Drained battery. Broken 3-wire VIOFO hardwire kit or other issue ?

[jokiin]

Oddly it didn't seem to matter where I set the HK3 cut off as all shut down between 12.0V -12.5V initially.
But if I again referenced the Sense wire to the voltage at the point where it shut down, (using 12.2V HK3 test as example) input voltage set at 12.3V and Sense referenced it would pass voltage again, but did not ever shut down as I lowered input voltage until I aborted testing at 7.1V

how were you testing the voltage drop, what power supply, testing method etc?

 

[EGS]

More testing today and here's my results.

My method in testing was to start at 13V and start lowering the input voltage. The HK3 uses 3 wires Red (hot), Yellow (sense) and Black (ground) and initially requires a voltage to be applied to the yellow (sense) before passing voltage. So all tests were started at 13V and Sense wire referenced at that voltage then removed.

Oddly it didn't seem to matter where I set the HK3 cut off as all shut down between 12.0V -12.5V initially.
But if I again referenced the Sense wire to the voltage at the point where it shut down, (using 12.2V HK3 test as example) input voltage set at 12.3V and Sense referenced it would pass voltage again, but did not ever shut down as I lowered input voltage until I aborted testing at 7.1V

This leads me to conclude that if the battery has good voltage the HK3 will cut off. However if the battery is low on voltage and the Sense referenced (turning on ignition) it could stay active and just continue to deplete the already low battery.

In other words, it is not doing what is designed to do most of the time and I guess that device should be avoided until a new revision is out. Now my question is if there is a similar compatible device from another manufacturer that can be used to replace it and known to be working as intended.Probably not. I say this because I’m about to buy one of the a129 pro duo and the hardwire kit but certainly don’t want to deal with a flat battery leaving me stranded.

 

[valkyrie]

how were you testing the voltage drop, what power supply, testing method etc?

I wasn't testing the voltage drop I was testing the input voltage and how the HK3 handled that voltage. I was using a home build kit 0-30V 2mA-3A Adjustable DC Regulated Power Supply with calibrated digital readout and backed up with my DMM. The test was basically starting at 13V and decreasing the input voltage until the HK3 quit providing power.

 

[jokiin]

The test was basically starting at 13V and decreasing the input voltage until the HK3 quit providing power.

what period of time was involved as you decreased power?

 

[CaptureYourAction]

The kit needs to see the voltage below the set point for at least 90 seconds before the cutoff is applied. Did you wait at least 90 seconds?

 

[valkyrie]

what period of time was involved as you decreased power?

Cant give an exact time between tests but I'd say roughly 3-5 min per test as my HK3 is installed to my fuse box under my hood with PS connected under hood and everything else inside cab I was constantly getting in and out of vehicle to adjust / measure. I'd say the 12.2 Test that I Re-referenced Sense to again probably ran close to 1hr as there were 24 individual decreases before I aborted testing.

 

[valkyrie]

The kit needs to see the voltage below the set point for at least 90 seconds before the cutoff is applied. Did you wait at least 90 seconds?

For sure, takes me that long get out of seat, walk to front of cab & get back in seat and that's without making any adjustments or measurements

 

[CaptureYourAction]

For sure, takes me that long get out of seat, walk to front of cab & get back in seat and that's without making any adjustments or measurements

I've run some tests in the past and never had any issue with the 3-wire kit shutting down power within .1V of the cutoff voltage. I'll try and run some more tests to see if I can replicate what your seeing.

 

[jokiin]

I've run some tests in the past and never had any issue with the 3-wire kit shutting down power within .1V of the cutoff voltage. I'll try and run some more tests to see if I can replicate what your seeing.

always the possibility that he just has a faulty hardwire kit

 

[valkyrie]

always the possibility that he just has a faulty hardwire kit

That's true, but this topic was brought up by others that seem to be experiencing what I'm seeing. There's also the possibility of a faulty tester. Always nice to have confirmation of testing.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Did some testing with the 3-wire kit. I’ll go into more detail tomorrow (need to sleep), but the kit I tested shut down the camera at each voltage cutoff point. Each cutoff point seemed to be more than .1V lower than specified, but not more than .2V. I decreased the voltage by .1 each time, so the cutoff could be somewhere in between.

 

[Nigel]

Did some testing with the 3-wire kit. I’ll go into more detail tomorrow (need to sleep), but the kit I tested shut down the camera at each voltage cutoff point. Each cutoff point seemed to be more than .1V lower than specified, but not more than .2V. I decreased the voltage by .1 each time, so the cutoff could be somewhere in between.

On mine, if I put the voltage up to 13V and then test the cut off voltage, it works fine. But I do have a problem if I "turn the ignition on" without "starting the engine", then it will come on at eg 12V, turn the ignition off so the battery voltage increases to 12.2V, it should shutdown because it is less than the 12.4V set point but it hasn't shut down even if the voltage drops to 11V. Maybe your test is passing because you always increase to 13V before reducing again?

 

[CaptureYourAction]

On mine, if I put the voltage up to 13V and then test the cut off voltage, it works fine. But I do have a problem if I "turn the ignition on" without "starting the engine", then it will come on at eg 12V, turn the ignition off so the battery voltage increases to 12.2V, it should shutdown because it is less than the 12.4V set point but it hasn't shut down even if the voltage drops to 11V. Maybe your test is passing because you always increase to 13V before reducing again?

Yes, I was testing under normal starting/stopping conditions, so kit was “reset” before each voltage cutoff test. So I assume your camera is in parking mode when the kit doesn’t shut it down? I will try to replicate the scenario you described.

 

[Nigel]

So I assume your camera is in parking mode when the kit doesn’t shut it down?

Turn the ignition on so the camera enters normal recording (drive mode), don't start the engine, then turn the ignition off so that it enters parking mode, then test the low voltage cut off.

 

[jokiin]

Turn the ignition on so the camera enters normal recording (drive mode), don't start the engine, then turn the ignition off so that it enters parking mode, then test the low voltage cut off.

what's your resting battery voltage, and what setting are you using for the cutoff?

 

[Nigel]

what's your resting battery voltage, and what setting are you using for the cutoff?

Typically 12.3V and 12.4V, but I have tried a few voltages from 11.8 upwards, the battery I'm using to test it is charged from a solar panel so is very variable (good for finding random faults!) and turning the camera on without a charge current can reduce the voltage due to the extra load.

How does the device actually measure the voltage? Is there an ADC in there and it is switched by a microprocessor following logic? Or are the different settings just a voltage divider relient on the manufacturing accuracy of resistors?

 

[jokiin]

How does the device actually measure the voltage? Is there an ADC in there and it is switched by a microprocessor following logic? Or are the different settings just a voltage divider relient on the manufacturing accuracy of resistors?

hardwire kit has its own firmware so there is logic, not just resistors

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Turn the ignition on so the camera enters normal recording (drive mode), don't start the engine, then turn the ignition off so that it enters parking mode, then test the low voltage cut off.

I’m using a variable power supply for the test, so I’ll try to replicate.

 

[Nigel]

hardwire kit has its own firmware so there is logic, not just resistors

With an ADC to measure voltage, I would expect it to be accurate to better than 0.1 volts, and as far as I can tell mine is, just seems like the logic is not perfect in all circumstances.

Now how do I find out which firmware version it is, and how to update it?

 

[jokiin]

I’m using a variable power supply for the test, so I’ll try to replicate.

I've got a lab power supply (keep in mind I'm testing our version of the hardwire kit and our firmware is different so I don't know if the Viofo will work the same) and this is what I just tried

Set the power supply to 12.4v and set the hardwire kit to 12.2v, powered on and then disconnected the ACC so camera went into parking mode, set the supply voltage to 11.4v, camera turned off after 100 seconds

Left the input supply voltage at 11.4v and the hardwire kit at 12.2v cutoff, connected the ACC and the camera powered on and started recording, disconnected ACC and camera went into parking mode, 100 seconds later the camera powered off