Hello AISLER Community!!
We are E-Traxx, the Formula Student Team from the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf. In Formula Student, we build electric race cars and compete against other teams from all over the world.
In this article, we’d like to tell you more about the design of our TS-Control PCB. This PCB consists of various parts, all related to the tractive system, such as the discharge, TSAL and the TSMPs .
Since the discharge circuit and the TSAL are both connected to the low-voltage system, we have to define two separate areas. First, there is the LV-section in the upper right corner and then we have the HV-section surrounding it. These areas are separated by a 6mm wide clearance zone which contains no traces or components other than the optocouplers as they ensure the isolation between the HV- and LV-systems.
On top of that, the optocouplers ensure that the communication between these two systems is still maintained, even while separate. For the TSAL circuit, a signal indicates whether high voltage is present and the final TSAL output is generated accordingly on the low voltage side. Regarding the discharge circuit, the shutdown circuit is being monitored: If it’s open, the system discharges through thermistors.
In addition, there are the TSMP resistors, which are responsible for the tractive system measurement points and are used to ensure that no danger arises - even if the two points were to be short-circuited, as the current is strongly limited.
AISLER manufactured this PCB for us and we are very pleased with the result. The boards look excellent and we greatly appreciate the support. Thank you, AISLER!