19 Feb 2021

Firmware 4.3 released

The following bugs are resolved in this release:

ESR tests following IEC 61951-1:2005

ESR is changed in the firmware to follow the standardized method of ESR testing (IEC 61951-1:2005). Change made the to the ESR is:

  • 10 seconds discharge at 200mAh -> record voltage
  • 3 seconds discharge at 1000mAh -> record voltage
  • then the calculation is performed for the ESR. More information can be found here about the process:
    ESR Testing

    ESR AC-test hardware support

    2 AC-ESR testers are now supported within the McM software.

  • RC3563
  • YR1035+
  • ESR Circuit breaker

    In the settings there is a new circuit breaker added for the Max ESR. When a cell tests above the ESR value than it is marked as bad.

    QR-Code scanning with camera

    EXPERIMENTAL: It is now possible to scan QR codes using a webcam. This feature is experimental and no support shall be provided when using the feature. If you have some comments and feedback then please put them on FaceBook. This will be read and taken as input for future improvements.

    Zebra printer support

    Additional label printers are now added to the software. Zebra printers can now be used which support PCL commands.

    MegaCellCharger logs

    During troubleshooting the log level can be set to 'Debug'. This now also includes the charger log output and is recorded in the same log file for better visibility during troubleshooting.

    Cell Pack filters

    When creating a cell pack it is now possible to filter based on DC-ESR and cell types.

    Printing labels

    Printing from the Cell Database now includes the details for the charger ID.

    Indexing in the database

    Databases containing more the 20.000 cell serial numbers became slower when retrieving charts from the databsae. Indexing is now included in the database to improve the retrieval of records from the database. Also data movement during the end of a workflow is improved

    Cell database view

    Loading of the cell database view is improved by a factor 8. Loading 20.000 cell serial numbers took 2 minutes 45 seconds and is now reduced to 23 seconds. Also a progress bar is added to show the status of the load.

    31 Jan 2021

    Firmware 4.2 released

    The following bugs are resolved in this release:

    DevOps 74: Charger polling on not inserted cell.

    When the charger status is:

  • "no cell inserted"
  • "idle"
  • No Database entries are created, minimising database size.

    DevOps 145: Set a time limit on charge cycle

    Bad cells that lose as fast the added current by emitting heat are charging forever. With the new feature it is now restricted to a configurable time frame. Default settings is 4 hours.

    Bad cells taking excessive time to charge. With this release the charging timeout is configurable. Default 4 hours.

    DevOps 146: Unable to disable printing

    Unchecking the “ Disable printing” checkbox now disables printing.

    DevOps 137: REST API

    REST API is now improved and downloads only the cell type names. Once the user selects a cell type the data is downloaded from the site and stored in the database. Next reqeust to the same cell type shall be served from the database where the REST API is only calling the centralized repository if the data is still current. When an updated data sheet is available (new version of the cell type information) the complete data is downloaded and stored in the database.

    DevOps 147: Bad cell detection shoudl be part of mcap test

    mCap workflow now incorporates the “low capacity cell check”. When the mCap workflow completes, the measured cell capacity is compared to the “Reject cells with low capacity” setting and where the capacity test fails, the cell is rejected/marked bad. The workflow terminates at his point.

    DevOps 123: Scan barcode in cell database to find the cell pack

    With the generated cell packs stored within the database, scanning the cell barcode displays the battery pack

  • cell pack number
  • cell position
  • within the pack.
  • Physical placement of the cells in the pack (i.e. from left to right / top to bottom etc.) is an exercise left up to the reader....

    DevOps 148: MCM Crashes when deselecting "Enable printer" checkbox

    Fixed;

    DevOps 149: mCap not completeing

    When the store charge started and the cell voltage was higher then the store charge voltage resulted in the mCap to never complete. Fixed;

    DevOps 129: Include date on label as per Facebook request

    Date parameter is now available within the label.

    New features

    The folllowing new features are added to the MegaCellMonitor software:

    Customizable labels for Brother Label Printers

    Brother Label Printers are now supporting the creation of customized labels. More information can be found at the Brother Installation page.

    Brother installation page

    Cell types stored post workflow

    The “Cell types” entry is not included as part of the workflow configuration.

    Upon workflow completion, the “Cell type” can be entered into the CellLibrary., facilitating the future ability to nominate a single cell make/model to be used during the cell pack creation.

    Generating cell packs based on “Cell type” is currently planned for the next release.

    10 Nov 2019

    Firmware 2.0.9 released

    The following bugs are resolved in this release:

  • Cell voltage during charge measurement to high
  • Cell discharge amps incorrectly reported
  • WiFi connectivity wizard post first deployment
  • Factory reset not always succesfull
  • WPA joining
  • Display updates skipped cells
  • Download flash utility

    1 Dec 2019

    Firmware 2.0.18 released
    IMPORTANT: This release requires a factory reset after the firmware is installed. After the installation, press the reset and wait for the charger to come online. Press the "Boot" key until you see "Factory reset" and release it to reinitialize the charger. Post factory reset you have to join the charger back into the network.

    The following features are added in this release:

  • Store charge: No need to perform a mCap with the end state being "store charged". Now you select this option and it drains or charges the cells to "store charged" state right from the moment you insert the battery.
  • Serial number column is added in MegaCellMonitor software release 1.3.0.3 (auto updates at next start when connected to the internet)
  • mCap updated with a 5 min resting cycle before starting the discharge capacity test.
  • Chip controlled charging for users that don't need the advanced features.
  • Fully customizable charge parameters for the advanced users
  • Circuit breakers; Rules that determine if a cell is fit for purpose or not. When triggered the "workflow" is stopped and the user has to take a manual action depending on the fault state.
  • 25 Jan 2019

    Firmware 2.0.26 released

    The following features are added in this release:

  • Minor fix for cells that have a low cacpacity were not charged fully. Charging stoped prematurely due to low currents whereas the saturation phase was not completed.
  • Download Firmware

    A new MegaCellMonitor release is available including new feature like:

  • Bad cells are now also stored in the database and marked bad. Serial numbers are therefore sequential and will not be recylced in case a cell is bad.
  • Low voltage cells can be charged in advanced mode using the grid. This is an advanced feature for users that are aware of the risks of charging harvested cells.