TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTICE, WARNING AND CAUTION ........................4 NOTICE ................................4 WARNING ..............................4 CAUTION ............................... 4 BOX CONTENTS ..............................4 INTRODUCTION ..............................5 FEATURES ................................6 SPECIFICATIONS ..............................7 INPUT POWER SOURCE AND CONNECTION ......................7 Input Current Max ............................7 Input Power Low Voltage Cutoff ........................
Page 3
CYCLE MODE ..............................22 Cycle Order ..............................23 Cycle Number .............................. 23 Cycling the Battery ............................23 Data Monitoring During Cycling ........................23 Cycling Complete/End ..........................23 STORAGE MODE .............................. 24 Storage Charging/Discharging the Battery ....................24 Data Monitoring During the Storage Process ....................24 Storage Complete/End..........................
NOTICE, WARNING AND CAUTION NOTICE All instructions, warranties, and other collateral documents are subject to change at the sole discretion of Advance Energy, Inc. dba Thunder Power RC. For up-to-date product literature, visit www.ThunderPowerRC.com or call 702-228-8883. WARNING Read the ENTIRE instruction manual to become familiar with the features/functions of the charger before operating.
LiPo batteries at ultra-fast rates up to 6C and beyond. This means the TP820CD is well-equipped to quickly charge batteries up to 8S on each port, as well as ‘split’ batteries equipped with interconnect leads up to 16S by using both ports simultaneously.
The included balance connector adapter boards (2pcs) allow the built-in balancers to be used with 2-8S Thunder Power-compatible balance connectors as well as the JST-XH balance connectors found on many other brand batteries from Align, Dynamite®, E-flite®, ParkZone® and more ...
Firmware: User-updatable using USB INPUT POWER SOURCE AND CONNECTION The TP820CD (charger) is designed and built to be powered from a 10.5-28.0V DC power source. This can include a single 12V Pb/lead-acid battery, two 12V Pb/lead-acid batteries connected in series for 24V or a quality AC to DC power supply with stable 10.5-28.0V DC output.
in the case that you will be loading the input power source considerably (so the voltage will drop more significantly under load even though there is still sufficient capacity remaining in the 12V battery for example) you can set this as low as 10.0V. However, keep in mind that dropping the voltage under load to as a low as 10.0V (or even 10.5V under some loads) could result in discharging a 12V battery input power source low enough that it will not start the car when needed.
IOTA Engineering DLS-27-40. With a typical output voltage of 27.2V and the capability to deliver up to 40A, this power supply can deliver upwards of 1100W to the charger allowing for maximum output (800W) with some headroom to spare (also works well with two TP820CD chargers running at high power levels up to ~500W each).
Page 10
2-4 amps versus the up to 20 amp charge rate capability of the TP820CD. As a result you MUST connect the main power AND balance connector leads to the charger in order to charge through the main power and balance through the balance connector leads accordingly.
OPERATING INFO Button Functions +/– buttons The +/– buttons allow you to scroll up/down through menus before and during charging/discharging. These buttons also allow you to change values/settings for options after they have been selected (typically when flashing after pressing the ENTER button). PORT button The PORT button allows you to toggle/switch the port (1 or 2) you are currently viewing.
Battery Cell Count The TP820CD is capable of charging/discharging 1S (3.7V) to 8S (29.6V) LiPo, LiIon and LiFe (A123) batteries, as well as 1-24 cell NiCd and NiMH along with 1S (2V) to 15S (30V) Pb (lead-acid) batteries. After selecting the correct battery chemistry/type you MUST select the correct cell count for the battery you will be charging/discharging.
Battery Capacity For added safety and ease of use, the TP820CD features a function that allows you to set the battery capacity. This function allows you to enter the capacity of the battery you’ll be charging so the charger can automatically set a 1C (1 x Capacity) charge rate. In general most supported battery...
Balancing ON/OFF (for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries) As noted in further detail in the BALANCER CONNECTIONS section of this manual, the TP820CD is equipped with built-in balancers for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe (A123) cells/batteries and you should ALWAYS use the balancers when charging LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries for maximum safety and battery performance/longevity.
Delta Peak Sensitivity (for NiCd/NiMH batteries) When the charger has been set to charge NiCd or NiMH chemistry/type batteries you can also set the delta peak sensitivity value. This is the difference in voltage when the NiCd/NiMH battery reaches peak voltage/fully charged voltage and is used to complete/end charging of NiCd/NiMH batteries accordingly.
At that point, and as long as cells are balanced within 0.03V (when balancing is ON), charging will switch to the Constant Voltage phase as indicated by the ‘CV’ that will show in placed of ‘CC’. Or, if any cell is imbalanced by more than 0.03V charging will instead switch from the Constant Current phase to the Extended Balance phase, as indicated by the EB that will show in place of CC/CV.
Charging Split LiPo Batteries up to 16S on Separate Ports The dual ports of the TP820CD are also an excellent choice for charging ‘split’ batteries that feature interconnect leads (for transport/shipping as non-dangerous/non-hazardous goods when the leads are left disconnected) up to 16S 59.2V.
Page 18
Beginning with the charge lead equipped with a male Deans connector, connect the negative lead to the negative female ‘banana plug’ receptacle of port 1. Then connect the positive lead to the positive female banana plug receptacle of port 2. Next, connect the male end of the separate positive lead to port 1 and one of the male ends of the separate negative lead to port 2 as shown in the photo.
DISCHARGE MODE The TP820CD is able to discharge batteries in order to check capacity or for other reasons as needed. It’s capable of discharging at rates up to 10.0A and 50W per port, and keep in mind that aside from the discharge current rate and per cell voltage cutoff that can be set in the Discharge Mode, the cell count must be set in the Charge Mode.
That said, because the TP820CD is capable of discharging at rates up to 10A/50W, in many cases it will not be possible to discharge batteries, especially those above approximately 3S 11.1V 5000mAh, at even a 1C rate.
These details in mind, please also see the chart provided separately for a quick reference of the estimated maximum discharge power levels/discharge current rate settings for LiPo batteries based on the current rate and estimated voltage of the battery (and please note that these values are approximate and may vary +/- slightly depending on ambient temperatures, state of charge/voltage level of the battery being discharged, etc.).
CYCLE MODE The TP820CD is capable of charging/discharging batteries automatically by cycling them up to 15 times. This can be particularly useful for testing and/or rejuvenating NiCd/NiMH batteries and please note that we DO NOT recommend cycling LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries as it comes at great risk unless you monitor all charge/discharge cycles in person fully and set the discharge cutoff voltage to a level high enough to prevent over-discharge.
Cycle Order You can select the cycle order, charge->discharge (CHG->DCHG) or discharge->charge (DCHG- >CHG), using this setting. To change the order simply press the ENTER button once then use the +/ – buttons to adjust the order accordingly. Cycle Number This allows you to set the number of cycles the charger will automatically perform from 1 to 15.
STORAGE MODE The TP820CD features an advanced Storage Mode that automatically discharges and/or charges the battery for safe and healthy storage. For added reference you should NEVER store LiPo batteries at full charge for more than few hours at most (and they should be stored at temps of 40-75° F whenever possible to prevent swelling and/or loss of performance/capacity).
ENTER button to exit the storage process completely. SETTING DATA (SETTINGS) MODE The Setting Data mode of the TP820CD allows you to set the various default settings/data for a variety of functions. You can reach the Setting Data mode from any of the Charge, Discharge, Cycle or Storage Mode screens by pressing the MODE button once.
For LiPo batteries, and LiIon batteries with a nominal voltage of 3.7V per cell (and full charge voltage of 4.2V per cell), you can set the charge end voltage up to 4.24V per cell. And although the maximum recommended charge end voltage per cell is 4.235V, due to slight variations in the components and calibration of each charger, resistance of charge leads and cells/batteries, ambient conditions and more, it is possible that when the value is set to 4.24V it will not actually exceed 4.235V per cell when checked with a calibrated Digital Volt Meter (DVM).
to charge higher capacity/cell count motor power batteries on one port and lower capacity/cell count motor power, receiver, transmitter, etc. batteries on the other port simultaneously. You can adjust the power distribution levels by pressing the ENTER button once and using the +/– buttons to adjust the levels accordingly.
DATA VIEW MODE The Data View mode of the TP820CD allows you to view various data collected within the mode and throughout recently completed charging/discharging processes. You can reach the Data View mode from the Setting Data (Settings) Mode screen by pressing the MODE button once. From there you can use the +/ –...
IR of batteries when they are new and tracking their relative IR over time as the battery ages. In the case of cells such as those featuring the Thunder Power RC exclusive Generation 6 chemistry, the IR can actually decrease throughout the first 25-100+ cycles while often stabilizing for hundreds more cycles after.
For example, if a 2250mAh cell has slightly higher IR than another 2250mAh cell when checked on the TP820CD, it is possible that under a higher load than the TP820CD places on the cell, and with the associated heating in the actual application, the IR of the cell actually changes to become lower than the other cell when used in the same application.
To Measure Individual Cell Internal Resistance You can also check the IR of individual cells in LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries when the balance connected is connected to the balance connector adapter board/balancer. To check individual cell IR, when on the Battery/IR screen/menu simply press the + button once to view the Cell IR screen/menu. Then, press the ENTER button once and after a relatively quick check the charger will display the approximate IR of each cell in the battery.
the top line (starting with #1 on the left and ending with #4 on the right) and 5-8 on the bottom line. Also, any cells that show 0.00V are not applicable or are not being measured due to a balance connector connection issue.
FIRMWARE UPDATES The TP820CD is equipped with a standard mini USB connector that allows the firmware to be updated by the user. Any future updated firmware versions including improved functions, additional features, possible new battery chemistry support and more can be downloaded for free from the Support/Downloads section of the web site at www.ThunderPowerRC.com.
WARRANTY, SUPPORT AND SERVICE Limited Warranty Term Period: Thunder Power RC (TPRC) warranties that the Product(s) purchased (the "Product") will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the limited warranty term period from the date of purchase by the Purchaser. Please contact TPRC to confirm the limited warranty term period per your Product(s).
Page 35
web site at www.ThunderPowerRC.com or call 702-228-8883 (M-F, 8:30AM-4:30PM PST) to speak to a Product Support representative. Inspection or Repairs: If you purchased this Product outside of the United States (US) and/or are located outside of the US, please contact the authorized TPRC distributor closest to your area before proceeding to the following instructions.
Page 36
Label your package accordingly and ship to: Advance Energy, Inc. ATTN: Thunder Power RC Product Support RMA # 4720 W. University Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89103 Please make sure you obtain a tracking number and/or proof of delivery service for your shipment.
Page 39
Thunder Power RC TP820CD Input and Output Power Updated 3/1/2010 Maximum Charge Power Input Max Input Maximum Charge Power LiPo Cell Maximum Charge Maximum Discharge Power Maximum Discharge Power Output 2 Ports Voltage Current Output 1 Port Count Current/Range 1 Port...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the TP820CD and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers