Sunday, February 16, 2014

Automatic Lead Acid Battery Charger Circuit Using IC 555

Automatic Lead Acid Battery Charger Circuit Using IC 555

 
The following article explains a simple, versatile automatic lead acid battery charger circuit. The circuit will allow you to charge all types of lead acid battery right from a 1 AH to a 1000 AH battery.


The IC 555 is so versatile, it can be considered the  single chip solution for all circuit application needs. No doubt it's been utilized here too  for yet another useful application.

A single IC 555, a handful of passive component is all that's needed for making this outstanding, fully automatic lead acid battery charger circuit.

The proposed design will automatically sense and keep the attached battery up to date.

The battery which is required to be charged may be kept connected to the circuit permanently, the circuit will continuously monitor the charge level, if the charge level exceeds the upper threshold, the circuit will cut off the charging voltage to it, and in case the charge falls below the lower set threshold, the circuit willconnect, and initiate the charging process.

The circuit may be understood with the following points:

Here the IC 555 is configured as a comparator for comparing the battery low and high voltage conditions at pin#2 and pin#6 respectively.

As per the internal circuit arrangement, a 555 IC will make its output pin#3 high when the potential at pin#2 goes below 1/3 of supply voltage.

The above position sustains even if the voltage at pin#2 tends to drift a little higher. This happens due to the internal set hysteresis level of the IC.

However if the voltage continues to drift higher, pin#6 gets hold of the situation and the moment it senses a potential difference higher than 2/3rd of supply voltage, it instantly reverts the output from high to low at pin#3.

In the proposed lead acid battery charger circuit design, it simply means that, the presets R2 and R5 should be set such that the relay just deactivates when the battery voltage goes below say 11.3V (for 12V batts) and activates when the battery voltage reaches above 14.2V.

Nothing can be as simple as this.

The power supply section is an ordinary bridge/capacitor network.

The diode rating will depend on the charging current rate of the battery. As a rule of thumb the diode current rating should be twice that of the battery charging rate, while the battery charging rate should be 1/10th of the battery AH rating.

It implies that TR1 should be around 1/10th of the connected battery AH rating.

The relay contact rating should be also selected as per the ampere rating of  TR1.

How to set the battery cut off threshold

Initially keep the power to the circuit switched OFF.

Connect a variable power supply source across the battery points of the circuit.

Apply a voltage that may be exactly equal to the desired low voltage threshold level of the battery, then adjust R2, such that the relay just deactivates.

Next, slowly increase the voltage up to the desired higher voltage threshold of the battery, adjust R5 such that the relay just activates back.

The setting up of the circuit is now done.

Remove the external variable source, replace it with any battery which needs to be charged, connect the input of TR1 to mains, and switch ON.
Rest will be automatically taken care of, that is now the battery will start charging and will cut off when its fully charged, and also will  get connected to power automatically in case its voltage falls below the set lower voltage threshold.

159 comments:

  1. Hello Sir,
    Good Day.

    Sir, I have a 12v 500 watts inverter which is of new kind (using chopper instead of a big transformer). If Iconnect a solar panel as a power source to it instead of a lead acid battery, will it work ?. I just want two 25w energy saver lights and a fan to run on it. And what should be the specs of solar panel I use ?

    Thank you.
    Rashid
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Rashid,

      Yes it can be used, but the voltage will need to be first regulated at the specified input voltage level of the inverter by using a high current voltage regulator controller circuit.
    2. Dear Swagatam sir,
      In this post Ansari told that he has a 12v 500w chopper based inverter...
      Will you explain about that chopper based inverter and can you drav a circuit for 12v 500w chopper based inverter with solar panel powered(to charge 150Ah battery) and with full automatic operation like battery overcharge protection and automatic shift on mains failure
    3. Dear Jithendra,

      A chopper inverter is actually much easier to make than an iron core type, however the only difficult part is the ferrite transformer which needs proper calculations, and presently I do not have any practical experience with them.

      I have discussed one such idea in this blog, you may refer to this article:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/09/making-200-watt-compact-pwm-inverter.html
  2. Thank you for reply, Sir, can you please explain it in a little bit more. and also please let me know about the specs of solar panel. Thanks again.

    Rashid.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Rashid,

      You would require a 200 watt, 20V panel approximately, and a charger controller as shown in the following article:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/11/high-current-transistor-tip36-datasheet.html
  3. Thank you Sir,

    Great help indeed.
    God bless you always.

    Rashid
    Reply
  4. hi mr. Majumdar. what is VR 7.5v 1W 1N4737A? is that zener diode 7.5v? thanks
    Reply
    Replies
    1. yes it's actually a zener diode, incorrectly indicated as VR
    2. Sir I am just a hobbyist. The specified component VR 7.5v 1W 1N4737A does not appear anywhere in the circuit diagram. Am I missing it anywhere? Kindly help me out.
    3. Ajish, it has been removed from the circuit for simplifying the design
  5. Hello Swagatam,

    It does seem to me that this circuit should be more efficient than the one we discussed earlier. I'm I right? Please let me know.

    Thank you.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello courage,

      yes you may be right,because the above circuit has a built in hysteresis control which makes the operations smoother and hassle free.
  6. Great!

    Are C1 - C4 polarized electrolytic or, what are their voltage ratings. What is the wattage for the diodes (D1-D5) can I use 1N4007 for all of the diodes?

    Please let me know. I like to try this one.

    Thanks
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Thanks Courage! Except C4 all capacitors are polarized.


      D1---D5 should be as per the rating of the battery, it's current should be near about the AH rating of the battery
    2. Thank you so much Swagatam.

      But in this case I'm using a generator producing 32VAC which I use an LM2596 DC-DC Buck Converter Step Down Module to convert to 14.2VDC after rectification with a bridge diode. Can I go ahead and use the said rectified and step down supply to charge the battery as it is?
    3. yes surely you can go ahead with it, anything below 15V DC can be used with the above circuit without any concern.
  7. Thanks Mr. Majumdar,

    One more please, I want to add led indicator for charging process and led indicator for full charge condition in this circuit, where that two led can be placed?

    thanks
    Reply
    Replies
    1. You may connect one LED across the positive and pin#3 of the IC and another across ground and pin#3 of the IC.....each LED should be with separate 1K resistors.
  8. thanks Mr. Majumdar

    what component needs to be replaced if I want to modify this schematics to be a 6v and 24v battery charger?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. You are welcome Sang.Pendekar

      only the transformer and the relay should be changed to 6V
  9. Hi Mr. Majumdar

    I'm sorry, but this battery charger circuits is not work, the R2 nor R5 didn't respond when I trying to setting low and higher voltage. I doubt about pin configurations of the IC NE555 in this circuit. Are the pin configurations of the IC NE555 in this circuit are correct? 'cos I found NE555 pin configurations datasheet like this :

    http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRgOr-tmDbJjRyEsukn43WC00Ud35Uf_P8lvlBXiWh1PlFbdU-4

    pin 1 : ground pin 8 : +vcc
    pin 2 : trigger pin 7 : discharge
    pin 3 : output pin 6 : threshold
    pin 4 : reset pin 5 : control voltage

    Thanks Mr. Majumdar...
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Sang.pendekar,

      the pins of the IC are all correctly configured.

      For testing you will have to connect a variable 0-14V supply across the battery terminals and vary the voltage to see the results, then you can adjusts the presets to set thresholds.
  10. slam bai i am tring to build battery charger for lead acid battery used for 1000watt ups will this circuit work for this and how we set harging current of battery from this circuit or can i use circuit made by using the lm 338 plz reply
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello, you can try the following circuit:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2011/12/high-current-10-to-20-amp-automatic.html
  11. Hi Swagatam,

    what is the transformer rating for charging 100Ah/12V battery?
    Primary = 220V
    Secondary = ?

    Regards,
    Mike L
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Mike,

      It should be in between 10 to 20 amps, @14V
    2. hi Swagatam,

      i have 12amp/24v (12-0-12) transformer... can i use it?
    3. It will depend upon your batery rating, transformer current should not exceed 1/5th battery AH rating.
  12. Thanks Mr. Majumdar

    yes, I'm using a variable 1.2 - 20v supply. when I trying adjust voltage level, yes the relay is deactivates when voltage level is about 7.5v, and then activates again when voltage level reach 13.5v (this is a default setting I think, 'cos I dont adjust R2 or R5). so with this setting, low voltage level is 7.5v and cut off level is 13.5v.

    But, when I'm using this circuit to charge 45ah lead acid battery, the charging process still continous above 13.5v and still continous when voltage level is above 13.8v (remember the circuit setting for cut off level is 13.5v) why this could happen?

    I'm using a 15v on 5A transformer.

    any idea Mr. Majumdar? Or maybe you have another battery charger circuit that have low and high voltage level system?
    Reply
  13. Sorry Mr. Majumdar, Forget my questions before...

    The circuit now is working, because the low voltage setting is 7.5v the circuit won't charging the battery when the battery voltage is about 11.6v . If I set the low voltage about 11v, the highest voltage for cut off level is 16v and I can't change this voltage (for 12v battery 13.5v)

    I want setting the low voltage is 12.5 - 12.9v, so under this voltage the charging process starting, and cut off voltage is about 13.5 - 13.8v.

    any help and idea Mr. Majumdar?

    Thanks.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Mr Pendekar, did you do the initial setting up procedures as explained in the article?

      I think if the preset adjustments are done correctly as given in the article, you wouldn't face much problems.
  14. Thanks Mr. Majumdar

    I don't know where is my mistake, and yes I do exactly like your tutorial in this article.

    wihout connecting the circuit to the transformer and using 1.2 - 20v supply this is the result :

    - when switch on the variable supply the relay is activates, right?
    - I adjusting voltage to 11.4 like you say, then adjusting R2 (10K PVC trimpot) and nothing is happen still no respond
    - I try adjusting voltage to 14.4, then adjusting R5 (same 10K PVC trimpot) and same result nothing is happen
    - then I adjust voltage between 5 - 15v and the relay is respond, deactivates when the voltage reach 7 - 8v, and activates again when the voltage reach 13.5 - 14v

    maybe, maybe you can diagnose where is exactly my problem or mistakes?

    thanks Mr. Majumdar
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Mr. Pendekar, did you connect the zener diode at the supply pin of the IC?....because the supply voltage should be fixed otherwise the IC will behave incorrectly. Try making it into a 12V zener.
  15. Thanks Mr. Majumdar

    I connect 7.5v zener diode with the pin 8 and pin 4 of the NE555 exacly like the schematic in this article.

    - the catode of the zener diode and C 22u (-) are connected than connect to ground
    - the anode of the zener diode and C 22u (+) are connected than connect to the R 270 ohm 1/2 Watt, pin 4 and pin 8 of the NE555 IC

    anything wrong?

    alright I'll try to replace 7.5v zener diode with 12v zener diode soon. I'll reporting the progress to you Mr. Majumdar.

    Thanks
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Mr.Pendekar, according to the 555 datasheet if the voltage at pin2 drops below 1/3rd of the supply voltage, the output becomes high, and when the voltage at pin6 goes above 2/3rd of supply voltage the output reverts to low....you can check these with a multimeter for confirmation.
  16. Hello Swagatam,

    After building the above circuit the relay stays activated regardless of the adjustment of the R2 or R5.

    Now, here is my part of the troubleshooting/testing the circuit, I connect an LED in series with a 1K resistor to the +ve terminal of the supply end and then the -ve to ground.on supplying the voltage (in this case, 11.4VDC)the relay is activated and stays close, so the LED goes OFF (meaning it is not charging).

    However, when I unplug the 555IC from the circuit, the relay deactivates and the LED turns ON. Do you have any idea why it is doing that? What do I need to do?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Helo Courage,

      The confusing results may be happening due to the presence of C1 and C2, just remove them and then check.
  17. Alternatively, is there any online store I could buy this module that's already built?
    Reply
  18. Hello Swagatam,
    This circuit uses a 7.5v zener diode which is the supply voltage for the 555 timer.
    What is the relay coil voltage?

    Thanks,

    Kerry
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Kerry,

      The transformer and the relay voltage ratings should match the battery voltage rating
  19. to courage! you should use tantalum caps rather than Ecaps, they work smoothly in 555, and also remove c1 and c2 they are not making you any help. you should use 11 0r 12v zener to make it work. 7.5v doesn't apply in actual circuit. tested the circuit and it's working! caution! better use rectifier diodes in terminals(+-) supply for circuit, for accidental reverse polarity voltage purposes from battery. if your confused try reversing the (-+)supply terminal lets see what will happens to NE555.LOL!!!! good luck!
    Reply
  20. Sir it is 6v transformer for 6v battery
    Reply
    Replies
    1. the output would become 7V after rectification...moreover 7V transformers are not available.
  21. Looking at all your battery charger circuits, they all use relays to switch the charge to the battery on/off. I'd prefer a totally solid state device. Is there any reason why the relay couldn't be replaced by (say) a power MOSFET device or SCR?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. the relay can be replaced with a PNP transistor such as a TIP127.

      emitter to bridge positive supply

      collector to circuit positive.

      base to pin#3 via a 1K resistor.
    2. Many thanks - that confirms my thinking
  22. hi swagatam, i only have a 24v 6a transformer. can this transformer be possibly used in this circuit? what changes can be done in the circuit? thanks....
    Reply
    Replies
    1. In that case you will have to employ a LM317 voltage regulator stage for converting the 24V supply to 14V before applying it to the above circuit.
  23. Mr. Swagatam hello good day, I have a question ... I have a battery of 9V nikel metal. you have an automatic charger circuit for this battery? thank you very much

    jose from Argentina
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Jose,

      you can try this circuit:

      https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzS_klJ6DKNe_Uu0MtDtqYvQeGU-ZhWfD3lS0TlmtgB1xNyCmhQpLs070ok7PqlwjjUuGEAgASTo4jSiPlAgN2UzH44nONU9xC6v18S6bWdhqAe3E1ovqngt9ydQpy0r7rx7f5-pBreNUA/s1600/6v%204%20ah%20charger%20circuit.png
  24. hello sir Swagatam Majumdar. I need a power supply circuit and also internal battery charger for my HP notebooke have stabilized 18.5vcc x 3amp please help me? you are a genius thank you very much.
    ariel.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Ariel,

      thank you....can you please specify the battery voltage and AH that needs to be charged?
  25. Hi sir I build make this circuit exactly as per schematic using 6v transformer and 6v relay when I give voltage input for stetting from mobile charger relay nor responding when I adjust r2 and when I connect fully charged 6v battery and when I adjust r5 then also relay not responding I measured voltage from charger out put by Turing on charger circuit it is about 7.3v. Sir please help me my circuit till on table
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Did you follow the setting up steps as suggested in the article??

      Pease do exactly as it's given at the end of the article.
  26. Thankyou sir I made this circuit exactly as per your schematics. I have two 6v batter's one is fully charged and another one is discharged when I connect any battery to set up charger, relay,r2 and R5 not responding I also removed c1 c2. I don't know where is my fault.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I am referring to the setting up procedure, not the schematic.

      You will need a variable power supply and follow the steps as mentioned at the bottom of the article.

      Also replace the shown zener diode with a 4.7V across the supply pin of the IC.
  27. Yes sir I will try with variable power supply. Thank you
    Reply
  28. Hi sir, and good job!
    I don´t have a 7.5v zener, could I put a lm317 and make it 7.5v instead?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Thanks! you can use any zener between 3 and 9V
  29. Hello sir I am sorry this circut is not working. I build this circuit and tested with variable power supply. The relay activates voltage above 7.5 and deactivate below 7.5 r1 and r2 not responding when I trying adjust the charges. And also I replaced zener diode with 4.5v please help me. I discussed about this circuit last on 30 June.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I have added a transistor for the relay, please do the given modification.
  30. Thankyou sir I have bc 548 can . Use it?
    Reply
  31. Hi sir, I have done the modification with transistor, but got only 5.1V zener, does not repond to the pots, goes on at 13.1V off at 8.1V. What do you think, new 6V zener?
    Keep up the good work!
    Reply
    Replies
    1. please explain how you did the setting up procedure?

      5.1V zener should also work.
    2. I connected a powersupply and varied the voltage between 7.5v to 14.9v, tryed to turn potsR2 and R5, and it didn´t change the behavior, it turns on at 13.1v and off at 8.1v. I am just going to use the circuit to control your Mppt solarcharger circuit wich I just finished, wich works fine btw.
    3. You must do exactly as explained in the article, only then it will produce the intended results.
  32. Sir I tried this with transistor bc548. When I varied the power supply neither relay activated nor deactivated. Sir you checked this circuit practically this is working?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I did not test this circuit, but according to the datasheet of 555 this circuit is perfect.

      provide all the details of the procedures that you have done with this circuit, then I'll try to troubleshoot.
  33. Hello Sir,
    I have a question for you. I have a 12V, 130AH lead battery and an inverter (not smps). I run a pedestal fan on it which is of 150W 220V. It runs only for about 2.5 (two and an half) hours.

    According to formula W/V=A which is here 150/12= 12.5
    and Time = Battery Amp/Amp of appliance which is 130/12.5= 10.5

    Question is it should run for atleast 10 hours, why it is only run for about 2.5 hours ??

    Hopefully you will help in detail.
    Thank you.

    Rashid
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Rashid,

      Your result is as per ideal conditions and nothing in this world will generate ideal results, even a new battery here will not give 10.5 hours of back up.

      Therefore either your battery has become old and inefficient or it's not being charged correctly and fully. Try using a step charger circuit for charging it optimally....
  34. Thank you for your reply Sir,

    In fact my battery is just brand new and I use a PWM charger to charge it. And when it becomes full, indication LED emits on its panel.

    Any way thank you again for your reply.

    Rashid
    Reply
    Replies
    1. You are welcome Rashid! How can you be sure that your battery is getting 95% charged?

      Only a step charger circuit ensures that much possibility.
  35. Dear Sir,

    Yes you are right, i am not sure about the battery either it is fully charged or not. I only assume that by the indication LED on the charge controller.

    Sir, can you explain what is the step charger, how it works. And if possible can we have it's circuit diagram.

    Thank you.

    Rashid
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Dear Rashid,

      You can go through one example circuit given below, however it is not meant for high current batteries, I will hopefully try to produce a similar circuit for higher current applications soon:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/10/make-this-3-step-automatic-battery.html
  36. Hello sir here you used r1, r2 and r4 ,r5 as voltage divider and r3 in series with r2 and r6 in series with r5, then can we use r2 20k pot removing r3 and r5 25k pot removing r6?
    Reply
  37. Sir can i use mixture of 1/2 and 1/4 watt resistance. And can i charge 12v computer ups battery using this circuit .
    Reply
    Replies
    1. yes will do.
      you can charge any type of battery with this circuit.
  38. sir, Can i charge 12v 7.2ah two batteries with microtek single battery computer ups. If can then it will be series or parallel connection...
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I have no idea regarding microtek operating specs so can't say much about it, but anyway it's never recommended to connect two batteries from a source specified for a single battery.
  39. Hello swagatam,
    I tried this circuit with the present modification, but it didn't work. i used 7.5v zener instead of 6. still the circuit activates at around 7.6v. i again removed bc547, c1, c2 and used a 12v zener still the same, i.e., it activated at around 7.6v regardless of variation in pot. please help. i used a variable dc power source controlled by lm317.

    one more que, disconnecting transformer section means to remove only transformer or along with bridge rectifier????????
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello AME,

      I have modified the diagram by replacing the zener with a 7805 IC, please check it once gain with the modifications, I am sure it would work now.

      If still it doesn't work then you could probably opt for a 741 IC circuit which is a thoroughly tested design.
  40. Hi Swagatam,
    Thanks for this great circuit. I am looking forward to start putting one together for hibernating my RVs battery over the winter. However, can I exchange the transformer + diode bridge with the +15V DC power output from an old PC power supply, i.e a switched power supply? I don't see any reasons why not, but don't know too much about the charging restrictions for 12V Lead Acid Batteries. Any Comment is appreciated.
    Thanks again
    Superbender
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Superbender

      yes an smps can be used here as the power supply, no issues, just make sure it's current is not above 1/10th of the battery AH which is being charged.
    2. Hi Superbender,

      Yes a single common power supply source is just what is normally required to charge two batteries or even more numbers or for any other application where more number of recipients are needed to be operated.

      I would be addressing your above question in the form of a new post soon where I would provide all the required circuit details.
    3. Hi Superbender,

      I have published your design here:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2013/09/automatic-charging-of-two-batteries.html
  41. Hi sir,
    what are 22u and 0.1u cap sir it would be helpful if you give the exact volts with those cap. Can i use 16v 220u instead of 22u and 50v 2.2u instead of 0.1u. thanks
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Gurpreet,

      I have removed the capacitors from the design, please check the new diagram.
  42. I'd like to use a PC power supply (volt moded 12V to 14,4V) instead of transformer and diodes. Is it possible? I'm concerned because the PC PS can deliver 28A on 12 V rail. Is there a solution, I don't want to buy a 300W transformer. I want to use this circuit for automatic charging a 50Ah lead acid battery.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. The above circuit does not include a current control feature so it might not be safe, I would recommend you the following design, it has the required current control feature so would be entirely safe for your application even with your PC 14.4v/ 28amp power supply.

      See the LAST design in this post:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/07/making-simple-smart-automatic-battery.html
  43. what should I change if I use a 6 volt battery 4.5 ah thank you
    Reply
  44. Dear Mr. Majumdar,

    Pls, suggest me the changes in circuit to charge 24 V. 7.2 Ah two battery pack to be charged with 24 V. solar panels.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. pls try the following circuit, the above might not be suitable for 24v

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/02/how-to-build-automatic-6-volt-12-volt.html
    2. Thanks.....
  45. Dear swagatham
    Is there any problem using this circuit in co-operation with a medium power ( about 350 W )inverter ? I will have to draw more currents from the battery while discharging .
    And another serious doubt to clear is, whether this circuit can be used to charge all types of deep cycle lead accid batteries with normal charging cycle fulfilled effectively ? Plz reply me soon......... Sry 4 the bad english
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Dear Prithviraj,

      The circuit can be used in conjunction with all types of inverters because the charging procedure has no connection with discharging procedure.

      The circuit can be used with any AH battery, provided the trafo, diodes and the relay are dimensioned as per the load current.
  46. Krishna moorthy reddyOctober 15, 2013 at 8:32 PM
    Dear Majumdar, Will i have to replace the 7805 with a higher voltage regulator IC for charging batteries rates above 50 Ah ?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Dear Krishna,

      the 7805 is only for powering the IC and has no connection with the battery, so does not need to be changed.
  47. PLEASE HELP ME SIR,
    My 555 ic takes too much time to respond.......
    I was tuning the pot at terminal #2 for lower threshold after sustaining the variable voltage to 11.4 V. But initially no response was there although the pot undergone complete rotation. I tried one more time and realized that when pot is rotated at the maximum position such that the resistance measured between the ground and its adjusting terminal becomes 8.2 ohm ( in this situation i think that pot has contributed complelte resistance towards its Vcc side ) and when the power supply ( 11.4 V ) is directly connects, then the relay activates at the same moment. In brief i couldn't efficiently adjust the pot since the relay took too much time to respond.
    I just disconnected the relay from the circuit and put a piezo buzzer at the pin#3 of IC to know whether the ic responds to the adjustments made to the pot, but the result made me so much unhappy. I found that the pin#3 becomes active only after 35 seconds when the pot adjusted maximum. Because of this i can' t adjust the pot properly..

    Sir what is the reason ? How could it Be solved ?

    I used a 0.1 uF CERAMIC CAPACITOR at pin#5 as in the diagram. A TRIM POT was used as R2 and a normal one as R5. I had to use a SERIES combination of resistances to substitute a single higher one in the circuit due to lack of the exact one specified.

    Will these effect the overall working.
    Anyhow expecting a quick suggestion from your side
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I saw the above idea in some other site and to me the explanation looked quite OK and therefore posted it here....it said that when pin2 voltage dropped below 1/3rd Vcc the output pin3 goes high and when pin6 goes above 2/3rd Vcc the output returns back to zero....this looked perfect for achieving the battery high and low cut offs, however many are finding it difficult to set up the above circuit so I would recommend you to temporarily quit this circuit and make an opamp circuit which is far more reliable and has been tested by me. you can try the following design:

      https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknVxoQ4WU7afwUj9tl2zlI6X2zo0donxIo5_jckUjDy5F8G06zERLPxoFu1M4ugI41WAO0Dv0VNWQfiCUTHT0NrLx7Rd2PWofc-E84I2e6GctdTRpqcAwFWyj3J9na_BByTNLaccSCulr/s1600/40%20watt%20led%20emergency%20light%20circuit.png

      ignore the lower relay, it's not required. this circuit will work perfectly....adjust the 10k preset for the high cutoff and the 100k preset for the lower cut off.....remember to disconnect the 100k preset temporarily while setting up the 10k preset
  48. Good day sir,
    I want to Clear something. I have noticed from the comments given that there are 4 capacitors in this circuit also a zener diode too. But i couldn' t see any such components except c4. That means you renewed the old one composing all these components with a later edition circuit consisting of only C4 compared with the other ?????
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Good day Sudarshan,

      Yes, I have removed the caps as they were of no relevance with the design
  49. Thank You sir for the quick reply
    But a bit of confusion i have, with the image you given.
    Can i use this circuit to be used for both lower and higher thresholds?
    How can i set the threshold as in the previous case. I am asking you this, coz it seems constant power supply from SMPS is used here.
    Can i use 4k7 and 47k pots instead of the ones given here, coz i don't have a 100k pot with me( it is possible to get a range upto 100 K by periodically adjusting the 10 k pot with a series of resistances in multiples of ten upto 90 , but will it turn the behaviour of the circuit ? )
    Reply
    Replies
    1. The 10k preset is for setting higher threshold, the 100k for the lower threshold, so both can be set in this circuit.

      smps can be replaced with any 15V DC source, but the current should be 1/10th of batt AH rating.

      you can try 47K preset, I think it should work.
    2. ....while setting the 10k preset, REMEMBER TO KEEP 100k preset link disconnected, connect it back after the 10k setting is done.

      the circuit link, for others to follow:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/11/making-40-watt-led-emergency-tubelight.html
  50. If there is no temperature compensation, will it aftect the battery life sir ? WHat to do ?
    Reply
  51. Sir as per your suggestion i had tried caliberating the circuit under the two thresholds. On adjusting the 10k pot first ( keeping 100 k pot disconnected ) after setting the voltage to higher threshold 14.4 V, i found the LED glowed suddently at a point also the relay activated. Upto this everything was perfect.
    But the problem is that, when i am adjusting the 100k pot for lower threshold 11.4 V ( KEEPING 10K POT CONNECTED ), nothings seems happening, no LED glow even the relay sound couldn't heared.
    Actually what should be the indication for lower threshold setting ?
    What may have occured to ma circuit ?

    Sir i have to say onething that, I HAVE NO 100K POT WITH ME. So i HAD USED THE 49.2 K RESISTOR ( 47k+ 2k2 ) in series with the adjusting terminal of the 50K POT which gave a variation of 50 to 100 k at one full rotation, and the remaining was taken as usual.
    IS THERE ANY PROBLEM IN REPLACING THE ORIGINAL 100 K POT with this configuration. Will it affect the result ?
    Anyway i am waiting for your valuable suggestions about this problem to keep ma project go ahead
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Prithviraj,

      Everything is centered around the reference voltage set by the zener voltage at pin#2.

      While setting the higher threshold, the LED lights up because the pin#3 voltage exceeds the zener reference voltage.

      Now in order to switch OFF the LED the 100K must be adjusted to a point where pin#3 voltage is again dragged below the zener voltage of pin#2.

      Measure this with a meter while adjusting 100K pot.

      If this is not happening then probably either we'll have to increase the value of the 100K preset to some higher level or connect the 100k preset with reference to ground.

      You may confirm this first then we can proceed further.
  52. Dear sir
    Where could i connect a Green LED in the circuit of opamp to indicate charging progress ?
    If i am using a 12-0-12 V inverter transformer as the power supply, then if i only want maximum of 6 A for safe charging, What will be the value of current limiting resistor which is to be used prior to the bridge rectfier section ? Will it be 2 ohms, since by ohm's law r= v/i ( 12/6 ) ???????
    Reply
  53. LED connections will be like this:

    positive--------->I------^^^^----------pin6----------->I---------^^^^------------ground

    the resistor shown are 4k7k each

    yes your current resistor calculation is OK.
    Reply
  54. What components should I replace? when I use a 6 volt battery. thank you
    Reply
  55. Yes!!!!!!!!! The circuit is functioning sir.
    THANK U VERY MUCH.....

    Now i just connected the power supply section. As i said earlier, an inverter transformer rated 25 A at secondary is being used. I had followed the transformer with a bridge rectifier ( formed using four 1N5402 diodes ) and a 1000 uF/25V capacitor in parallel. But when i had just finished the circuit and powered up, a bursting occured in the center tap or the transformer seconrary, then i suddently disconnected the device. I have only tested the power section ( without the charging portion ) to avoid any awaiting damages.

    I am using a 25 A rated 230/12-0-12 inverter transformer with 5 inputs( primary ) and 4 outputs ( secondary ). The center tap had been taken BY PAIRING THE TWO CENTER WIRES IN THE SECONDARY TOGETHER and fed this tap to the -ve terminal of the capacitor forming ground. The other two terminal wires have been connected to the respective junctions in the bridge......n but the system FAILED.
    I have noticed several circuits in which this bridge configuration is employed, but in all these, the transformers used were not having a center tap, having only two outputs..........
    THen, was my connection wrong ?
    How can i solve this issue sir ????'??.....
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Your bridge connection seems to be incorrect. Your method would be suitable for dual supplies as shown in this article:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/01/how-to-make-hi-fi-100-watt-amplifier.html:



      It's better to use the half winding, that is 0-12V winding and connect the bridge to it in the conventional manner, this method would create full wave rectification and also eliminate confusions.
  56. Sir one more thing to ask to you.
    On noticing the envelope of the battery, it has been written there that , the battery has to be operated by a charger with the feature of constant current and constant voltage charging. So any problem will my battery face operating with the opamp circuit sir ? Will this simple circuit be able to provide the enlisted features here ?????

    I have found one of your schematic named ' automatic 3 step charger '.
    But as one of your followers said in that blog, i am also not able to collect such low value resistors r1, r2, r3 ( of the order of 0.01 ohm ) from the local shops in our area. So what will i do to charge my battery with the safety features and without the lack of such triffle components ????

    Give me a better suggestion sir....
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Three step charger would be too complicated for you to build, however if the transformer is rated at current 1/10th of the of the battery AH and the voltage at around 15V. then no additional circuit would be required...the opamp circuit would be enough as it will do the cut offs at the set moments.

      With a higher current trafo, yo would certainly require a current control circuit along with the opamp circuit.
  57. Very good morning sir.
    I have tried the 0-12 tap, eventhough spark and the bursting sound along with smell comes again. I am very much afraid of this and not so much confident to connect this into the opamp circuit. I think the spark comes due to the sudden high current flow towards the rectifier section. I have used a 2 ohm resistor to reduce the current to 6 A. But nothing happens as i wish. I should have to use this transformer to follow the inverter design along with this. Can you please suggest me a better modification which can be applied to the secondary terminal with 4 NO. OF OUTPUT LEADS ???????
    Reply
  58. Sir i have noticed another thing that, no such problems ( sparking and busting ) occurs when the transformer is used with half wave rectification mode. The two center wire twisted together connected to the -ve terminal of capacitor forming ground and the other two wires connected in normal manner.
    No problem yet.
    But i don't wanna this, coz i think it will not be efficient for my purpose.
    Then what may have occured to ma bridge config. '????'''
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Good morning Prithviraj,

      Using a meter set at AC range, check the voltage of the taps, and find the one which gives the required 12V, and connect these taps to the bridge.

      I think the diodes might have got shorted and burnt....you can check them to confirm or use fresh diodes to make a new bridge rectifier with correct polarity and connections.
  59. Sir your blog is very interesting. It helps a lot of people who are interested in electronics. Therefore hearty CONGRATS for being this blog a very success.

    I have a small doubt. Will you clarify it??
    I have three sealed lead accid batteries of 12 V each. All the 3 having same Ah rating. I had been using the batteries for 3 or4 months before. But since then it hasn't been ever used. But no problem..they are zero maintenance batteries.
    Now i have to charge all of them. But the problem is that each batteries shows different open circuit voltages on checking with a voltmeter. My doubt is whether they can be used in parallel to charge the whole setup or not?
    I prefer a parallel set up, becoz it suits my purpose ot getting the required higher Ah keeping voltage constant..
    I am very sorry for the large describtions which may have wasted your time much more. Again sorry for the bad english.
    Hoping a better suggestion from your side
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much Soorya,

      You can connect them in parallel with each individual high current rectifier diodes in series with their positives. The diodes will automatically balance outthe difference in voltage levels of the batteries and charge them uniformly, you mayu refer to the following post:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2013/08/connecting-batteries-in-parallel.html

      Be sure to use diodes rated with current twice that of the charging rate of the batteries.
  60. Thank you very much sir. Now i want to know whether a 1N5408/02 is sufficient for maximum charge current of 6 A ????

    What about 6A4 diode ?

    What word i have to search for the maximum current rate of a diode in it's datasheet ? Is it 'maximum forward current ? '
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Thanks Soorya,

      You can use two 6A4 diodes in parallel for each battery positive.

      6A4 can handle 6amps so two would provide a safety margin of 12 amps

      I haven't update diode datasheets here yet so at present you won' t be able to find any relevant info in this blog
  61. Sir,,
    How do i measure the current drawn from my high power transformer using multimeter???
    I want to ensure that the current limiting resistors are working properly to avoid any awailing damages.
    I have heard that it is possible to measure the current only under LOAD. But except ma batteries i don't have any other devices functioning at that much current with me. I don't wanna to take risk on ma batteries too.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Prothviraj,

      If you check your meter features you will find a slot for 10Amp or 20 amp range, you will have to plug the red prod into that slot, set the selection knob to 10Amp position and atsrt checking current by inserting the prod terminals in series with the transformer output. Use DC range if you are connecting them after the bridge, and AC range if it's before the bridge.
  62. Hellow sir, Good morning.
    I have 5 no.s of 20 Ah batteries connected in parallel forming a 12 V 100 Ah battery bank. What will be the required charging rate of the whole setup ?
    Is it 2 A max ( 1/10 th of the individual battery ) or 10 A max ( 1/10 th of the whole battery capacity ) ?????
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Nazriya,

      It'll be 10amps and not 2 amps because parallel connection adds up current.
  63. Sir my previous comment was a wrong assumption. I individual batteries are 20 Ah rated. SO may i use a diode rated above 2A for each battery for parallel charging?????
    1N4508 is enough ??''
    Reply
    Replies
    1. for 20 ah you can use 6A4 diodes, or any other type 6 amp diode
  64. SIR I WANT HELP!!!!!
    When i am turning on my dc power supply the resistors connected in series with the +ve secondary of the 300 W transformer is getting burned. I have tried a 2 W resistor, eventhough the burning effext didn't change. what to do sir ?
    My power supply connections are everything perfect
    Reply
    Replies
    1. As I have told many times in this blog, the charging rate should be 1/10th of the battery AH, is your trafo generating this much current?? Pls confirm this first.

      Secondly the resistor will need to be dimensioned according to the current limit that's being used at the output...if you can tell me the charging rate of your system then I'll tell you the correct resistor dimensions
  65. Hellow sir,
    I have noticed a battery charger circuit using 741 opamp which you had given as a reference circuit to one of your readers. In this circuit when the battery voltage exceeds a higher cut off ,opamp output becomes high due the increase in voltage at terminal 3 compared to zener reference voltage at pin#2.
    But i want an extremely opposite action to this. I mean, when the voltage rises above the zener voltage, output of opamp should go low and vice versa. ie., opamp in -ve config.
    Can you please help me sir...n
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hello Vikram,

      Just reverse the pin arrangement, meaning connect the zener to pin3 and the preset to pin2
  66. Sir sorry for disturbing you again at this time. I was busy with some other works, that is why i hadn't noticed your last comment on my request. Now i am giving here the exact requirements i need.

    I have a 300 W inverter transformer with me ( bought in order to make a medium power inverter ). From basic calculations it could be understood that anyhow it draws maximum 25A current under full load at secondary.
    I have connected the rectifier section along with the transformer for the first time, but a fuzzing sound could be heard. Therefore, i decided to add a calculated resistor of value 2 ohm ( 12V/ 6 A) in series with the +ve tap of the secondary to limit the current. But it also got failed. Resistor burned.
    Here i am using a 60Ah battery. Therefore it should draw maximum of only 6 A from the transformer secondary, but the thing is that the secondary terminal supplying very high current.
    I am employing your automatic single transformer inverter/charger/changeover circuit with the charging circuit using opamp which i got from this blog. So all the above problems came from this single transformer design such that current limiting and power handling problems.

    BUT I DON'T EVEN WANT TO PAY ANY MORE FOR ANOTHER TRANSFORMER and i have have to implement the specified charger block only since i prefer the charging of my lead accid batteries with complete safeguarding


    So in brief ( talking from a beginners level ) i want to clarify the below things-
    1). What should i do to limit the current for charging section???? Will it be a single resistor alone with high power rating????
    2). Any modification to be carried out for remaining sections ( such as oscillation section, relay coils ) which deal directly with transformer secondary ???
    3). Can the limiting resistor be used in series with transformer secondary??? Will it be able to limit AC current???
    And the last thing to ask to you ' Whether i have to use a LM338 IC or Traic circuit as a current limiter???????'''''''


    Now i think you got the exact thing that i meant before and asking you several times. So if you can i want your valuable suggestions and help on this. Please don't neglect ma request as a triffle. I am expecting a satisfactory reply
    Reply
  67. Sir can i use a seperate 1:1 5A transformer for the charging section??? ( since i am not able to find higher watt resistances from our local shops )
    If it can, i need help in modifying other sections of the inverter handling with high current delivered by high power transformer
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Hi Prithviraj,

      That would be the right approach, since you are new in the field you shouldn't try adventurous circuit concepts, it could be risky.

      I would also suggest that you spend some more money and buy another transformer and make a separate charger,using IC LM196 in place of IC338.

      By the way which inverter design are you trying right now?

      NTC will not work as current limiter, because it's function is to limit surge current and not continuous current
  68. The single transformer inverter/charger/changeover circuit that you posted before sir.
    Sir i want to clarify something on that inverter circuit.
    I need the circuit to be function as follows.......
    I am connecting the output of the inverter directly to an ac wall outlet with a plug in a room. My purpose is that during power failure, suitable instruments (to the inverter power) can be turned on which is situated at any room in the house powering from the ac fed by the inverter at the other end through that plug.
    One of my cousin had done a similar inverter and he plugged the inverter directly to the wall socket and swithed on it after turning the mains switch off during power failure. It worked well. But all the thing he had done was changing a normal PC UPS into an inverter.
    On searching the internet, i am confused about this output connection, because all of them saying that the instruments to be powered during power failure are directly connected to the inverter output. So will there be any problem in my strategy.
    And also I want the inverter to be connected permanently to the ac wall outlet and ni need to TURN OFF THE MAINS SWITCH during power failure to make it operating.....mTry giving me best reply considering my cousin's situation
    Reply
    Replies
    1. If you connect the referred single transformer inverter/charger output to wall socket, then all the appliances in the house would get accessed with it as normally happens with utility mains.

      But you should first confirm the operations using smaller transformer and without wall socket connection, otherwise you may end with a possible fire hazard.
  69. Sir i found an automatic charger circuit using an opamp ic 741 referred in one of the comments in this article. But i have only a 24V 20 Ah battery to charge. I am very interested to implement this circuit. Can u plz help me in modifying the given circuit to charge 24V battery or batteries rated upto 48V.........
    Reply
  70. The figure is containing in this link sir

    https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknVxoQ4WU7afwUj9tl2zlI6X2zo0donxIo5_jckUjDy5F8G06zERLPxoFu1M4ugI41WAO0Dv0VNWQfiCUTHT0NrLx7Rd2PWofc-E84I2e6GctdTRpqcAwFWyj3J9na_BByTNLaccSCulr/s1600/40%20watt%20led%20emergency%20light%20circuit.png
    Reply
    Replies
    1. refer to this circuit and see how the 22k resistors are added with the circuit.

      https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o4s-C6HMx777Hr2ngJtZpbOj5XhMW_N6rKHI5eVXM4ZiQNqnGgkTmQBLtHxGh_l9GqnM1Yiox1A5sbbJk6DAhe4Q8pGZqS7Suiq-Ho_vJvYjULG04XBbEccUOKjnd1wVjRaV8wNw1fIp/s1600/48v%20battery%20charger%20circuit%20automatic.png


      For your circuit use 10k resistors in place of 22k.

      ignore the msfet stage and use a relay as given in your circuit
  71. pls, Mr. Swagatam i would like you to post me the modified Automatic Lead Acid Battery Charger using NE555 IC.keep up the good work either on the blog or send it to my Email: datepaka@gmail.com
    Reply
    Replies
    1. thanks Daty, I'll try to do it soon.
  72. Can the two 12V lead accid batteries connected in series be charged with this diagram???
    I want to use the series config. for my need. i.e, as 24V bank always.
    Can you tell me which are the lower and higher threshold levels for this combination and how can they be set?
    I also want to know whether any damage will occur to the individual batteries with this charging method?????
    Reply
    Replies
    1. The above diagram is only for parallel connections not for series connections.

      Parallel charging would be better using the above explained method, series charging will not give optimal charging results compared to parallel so it should be avoided.
  73. hi,

    I need a little info about tabular acid battery.
    I purchased a new 100 AH battery(not branded). I am using the battery @ of 10Amps load using a mosfet inverter battery is lasting 5hrs and 10min.
    according to my knowledge It should give backup of 9+ hrs @10 Amps discharge.

    dealer claims he sold the correct item of 100AH but I feel being cheated.

    I want to know how to determine the correct AH of the battery. It's only 15 days old .
    Reply
    Replies
    1. hi, your dealer is not cheating, if it's printed as 100ah then it should be a 100ah battery.
      Possibly your battery might not be fully charged....to charge it fully keep it connected with a 14V 10amp charger for about 14 to 18 hours and then you can expect the desired results from it.
    2. hi, thanks for reply,
      1. battery has nothing printed as it is not branded dealer build it at his shop assembling the battery plates.

      2. Battery gets charged using the same transformer ( inverter + charger) @10 -15 Amps automatically it does not get over 15 Amps during charging. and has 14V at the battery terminals. After switching off the charger battery has 13.93 V at the terminals.
      (Purchased this ready made kit from market based on Mosfet and SG35xx series)

      3. I had fully charged the battery like you are saying for 14-18hrs before testing , and as the charging is automatic I don't need to switch off the charging as it gets charged to it fullest level charging automatically kept @ 14V.

      4. Tested the 100AH battery 2-3 times in past days after fully charging but it never gives more than 5Hrs backup @10 Amps discharge.

      5. Lastly I have another 32AH battery (1 year old) which gives a backup off 2Hrs 40min at 10Amps discharge rate using the same inverter for charging . This is the reason I highly doubt there is something wrong with the 100AH one.

    3. In that case you can the expect the quality to be not up to the mark, obviously you would have got it at a rate much lower than the standard rates.
      A hand assembled battery can never produce results equivalent to branded ones due to the low tech manufacturing procedures involved.
  74. can i build this charger and it will work
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I would suggest an opamp based charger circuit because these are more flexible and simple, i have of plenty of them in this site.
  75. sir i have completed circuit.but connect across the voltmeter -ve(from battery) & IC 2 pin this time p2 adjust relay active,remove voltmeter not work. what i do it?i am try to many times but same error how to build it? thank you
    Reply
  76. sir i have completed circuit.but not work relay. i will try to many times, change a set of new component. no reaction,tell me solution 
    Reply
    Replies
    1. arasan, the adjustments involved with the above circuit needs a good knowledge of the IC555 functioning, if do not know them could be difficult for you to set them.
      It's better you try the first circuit from the following link, which is much easier:

      http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2012/07/make-6v-4ah-automatic-battery-charger.html