Drock question

[MikeGarber]

How does your PSupply survive, given https://www.droking.com/cs/support/topic/backdriving-the-200310-as-a-solar-battery-charger/.

Mine didnt.

[t413]

Holy crap, it killed yours? I’m so sorry! I’ve had numerous numerous of these drok’s and that’s never been an issue. What exactly happened?

I do support running with a diode though. In that case it can’t read the battery voltage when it’s not charging which means you’d want another way of monitoring it. Support for energy monitoring is a big todo item for me

[MikeGarber]

Been there, did that (if you read the DROCK thread). I suspect it has to do with the leakage thru the Schottky diode I used (also asked in the thread but unanswered)

With a regular 5A power diode, there's no apparent current monitoring... https://www.droking.com/cs/support/topic/charging-battery-with-the-200310-current-monitoring/

[t413]

Well it's very strange that your Drok died from being battery-side powered. I've had a drok running 24/7 for 1.5 years now being back powered at night and at least one other user around the world doing the same.

If you'd like to try a different power supply option beyond Drok– I've now written and throughly tested support for DPS5005 buck converters (only the ones that come with either USB or BT though, importantly).

[MikeGarber]

Who knows? They mightve changed something.

As to DPS5005.... modbus, eh?

I already ordered some hall effect current sensors & if I can continue to count on this PS for CV mode, I can FORCE it (essentially) into CI operation.

But that DPS5005 looks WELL to look into!!
Thanx!

[rin67630]

Backfeed kills the buck MOS-FET if there is enough current flowing backwards.
The built in Schottky diode in the MOS-FETs aren't rated for much current, far less than the forward current.
A small inadvertent short on the panel side and you are greeting the magic smoke.
You should operate your DROK with an ideal diode module:

• between the DROK and the battery if you want to minimize the GROK own consumption overnight, but you lose the battery monitoring
  or
• between the DROK and the panel if you want to keep the battery voltage monitoring, but you lose ~ 1 Ah overnight backfeeding the DROK.

[rin67630]

I just checked a DPS5020 for it's quiescent currents at 14V

• forward from the panel: 40mA. That could have been acceptable, but
• backwards, reverse-fed from the battery: 115mA!
  And it feeds back to the input: a panel connected could add even more current.

You really need an ideal diode module if you don't want to waste ~ 20Wh during a long winter night.

A DPS 5005 is less wasteful: it draws 40mA backfed.
But that is still ~7Wh wasted when it's hard to get some juice from the scarce winter sun.