Ā Ā Ā Hey everyone, welcome to a new video on the Cell Doctor Channel. Today, we’re diving into the latest updates for Mega CNC, the software I’ve developed for controlling the MegaCell Chargers. I’ve been working on some new features that many of you have requested, so let’s take a look at what’s changed since the last video.
Development and Deployment
Ā Ā I’ve been replacing placeholders on the page with real data. The total sales displayed are from testing on my development machine, which is running on Windows. Although developing and submitting changes is easier on Windows, deployment works best on Ubuntu and the Raspberry Pi image. I’ll be updating this image in the coming days for those who need it.
Updating Procedure
Ā Ā If you already have sales data in your database, I recommend following the update procedure described on the Git page. You need to log into your Raspberry Pi or Ubuntu machine via SSH. The default username and password for the Raspberry Pi image is MCCadmin
and MCCisbest
, respectively. You can change these if you wish. To update, navigate to Mega CNC, perform a git pull
, and then sudo docker-compose down
. Rebuild and make the necessary database migrations.
Database Changes
Ā I’ve made several changes to the database:
- A new entry called “database” now loads all cells by default.
- You can filter cells based on the project you’re working on.
- The database displays detailed information for each cell, including capacity, ESR, number of cycles, availability, and various temperature metrics during charging and discharging.
You can also manually add cells to the database, specifying details such as project, device type, voltage, capacity, ESR, and other parameters.
Battery Management
Ā The main purpose of this software and the MegaCell Charger is to manage and utilize battery cells efficiently. Here’s a rundown of the new battery management features:
Creating and Managing Batteries: You can create new batteries by specifying the series and parallel configuration. Once created, the software helps you manage these batteries efficiently.
Scanning and Assigning Cells: Using a QR code scanner, you can easily scan and assign cells to a battery pack. The software automatically pulls the cell data from the database and optimally assigns cells to ensure a balanced pack.
Balancing Cells: The software calculates the best combination of cells to create a balanced pack, minimizing the difference in capacity across strings of cells.
Advanced Features
Ā For those familiar with building battery packs, the software offers advanced features like:
- Swapping Cells: You can swap cells within a pack if needed. However, this feature is still under development, so it’s best to use it cautiously.
- Detailed Data Display: The software provides detailed information about each cell, including graphs and temperature data.
- Auto-Selection and Assignment: You can auto-select cells for a pack based on specific criteria, making the process quicker and more efficient.
Final Thoughts
Ā Ā Thank you for following this project. If you have any questions or suggestions for new features, don’t hesitate to contact me. Check out the latest products and a detailed presentation page on our website for more information about the MegaCell Charger project.
Stay tuned for the next video, and happy battery building!
All the best, The Cell Doctor