wire them properly.
Device Amps This document lists the electrical current
draw of many popular radios, GPS moving
maps, EFIS displays, lights, and other
avionics. We maintain it, but contributions
come from builders.
Top 10 Wiring Mistakes A free, 12-page paper describing the most
common wiring mistakes and how to get
started wiring your aircraft.
Additional documentation may also be available on the web site.
2. Operation
The functional block diagram of the PPS is shown below. The following
sections explain in detail how each functional block of the PPS operates.
28-pin
Circular
Connector
Power
Supply
300 A
80 A
80 A
Reverse
Protection
Fault
Detection/
Control
Main
Bus
Out
or Main
Power
Starter
Out
Alt 1 & 2
B-Lead
In
Main
Battery
The Functional Block Diagram of the PPS
2.1 Main Bus Contactor
The main bus contactor allows current to ow to/from the main battery to
the main power bus. This allows the battery to provide power to the main
power bus loads and battery charging once the alternator is powering the
main bus.
For the contactor to be closed, the master switch (MASTER) must be
closed, the main battery (BATT DIST EN) must be enabled, and there
must not be an active fault.
The main bus contactor will latch open and indicate a fault (BATT DIST
FAULT) if the slow-trip current or the instantaneous maximum current of
320 amps is exceeded. The slow-trip current emulates the trip curve for a
standard 80 amp slow-blow fuse.
The main bus contactor fault may be reset by either toggling the main
battery (BATT DIST EN) or master switch (MASTER).
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PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
2.2 Alternator Contactor
The alternator contactor allows current to ow from the alternator(s)
to the main power bus. This allows one or more alternators to provide
power to the main power bus loads and battery charging if the main bus
contactor is closed.
For the contactor to be closed, the master switch (MASTER) must be
closed, the alternator (ALT DIST EN) must be enabled, and there must
not be an active fault.
The alternator contactor will latch open and indicate a fault (BATT DIST
FAULT) if the slow-trip current or the instantaneous maximum current of
400 amps is exceeded. The slow-trip current emulates the trip curve for a
standard 100 amp slow-blow fuse.
The alternator contactor fault may be reset by either toggling the
alternator (ALT DIST EN) or master switch (MASTER).
2.3 Main Starter Contactor
The main starter contactor allows current to ow from the main battery
to the starter.
For the contactor to be closed, the master switch (MASTER) must be
closed, the main starter (MAIN BATT START EN) must be enabled, and
there must not be an active fault.
The starter active indicator (STARTER ACTIVE) will be active when
there is voltage present at the starter output regardless of the main starter
contactor or auxiliary starter contactor being closed.
The main starter contactor will latch open if the slow-trip current, the
fast-trip current of 1200 amps or the instantaneous maximum current of
1500 amps is exceeded. The slow-trip current emulates the trip curve for
a standard 300 amp slow-blow fuse.
The main starter contactor fault may be reset by toggling the main starter
(MAIN BATT START EN) or master switch (MASTER).
2.4 Control / Status
2.4a Control Inputs
The inputs listed in the table below are inputs that control PPS operation
and are intended to be connected to switches. The switch may be a toggle
or momentary switch depending on the intended use. The switch should
make connection to GND for Open/GND inputs and make connection to
Bus voltage for BUS/Open inputs.
Name Description Type Switch State
MASTER Turn on PPS Open/GND Closed = ON
Open = OFF
MASTER
ALTERNATE
Turn on PPS (Optional –
redundant to MASTER)
Open/GND Closed = ON
Open = OFF
BATT DIST EN Closes the Main Battery
Distribution contactor
Open/GND Closed = ON
Open = OFF
ALT DIST EN Closes the Alternator
Distribution contactor
Open/GND Closed = ON
Open = OFF
MAIN BATT
START EN
Closes the Main Battery
Start contactor
Bus/Open Closed = ON
Open = OFF
PPS Control input pins
The electrical characteristics for Open/GND inputs are listed below.
Specication Min Max
Pin Voltage 0 V 36 V
Open Threshold 500 kΩ –
GND Threshold –100 Ω
Open/GND Input Electrical Characteristics
The electrical characteristics for BUS/Open inputs are listed below.
Specication Min Max
Pin Voltage 0 V 36 V
High Threshold 7.8 V –
Open Threshold 500 kΩ –
BUS/Open Input Electrical Characteristics
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PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
2.4b Status Outputs
The outputs listed in the table below are status outputs from the PPS that
indicate the operational and fault status of the PPS. BUS/GND outputs
are intended to be connected to an LED indicator. Analog outputs are
intended to be connected to equipment (e.g. analog gauges, electronic
gauges, EFIS) that utilizes shunt resistors for current measurement.
A positive output (CURRENT+ above reference) represents “forward
current” (i.e. battery to loads). A negative output (CURRENT+ below
reference) represents “reverse current” (i.e. battery charging).
Name Description Type
BATT DIST FAULT Latched Over-current fault
indication
BUS/GND
ALT DIST FAULT Latched Over-current fault
indication
BUS/GND
STARTER ACTIVE Starter Active indication BUS/GND
BATT CURRENT+ Main Battery current sense
1 mV/A relative to 7.5 V
Analog
BATT CURRENT- Main Battery current sense
7.5 V reference
Analog
ALT CURRENT+ Main Battery current sense
1 mV/A relative to 7.5 V
Analog
ALT CURRENT- Main Battery current sense
7.5 V reference
Analog
PPS output pins
The electrical characteristics of BUS/GND outputs are listed below.
Specication Min Typ Max
Output Voltage 0 V – BUS
Output Current (at VO=BUS/2) – – 10 mA
Low Output Resistance – 10 kΩ –
BUS/GND Output Electrical Characteristics
The electrical characteristics of analog outputs are listed below. Analog
outputs are protected against shorts to GND.
Specication Min Typ Max
Output Voltage 2.5 V 7.5 V 12.5 V
Scale –1 A/mV –
Analog Output Electrical Characteristics
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PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
3. Electrical System Basics
This manual and the accompanying documentation on the Vertical
Power web site are intended to provide enough detail to understand
overall concepts and safely wire your aircraft. Should you want more
information, additional resources can be found in a variety of books and
texts, a few of which are shown here:
• FAA Advisory Circular AC 43.13, Acceptable Methods,
Techniques, and Practices - Aircraft Inspection and Repair
available from www.faa.gov
• FAA Advisory Circular AC 23.1311, Installation of Electronic
Display in Part 23 Airplanes, available from www.faa.gov
• EAA Hints for Homebuilders
http://www.eaa.org/video/homebuilders.html
• Aircraft Wiring Guide, available from:
http://www.aircraftwiringguide.com/
• Aeroelectric Connection book, available from:
http://www.aeroelectric.com
• Sport Air Electrical Systems Simplied article, available from:
http://www.sportair.com/articles/Electrical Systems Simplied.
html
3.1 Free advice on Designing your Electrical System
Many builders are new to electrical wiring and nd it daunting. Even
experienced electrical engineers may not be familiar with good practices
specic to aircraft wiring. With that in mind, we’ve added lots of detail
throughout this manual. Before we dig into those details, this section
will help you to think about the big picture as you design your electrical
system.
When designing your electrical system, there is a temptation to copy or
do things the same way as your buddy did them when he built his plane.
Avoid that temptation. Every experimental aircraft is different and is used
in different ways. It may end up that your plane, when nished, is similar
in certain ways to your friend’s plane, but that should be because your
requirements are similar and not because you blindly copied him.
We believe the most important free advice we can offer is the following:
CLARIFY YOUR MISSION
In this age of gadgets, it is all too tempting to add just one more
enhancement, then one more again, until we lose sight of how and why
we are building an airplane in the rst place. Think about the most basic
things rst. What will your plane be used for? What type of weather will
you be ying in? What do the worst-case scenarios look like?
The outcome of this decision drives not only how you wire your
electrical system, but also what avionics and other equipment you put in
the aircraft.
If you clarify your mission like this, determining not only what it is but
just as importantly what it isn’t, you will be ready to adopt our next bit of
free advice:
COMMIT YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO PAPER
It is surprising to us how many builders, after relying on many pages of
detailed plans for their airframes, use little more than a napkin or a single
sheet of copy paper to draw out their electrical system. Planning and
researching your design and then committing every detail of that design
to hardcopy before you buy equipment and run wires will pay huge
dividends later on.
Whether you’re comfortable with either a pencil or a keyboard, write and
draw everything down, somewhere. Use whatever tools work best for
you—paper, PowerPoint, AutoCAD, or spreadsheets. We cannot design
your electrical system for you, but we can be a valuable sounding-board
for your thoughts. We even have an on-line planning tool at planner.
verticalpower.com that is a big step in the forward direction. After
helping many different customers with many different designs, we’ve
learned that it’s much easier to erase than to rewire. Much cheaper too.
While you commit your design to paper, erasing and redrawing as many
times as it takes to get it right, please keep in mind our last piece of free
advice:
KEEP IT SIMPLE
As a basic rule, the more complex something is the more likely it is to
Page 6
PPS Installation and Operating Manual
Rev. C.2 (January 19, 2018)
break. For some reason, while most experimental airplanes are built as
dependable but simple vehicles, their builders are enticed to attach every
electrical bell and whistle they can nd in a catalog. By adding more
relays, busses, terminals, diodes, wires, and (let’s face it) toys, you are
actually adding more things that can fail and more things that make it
harder to troubleshoot.
Before you delve into the details of designing your electrical system,
please consider these three bits of advice. If you do so, the end result will
be an electrical system and avionics package that meets your real needs
when you get your project in the air.
3.2 Basic Concepts
An aircraft electrical system can be divided into three parts:
1. “Backbone” components: aircraft battery, alternator, voltage
regulator, contactors and associated wiring. This is called the
primary power distribution system. Contactors are just high
capacity relays that are energized by low power signals but allow
large amounts of power to pass through.
2. Busses, switches, smaller wiring, and circuit protection (fuses
and/or circuit breakers). This is called the secondary power
distribution system.
3. Users of power and the wiring to and from those users. Users
may be lights, instruments, avionics, pumps, etc. The term device
or load is used in this manual to generically describe all the users.
More on electrical system basics:
• The aircraft battery and alternator provide power to all
electrically-dependent systems. Normally, the battery powers
systems before and during starts and then the alternator takes
over charging the battery and providing power to the electrical
devices. A battery contactor, connects (or disconnects) the
high-current wires between the battery and the main power
distribution bus. The PPS functions as the battery contactor.
• Power typically runs from the battery/alternator to electrical
busses behind the panel where power is split and sent to
individual devices through circuit protection devices (fuses and
circuit breakers) and switches. The VP-X assumes the role of
busses, circuit protection, and a host of single-function modules.
During construction, the VP-X greatly simplies the task of
wiring your aircraft.
• Wire sizes vary and the size of the wire to each device is
determined by the current load (amps) of that device as well as
the distance the current must travel. If a wire is too small for
the load or distance, it will heat up and possibly fail. If the wire
is too big, it will certainly carry the load but at the expense of
added weight.
• To complete the electrical path, devices must have a ground. This
means connecting a ground wire to the metal aircraft structure
(aircraft ground) or running a ground wire from the device to a
central location such as a rewall grounding point.
3.3 Alternator Options
The alternator provides power to devices and also charges the aircraft
battery. The voltage regulator continuously monitors the bus voltage and
adjusts the output of the alternator. The regulator only works when it is
powered from a bus through a wire called the eld wire. Some alternators
are internally regulated (the regulator is built in), and others have
external regulators (a separate box located outside the alternator).
Today’s experimental aircraft are powered by either 14 volt or 28 volts
systems. Often you may hear 12 volt or 24 volt systems. Why the
difference? The reason is because the batteries are rated at either 12 or
24 volts. When the engine is running and the alternator is turned on, the
alternator generates 14 volts or 28 volts, slightly higher than the battery
voltage so it will keep the battery charged.
If you have a primary alternator and a secondary (backup) alternator only
one alternator (eld wire) should be powered on at a time. Therefore, we
refer to one alternator as the primary and the other as the secondary. If
both are on simultaneously, they do not equally “contribute” to powering
the loads. The one whose voltage regulator is set to the highest voltage
will draw all the current (sometimes called current hogging), possibly
overloading the alternator.
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