Sprinter Charger 'ECU' (1 Viewer)

[james_stan]

Hi all

Thanks for having me..Post one of likely many..

Just acquired a former passenger ambulance based on a 2012 Sprinter 316.. so far so good.
The unit come complete with leisure battery, wheelchair lift (now removed), aux heater, lights etc.. AND
a complex looking controller by Acetech( modelAT35H...) of Ireland..
Apparently this controls split charge and aux operations via a push button control panel on the dash..
Of course nothing is labelled and I'm wondering if I dare discard it and rewire( trying to trace all the connections somehow )or leave it 'as is'. Since the unit currenstly sits where the front passenger seats would normally be some rearranging is required anyway.

I've emailed Acetch but no reply so far and no data easily found about this device on the www. Has anyone else even seen one? It has about 30 outputs 16 inputs, CAN connection, programming port (RS232?) battery connections and dozens of leds - scary.

Cheers

James

 

[Cush]

Just giving this a bump for the earlier crew that aren’t night birds. There is some real expertise in this area. Hopefully will be along to contribute. If you can still edit the subject title I would add the words ambulance conversion or the make of the controller. Good luck,
Cush

 

[james_stan]

Hi Thanks. I spend some more time looking at it tonight and have a better understanding.. I think the
inputs to this thing are contact closure sensors from the control panel or the doors or handbrake for example.
These then trigger 12V outputs to set warning lights on teh panel, buzzers or turn on items like interior lights or the air con etc..
separately int also takes care of split charge and battery monitoring.

I might do way with some of the functions replace with some manual switching and leave the charge management...

 

[autorouter]

Acetech are American, I think, and do control systems for emergency vehicles. They are usually central control panels in the cab and maybe the habitation area at the back. The later models control all the emergency functions. Blue lights, sirens, interior/exterior lights, cab and hab heaters etc. Some even automatically start the engine to charge the hab battery if it's getting low. They are complex systems, with comms back to the controller base station, and although some functions are basically what you want (heater controls) others would not be anything like what you want. On balance probably best to disconnect and design a new system from scratch, I think, rather than retaining the somewhat inappropriate existing controls.

 

[DerryW]

Chas will be along soon. Sure he be of assistance

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[james_stan]

Acetech are American, I think, and do control systems for emergency vehicles.

Pretty sure Irish, HQ in Tullamore, although largely irrelevant since I can't get much (any) info out of them yet...

 

[tonka]

chaser may offer some advise..

 

[chaser]

chaser may offer some advise..

Well yes I am reading it with interest, but it's a different van than mine, and the general feeling amongst them that have these things is take them out, as if they go wrong no one knows anything about them, but I will say that we don't have that exact thing but we have a load of gubbins under the driver's seat that manages the split charging and stuff, which it seems to do brilliantly compared to some on here that have other stuff that always seems to be going wrong.
But saying that if it ever does go wrong it will have to come out as we haven't a clue how it works.