iTECHWORLD iTECHDCDC40 DC-DC 40A Intelligent Battery Charger User Guide
- June 9, 2024
- iTECHWORLD
Table of Contents
iTECHWORLD iTECHDCDC40 DC-DC 40A Intelligent Battery Charger
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
For safe operation and ideal performance, the iTECHDCDC40 Intelligent Battery
Charger must be installed and operated correctly.
Please carefully read, understand, and follow all instructions and guidelines
in this User Guide.
iTechworld recommends that the iTECHDCDC40 charger to be installed by a
certified technician.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in damage to the unit,
property, death, or serious injury.
Disclaimer:
While iTechworld has taken every precaution to ensure the accuracy of the
contents of this user guide, iTechworld assumes no responsibility for any
errors or omissions.
FURTHERMORE, ALL SPECIFICATIONS AND FUNCTIONALITY MAY CHANGE AT ANY TIME
WITHOUT NOTICE.
-
WARNING: People with physical disabilities, visual, sensory, or mental impairments (including children) should not use this device. Children should be supervised to ensure they do not play with battery chargers.
-
DANGER: Do not disassemble or modify the charger, doing so may result in a risk of electrical shock, fire, death, or serious injury.
-
DANGER EXPLOSION HAZARD: Do not use the charger in an environment where flammable fumes or gases are present (such as gas bottles, petrol engines or lead acid battery compartments)
-
DANGER: This charger is only suitable for battery types listed in the manual. Do not use it for other purposes.
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WARNING: Please select the correct battery charging profile applicable to the auxiliary battery. If the incorrect battery charging profile is selected, it may cause damage to your auxiliary battery or result in fire. If you are unsure of the correct battery charging profile to use, please consult your battery’s manufacturer.
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WARNING: Please use the fuses and wires recommended in this user guide, otherwise, it may result in damage to the charger, risk of electrical shock, fire, death, or serious injury.
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WARNING: Ensure that the selected battery charging profile’s charge voltage does not exceed the battery’s recommended maximum charging voltage. If you are unsure of the maximum charging voltage of your battery, please consult your battery’s manufacturer.
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WARNING: Ensure that the continuous output current of the charger does not exceed the battery’s recommended maximum charging current. If you are unsure of the maximum charging current of your battery, please consult your battery’s manufacturer.
-
Warning: When using the charger to charge a lithium battery, ensure that it contains an inbuilt battery management system
(BMS) that features under and over voltage protection with cell balancing. Failure to do so may result in fire, death, or serious injury. -
DANGER: Never smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine. This may cause the battery to explode
-
LIMITATIONS OF USE: Do not use in connection with life support systems or other medical equipment or devices.
Product Function
Introduction:
The iTECHDCDC40 charger is suitable for charging all common types of automotive or recreational lead acid and LiFePO4 Lithium 12-volt batteries. The iTECHDCDC40 can operate on 12- or 24-volt alternators and unregulated 12-volt nominal solar input. The iTECHDCDC40 features a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT} solar regulator. This allows for the maximum power to be harvested from the connected solar panels, which increases charging efficiency. The iTECHDCDC40 has been designed with high efficiency in mind, this allows the charger to be compact and suitable for limited space installations. Furthermore, the iTECHDCDC40 is also designed to isolate the auxiliary battery from the cranking battery, this is to avoid over-discharging the cranking battery.
Key Features:
- Suitable for charging all common types of automotive or recreational 12-Volt lead acid batteries, such as Standard Lead Acid, Gel, AGM, and Calcium, or LiFEPO4(Lithium Iron/Ferro Phosphate} Chemistry 12-Volt Lithium batteries.
- 40A MPPT Solar Regulator
- Dual input from both solar and alternator
- Charging efficiency of up to 95%
- Excellent performance in harsh environments
- IP67 rated, for resistance to dust, water, and shock damage.
- Smart alternator compatible
- In-built Low-Voltage, Over-Voltage, Over-Temperature and Reverse Polarity Protection
Display Panel:
Battery Charging Profile
To change the battery charging profile, Press and hold the “Mode” button for
at least 3 seconds then release. The battery type indicator will advance one
LED to the right, please note that the next battery type indicator will not
illuminate until the “Mode” button is released. Please note it may take up to
2 minutes after any changes for the charger to start charging.
Solar Priority
The iTECHDCDC40 is set up with alternator priority as default, as the power
from solar can be very unstable, and the charging efficiency can be impacted.
However, if you prefer solar charging regardless of its charging efficiency,
or your auxiliary battery has a very small load connected and you want to use
solar charging as much as possible, you can enable the “Solar Priority”
function, the iTECHDCDC40 will now always select input power from the Solar in
connector if the solar input power is above the minimum required power. Please
note it may take up to 2 minutes after any changes for the charger to start
charging.
To turn “Solar Priority” ON, please press and hold the “Solar Priority” button
for at least 3 seconds then release, the “Solar Priority” indicator will now
illuminate.
To turn “Solar Priority” OFF, press and hold the “Solar Priority” button for
at least 3 seconds then release, the “Solar Priority” indicator will turn off.
LED Charge Indicator
Unit Operation
When the iTECHDCDC40 is connected, all LED indicators may light up like shown
on 2.1 Display Panel, this is normal operation, the charger is initialising
and may take up to 2 minutes to start charging.
The iTECHDCDC40 will go into standby mode if the input voltages are below cut
off voltage, (please note the iTECHDCDC40 will continue to charge the
auxiliary battery for up to 2 minutes before going into standby), this is
indicated by the charge input and battery type indicator LEDs blinking
momentarily at the same time, once charging voltages have risen above the cut
in voltage, it will take up to 2 minutes for the charger to “wake” and begin
to charge.
The iTECHDCDC40 will start to charge from solar input if the panel supply
voltage is above 16Volts and outputting at least 25watts(1.5-2Amps
).
Fault LED Indicators
| Charger Output/Auxiliary Battery (Red wire) | 60-70A |
|---|
Solar input (Green wire)
| 60-70A (for 400W array) 30-40A (for 200W array)
Ignition (Blue wire)| 3A
Operating Parameters
Vehicle In put Voltage| 9-32V
Solar Input Voltage| 9-32V
Max Input Current| 45A
Input Fuse Rating| 60A
Continuous Output Current| Up To 40A
Output Fuse Rating| 60A
Minimum Aux Battery Charge Start Voltage| 4V
Standby Current| <10 mA
Battery Type| Standard Lead Acid, Gel, AGM, Calcium & LiFEP04
Operating Temperature| -20°C to +80°C
IP Rating| IP67
Weight| 950g
Dimensions| 188x127x39 mm
Charge Control
Charge Type| 3 Stage
Charging Profile| STD| GEL| AGM| Calcium| LiFeP04
Maximum Voltage| 14.4V| 14.1V| 14.7V| 15.3V| 14.SV
Float Voltage| 13.4V| 13.SV| 13.4V| 13.6V
Operating Mode
Input| Turn On| Turn Off
12V Standard Alternator| >13.2V| <12.8V
24V Standard Alternator| >26.2V| <25.6V
12V Smart Alternator
(Blue ignition cable connected)
| >12.0V| <11.8V
24V Smart Alternator
(Blue ignition cable connected)
| >24.0V| <23.6V
Installation
Install Location
The iTECHDCDC40 charger has been designed for installation in a variety of
locations on a vehicle, such as the chassis rail, engine bay and in the
vehicle cabin. If the charger is mounded externally, please ensure that the
charger does not become covered by a build-up of mud. If the charger is to be
installed in the engine bay, try to locate the charger away from components
that generate high heat (such as Turbochargers and exhaust manifolds) as this
will greatly impact the performance of the charger and may cause the charger
to overheat and shutdown.
If the charger is to be installed in the vehicle cabin, please ensure there is
adequate ventilation around the charger, and that it is not installed in an
enclosed space where airflow is restricted.
The temperature of the charger case can typically be 20-30 degrees Celsius
above ambient temperature, it is normal for the charger to feel hot and for
you to not be able to keep a finger on the surface for more than a couple of
seconds as the case can exceed 60 degrees Celsius.
The iTECHDCDC40 charger should be installed as close as possible to the
battery being charged (auxiliary battery), this allows for more efficient
charging of your auxiliary battery. The iTECHDCDC40 can be mounted with 4
screws (Not included) there are cut outs on the heatsink of the charger where
the screws can be affixed.
Selection of Cable Size
The iTECHDCDC40 charger cables may not be long enough for your application. If
the Anderson connectors need extending, please refer to the table below with
the recommended wire sizes. You can select wires that are equal to or larger
than the recommended sizes.
| Input | Length |
|---|
Solar Positive (Green) Alternator Positive (Yellow) Aux.
Battery/Output Positive (Red) Grouna (Black)
| <SM| <lOM
13mm2(8AWG)| 20mm2(6AWG)
Ignition (Blue)| 0.Smm2 (20AWG)| 0.Smm2 (20AWG)
iTechworld recommends a suitably trained/ qualified person to perform the
work, as failure to make a good connection may cause a short circuit which may
lead to fire and/or damage to property. 
When extending the wires, it is recommended to use a soldered butt splice connectors this is to ensure that there is low resistance with the connections. It is best to crimp both sides of the connector, then solder both sides of the connector, once the connection has been made, ensure to use heat shrink to cover the connections to prevent short circuit.
Butt splice connector
|
BN8 for 10-8AWG
|
---|---|---
Wiring
Before any connections are made during installation, please disconnect the
main cranking battery to prevent any short circuits, please note down any
radio anti-theft codes before the battery is disconnected.
- Output Anderson connector (Red and Black wires) goes to the battery being charged (the auxiliary battery)
- Alternator Input Anderson connector (Yellow and Black wires) goes to the main cranking battery.
- Solar Input Anderson connector (Green and Black wires) connects to an unregulated solar panel.
- The ignition wire (Blue) is optional, it depends on the vehicle a lte rn ato r type.
For standard alternators, leave this wire disconnected and please ensure that
the wire is well insulated to ensure it does not short out.
For vehicles with a smart alternator, please connect this wire to a switched
ignition source (i.e., a point that supplies 12V only when the key is in the
‘ON’ position and disconnects when the key is in the ‘OFF’ position) usually
this can be found in the vehicle’s fuse box and a fuse tap can be used.
Typical Setup
Fuse Specifications
All recommended fuses should be connected in series in circuit, and as close
as possible to power sources. Bolt down fuses is preferred as they ensure a
low resistance connection. Blade type fuses are not recommended as they can
result in a high resistance connection which can cause excess heat generation
and may damage the fuse holder and/or the wiring. Self-resetting circuit
breakers are not recommended as they may prematurely trip due to the heat
generated by the large current flowing through the wires.
Please refer to the table below for the recommended fuses.
(PLEASE NOTE FUSES ARE NOT SUPPLIED)
| Charger Output/Auxiliary Battery (Red wire) | 60-70A |
|---|
Solar input (Green wire)
| 60-70A (for 400W array) 30-40A (for 200W array)
Ignition (Blue wire)| 3A
Specifications
Operating Parameters
Vehicle In put Voltage| 9-32V
Solar Input Voltage| 9-32V
Max Input Current| 45A
Input Fuse Rating| 60A
Continuous Output Current| Up To 40A
Output Fuse Rating| 60A
Minimum Aux Battery Charge Start Voltage| 4V
Standby Current| <10 mA
Battery Type| Standard Lead Acid, Gel, AGM, Calcium & LiFEP04
Operating Temperature| -20°C to +80°C
IP Rating| IP67
Weight| 950g
Dimensions| 188x127x39 mm
Charge Control
Charge Type| 3 Stage
Charging Profile| STD| GEL| AGM| Calcium| LiFeP04
Maximum Voltage| 14.4V| 14.1V| 14.7V| 15.3V| 14.SV
Float Voltage| 13.4V| 13.SV| 13.4V| 13.6V
Operating Mode
Input| Turn On| Turn Off
12V Standard Alternator| >13.2V| <12.8V
24V Standard Alternator| >26.2V| <25.6V
12V Smart Alternator
(Blue ignition cable connected)
| >12.0V| <11.8V
24V Smart Alternator
(Blue ignition cable connected)
| >24.0V| <23.6V
Contact: iTechworld
281 Great Eastern Hwy Burswood WA 6100
Phone: 1300 483 249
W: www.itechworld.com.au
E: service@itechworld.com.au
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