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Ammeter Shunt

 
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frank.hinde(at)hp.com
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:23 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Ahh...Therein lies the question.

I personally put it in the Alternator B lead. In fact I have 2
alternators so I purchased an extra shunt and put one in each b lead...I
used a changeover switch labelled amps#1 and Amps#2.

I use the SD8 as a backup and will simply flip the switch over to read
how the SD8 is performing compared to knowing how many amps it will make
at say 2600RPM.

Frank

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lhelming(at)sigecom.net
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:17 pm    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

I did mine with #2 of your possible choices. Works fine. Shows me what
seems to be the load being consumed and therefore being produced by the Alt.
Larry in Indiana with RV7 flying

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bakerocb



Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:50 pm    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

7/11/2006

Responding to an AeroElectric-List message previously posted by: "Mark
Chamberlain" <mchamberlain(at)runbox.com>

Hello Mark, I would appreciate some help from you and others to better
understand this subject.

You wrote: "1. Amps in and out of battery (-60a to 60a)"

I understand the above statement and how to wire in order to measure all of
those amps.

If one puts the shunt in the wire going from the battery plus terminal to
the input to the battery contactor you will be able (with the proper kind of
guage) to measure all of the amps going into and out of the battery itself.
This presumes that: A) The alternator B lead is connected to the battery
through the contactor output terminal, and B) That you are operating such
that you don't have some sort of endurance / essential bus or hot battery
bus, also connected directly to the battery plus terminal, that is feeding
amps to some portion of the aircraft's system not through the wire going to
the battery contactor.

You wrote: "3. Amps used by aircraft load only."

I understand how this can be measured by placing the shunt in a wire going
from the battery contactor output terminal to the aircraft's main power
distribution bus. Amps from the alternator, which has its B lead connected
to the battery contactor output terminal, and, if need be, amps from the
battery, would flow through this shunt to carry the aircraft system's load.
Again with no "back door" flows not going through this wire.

You wrote: "2. Amps in to the battery from the alternator only."

I am not sure what you mean by this statement. Do you mean "Only the amps
that are flowing from the alternator into the battery and none of the amps
that are flowing from the alternator into the aircraft systems?"

Assuming that we are talking about a simple system with only one battery and
one alternator there are only two sources of amps possible -- the battery
and the alternator. Recall that the amperage flowing into the battery from
the alternator is one of the two things being measured as wired in scenario
1 above.

Can you please explain what you mean by statement 2 and how one would wire
to accomplish it?

I know that Bob Nuckolls has a very low opininion of some electrical
instrumentation in the aircraft's instrument panel and the pilot's
expectations of beneficially using that instrumentation in flight. I am
basically in agreement with him and am not trying to wire an airplane. I
just want to better understand the concepts involved. Thanks.

OC

Time: 10:48:18 AM PST US


<mchamberlain(at)runbox.com>

Hi All,
I am about to install the Dynon Ammeter Shunt that comes with the 180
FlightDeck. It can be installed in 3 locations that can read either:
1. Amps
in and out of battery (-60a to 60a),
2. Amps in to the battery from the alternator only
3. Amps used by aircraft load only.
My question is: where would be the best location to put it? Suggestions
welcomed.
Thanks for your help,
Mark


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brian



Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Sacramento, California, USA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:10 pm    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 11, 2006, at 7:40 PM, <bakerocb(at)cox.net> <bakerocb(at)cox.net>
wrote:

Quote:
You wrote: "2. Amps in to the battery from the alternator only."

I am not sure what you mean by this statement. Do you mean "Only
the amps that are flowing from the alternator into the battery and
none of the amps that are flowing from the alternator into the
aircraft systems?"

Assuming that we are talking about a simple system with only one
battery and one alternator there are only two sources of amps
possible -- the battery and the alternator. Recall that the
amperage flowing into the battery from the alternator is one of the
two things being measured as wired in scenario 1 above.

Can you please explain what you mean by statement 2 and how one
would wire to accomplish it?

I think that he meant the output of the alternator so it was a
misprint. Still, if you think about it, if you have a shunt in the
lead to the battery, when the alternator is working that shunt will
measure only current from the alternator to the battery. If the
alternator is off-line that same shunt will show all the loads as
they are now being powered by the battery, not the alternator.

Quote:
I know that Bob Nuckolls has a very low opininion of some
electrical instrumentation in the aircraft's instrument panel and
the pilot's expectations of beneficially using that instrumentation
in flight. I am basically in agreement with him and am not trying
to wire an airplane. I just want to better understand the concepts
involved. Thanks.

I am a fan of the alternator load meter. It is amazing how, during
the day you look down at that ammeter and wonder why there are about
5A more load than usual. That is when you realize that you
inadvertently left the position lights on from your last night
flight. (And if any of you tell me you haven't done this I will say
that you are not telling the whole truth.)

For what it's worth, I actually see a use for the battery ammeter. I
like to see how long it takes the battery to stop accepting current
from the alternator. This tells me when the battery has replaced its
lost charge. The time also gives me an inkling of battery capacity.
When the battery has lost most of its capacity it will "recharge"
much more quickly than usual. It is another one of those things that
you just get a feel for, kind of like the way the engine sounds and
where the controls are under normal circumstances. Oil pressure is
not a particularly useful gauge until it says something new and
different too. It is just another one of those ways that you "feel"
the way the airplane and its systems are working.
Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:50 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Brian,
 
Am I understanding correctly, that with a shunt between the alternator and battery,  the ammeter will display amp load on the battery when the alternator is off-line?
 
John


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bakerocb



Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:01 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

7/12/2006

Hello Mark, Thanks for the quick response.

You wrote: "In the diagram I have from Dynon it says that if you put the
shunt
between the alternator and the battery (somewhere in the main power lead
from the alternator) it will measure only amps coming from the
alternator."

Yes, I agree. And those amps will be flowing into both the aircraft systems
and into recharging the battery if the voltage regulator is holding the
alternator output voltage at a battery charging level.

There is no way that I know of to wire the aircraft using only one shunt or
Hall effect device in a way that will display the alternator load share
between aircraft systems and battery charging.

So your three choices are:

A) As You wrote: "1. Amps in and out of battery (-60a to 60a)"

B) As You wrote: "3. Amps used by aircraft load only."

C) Or, Amps flowing out of the alternator to both charge the battery and
feed the aircraft systems in some unknown proportion. (Per the diagram from
Dynon)

So where are you going to put the shunt?

OC
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brian



Joined: 02 Jan 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:49 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 12, 2006, at 1:42 PM, John Burnaby wrote:

Quote:
Brian,

Am I understanding correctly, that with a shunt between the
alternator and battery, the ammeter will display amp load on the
battery when the alternator is off-line?

Bob's book explains this better than I can but I will take a stab at it.

There is a point in the electrical system where the alternator, the
battery, and the distribution bus all connect together. This is
usually at the junction of the battery master contactor and the
starting contactor. (It may also be at your positive distribution
point for your bus.) You can put an ammeter shunt or a hall-effect
current sensor in any one of the three wires coming to that point.

1. If you put the shunt in the wire (B-lead) from the alternator, the
ammeter will read the current being drawn from the alternator. This
is usually called a "load meter".

2. If you put the shunt in the wire going to the distribution bus,
the ammeter will read the loads on the electrical system.

3. If you put the shunt in the lead going to the battery, the ammeter
will read the current going from the alternator to the battery when
the alternator is on-line and the battery is charging (positive amps)
or it will read the bus loads if the alternator is off-line (negative
amps). This is the typical center-zero battery ammeter you find in
most Cessna aircraft.

(Piper switched from #3 to #1 somewhere along the line. I think
Cessna still uses #3. The only place I have seen #2 is on larger
aircraft with multiple charging and load buses.)

Bob doesn't like the center-zero battery ammeter (#3) and I have to
admit, it is not particularly useful most of the time. When the
battery is charging it shows charging current but that drops to zero
so you really can't tell anything. OTOH, if the alternator goes off-
line, you can see the loads and estimate the remaining battery "run-
time" by seeing how many amps you are pulling out of it. If you have
a 25AH battery and you are drawing 5A, you can expect the battery to
provide power for about 5 hours before it goes dead.

(And for those of you who are about to correct me to tell me that
when you draw more amps from a battery its amp-hour rating goes down,
you are correct but I am trying to make a general point here with
relatively simple arithmetic and without a discussion of Peukert's
exponent.)

The bottom line is that you cannot tell everything about the current
flows in your electrical system without at least TWO ammeters.

But Bob is certainly right about needing a voltmeter. It is more
useful than an ammeter under just about every condition.

Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brianl at lloyd dot com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

"Five percent of the people think.
Ten percent of the people think they think.
Eighty-five percent of the people would rather die than think."
---Thomas A. Edison


Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:57 pm    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Yeah---but, if the alternator is offline, won't you shut off the
contactor to save the 1 amp (and shed loads) and isn't the shunt now
offline?

Pax,

Ed Holyoke

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brian



Joined: 02 Jan 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:27 pm    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 12, 2006, at 8:49 PM, Ed Holyoke wrote:

Quote:

<bicyclop(at)pacbell.net>

Yeah---but, if the alternator is offline, won't you shut off the
contactor to save the 1 amp (and shed loads) and isn't the shunt now
offline?

It depends on how you wire your electrical system. If I have 5 hours
of battery life including the battery contactor and I have 4 hours of
fuel on board ...

But if you have a separate battery feed to your endurance bus you
might want a second shunt to read loads on the endurance bus. You may
want then information to load shed to increase battery endurance.

Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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brian



Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Sacramento, California, USA

PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:21 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 12, 2006, at 9:22 PM, Brian Lloyd wrote:

Quote:
It depends on how you wire your electrical system. If I have 5
hours of battery life including the battery contactor and I have 4
hours of fuel on board ...

But if you have a separate battery feed to your endurance bus you
might want a second shunt to read loads on the endurance bus. You
may want then information to load shed to increase battery endurance.

A further comment: the original question was on the ammeter shunt (or
hall-effect sensor). There are many ways to craft the topology of
your electrical system as Bob has shown in his book and discussions
herein. But there are only a few places you can put an ammeter and
get meaningful information.

1. You can put one in series with any source of power (alternator,
generator, dynamo) and find out how much current it is delivering.

2. You can put one in series with a battery and see either its
charging current or loads when the charging current is insufficient
to carry all the loads (as in when the alternator is turning too
slowly or is off-line).

3. You can put one in series with a load or loads and see how much
current that device or devices demand from the system.

If you change the path so that the current no longer travels through
the shunt then you won't get any reading. Heck, you can put the shunt
permanently in the path to the battery so it always shows battery
current, even starting current. Then you can always see what is going
into and coming out of your battery. Just make sure your shunt is
beefy enough to handle the starting currents.

The above is true regardless of the number of alternators or
batteries in your system.

Bob makes a point that all this discussion is so you can craft your
electrical system to do what YOU want it to do. You may have
different reasons to measure current than Bob or I do. Bob doesn't
like the center-zero battery ammeter and I understand that. I have
developed new respect for this instrument in applications where one
will be running from battery power.

Here is another way of looking at it. If you have two sources of
power (alternators/dynamos) you are never going to be running your
loads off your battery. It is only needed to start the airplane. The
center-zero battery ammeter is almost useless in that system. OTOH if
you have a single alternator system and will depend on the battery to
get you to your destination should the alternator fail, you might
want to know what the loads are so you can estimate remaining battery
capacity. Now the center-zero ammeter is useful.

I have a boat with a 1000AH battery bank. That battery bank provides
all of the boat's power when I am at sea. I have to periodically
recharge it. I want to know how much capacity I have consumed so I
know how much is left and I want to know when it is fully charged. In
this application the battery ammeter/shunt is critical. No other tool
will suffice.

So it all depends on your application.

Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:03 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Brian Lloyd Wrote:
<<
But if you have a separate battery feed to your endurance bus you
might want a second shunt to read loads on the endurance bus.
Quote:
>

If you use a hall-effect sensor rather than a shunt you could run the
endurance bus feed as well as the battery bus feed through the sensor and
that way the ammeter would report total of battery bus and endurance bus
(depending on which one was energized).

Regards,

Bob Lee
N52BL KR2
Suwanee, GA
91% done only 65% to go!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:24 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

At 08:02 AM 7/13/2006 -0400, you wrote:

Quote:


Brian Lloyd Wrote:
<<
But if you have a separate battery feed to your endurance bus you
might want a second shunt to read loads on the endurance bus.
>>

If you use a hall-effect sensor rather than a shunt you could run the
endurance bus feed as well as the battery bus feed through the sensor and
that way the ammeter would report total of battery bus and endurance bus
(depending on which one was energized).

Battery busses and endurance busses (if wired per the z-figures)
are always energized in one way or another. There is one pretty
useful dual-feedline use for a hall-sensor. You can run both
alternator leads thorough it and have it read total load for
both machines operating either independently or together.

The questions to be asked and answered are: If I want to install
any form of current monitoring device on the panel, what is
the design goal for utility? One can select from a variety
of locations all of which will present different information
and different dynamics. Keep in mind that the first task to
be completed for any architecture is a load analysis based on
distribution of equipment across the various busses. The load
analysis tells you that for any and all operating conditions,
no current limited is exceeded -OR- during "plan-b" ops,
certain loads must be turned off to meet endurance goals
or to observe certain PRE-DETERMINED load limits.

Bottom line is that EVERY current draw for EVERY mode of
operation should be known to you before your first flight.
An ammeter display of any variety is but one snapshot into
system performance that might have some usefulness during
a future troubleshooting activity as a technician. But
if one has done their homework before first flight,
ammeters are 95% useless to operating the airplane as
pilot.

I'm not trying discourage all the discussion about where
shunts/hall-sensors can be placed and what they will show.
But for the 1300 or so who are not participating in the
conversation, know that whatever deductions are
accomplished, don't think that ANY ammeter has much
utility as an aid to flight operations no matter where
it's installed.

Bob . . .


---------------------------------------------------------
< What is so wonderful about scientific truth...is that >
< the authority which determines whether there can be >
< debate or not does not reside in some fraternity of >
< scientists; nor is it divine. The authority rests >
< with experiment. >
< --Lawrence M. Krauss >
---------------------------------------------------------


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:09 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Brian,
I'm one of those ignorant pilots who believes that an ammeter can provide useful information while in flight, so I intend to install one along with a voltmeter.  I'm crafting my electrical system to do what I want it to do.
 
Do you, or anyone, know of one that is a digital center-zero meter?  How about a combo digital ammeter-voltmeter?
I plan to use hall effect devices and I'm going to mount them in at least three places in the electrical system.  I also plan to sample the voltage at the same locations in the electrical system.  I'm still deciding where those locations will be, but they will likely be on the alternator lead, at the main battery and at the standby battery.  Other potential locations are the main bus and the standby bus.  I plan to route the sensor wires to a rotary selector switch so as to be able to view any of the sensor locations on a single ammeter and voltmeter.  Too much effort and expense for little or no gain? Perhaps, but it's the way I want it.
I believe that by using HE devices instead of shunts I would not have to worry about making the shunt beefy enough to handle the starting loads.  Is there any advantage to using a shunt that I'm overlooking?
 
Has anyone found a good source for donut HE devices?
Thanks,
Stan Sutterfield
www.rv-8a.net
 
Quote:
1. You can put one in series with any source of power (alternator, 
generator, dynamo) and find out how much current it is delivering.

2. You can put one in series with a battery and see either its 
charging current or loads when the charging current is insufficient 
to carry all the loads (as in when the alternator is turning too 
slowly or is off-line).

3. You can put one in series with a load or loads and see how much 
current that device or devices demand from the system.

If you change the path so that the current no longer travels through 
the shunt then you won't get any reading. Heck, you can put the shunt 
permanently in the path to the battery so it always shows battery 
current, even starting current. Then you can always see what is going 
into and coming out of your battery. Just make sure your shunt is 
beefy enough to handle the starting currents.

The above is true regardless of the number of alternators or 
batteries in your system.

Bob makes a point that all this discussion is so you can craft your 
electrical system to do what YOU want it to do. You may have 
different reasons to measure current than Bob or I do. Bob doesn't 
like the center-zero battery ammeter and I understand that. I have 
developed new respect for this instrument in applications where one 
will be running from battery power.

Here is another way of looking at it. If you have two sources of 
power (alternators/dynamos) you are never going to be running your 
loads off your battery. It is only needed to start the airplane. The 
center-zero battery ammeter is almost useless in that system. OTOH if 
you have a single alternator system and will depend on the battery to 
get you to your destination should the alternator fail, you might 
want to know what the loads are so you can estimate remaining battery 
capacity. Now the center-zero ammeter is useful.

I have a boat with a 1000AH battery bank. That battery bank provides 
all of the boat's power when I am at sea. I have to periodically 
recharge it. I want to know how much capacity I have consumed so I 
know how much is left and I want to know when it is fully charged. In 
this application the battery ammeter/shunt is critical. No other tool 
will suffice.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:39 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

Vision Microsystems uses one for their current detection (uses four wires and a shield).......I have one installed and was thinking about something along the lines of what you're doing......
 
My question is where are you getting the rotary switch to switch the four wires?  (I would gang all of the shields)

[quote]--


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:28 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 14, 2006, at 10:37 AM, Ralph E. Capen wrote:

Quote:

Vision Microsystems uses one for their current detection (uses four
wires and a shield).......I have one installed and was thinking
about something along the lines of what you're doing......

My question is where are you getting the rotary switch to switch
the four wires? (I would gang all of the shields)

You may find that you only need to switch one or maybe two wires. At
least one wire is power in and one other is power ground. You can
probably leave those hooked up all the time and not switch them. I
would guess that one of the other wires is output and one is signal
ground or maybe it has a differential output.

Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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Location: Sacramento, California, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:39 am    Post subject: Ammeter Shunt Reply with quote

On Jul 14, 2006, at 10:03 AM, Speedy11(at)aol.com wrote:

Quote:
Brian,
I'm one of those ignorant pilots who believes that an ammeter can
provide useful information while in flight, so I intend to install
one along with a voltmeter. I'm crafting my electrical system to
do what I want it to do.

Well, if only ignorant pilot believe that an ammeter provides useful
information then I am an ignorant pilot too.

Quote:
Do you, or anyone, know of one that is a digital center-zero
meter? How about a combo digital ammeter-voltmeter?

There are a lot of companies that make volt/ammeter combination
gauges. I have not seen an analog center-zero ammeter that is also a
combination volt/ammeter. The digital ones will usually show a sign
on the current indication thus allowing you to see the magnitude of
both charge and discharge. You should be able to find either analog
or digital to suit your taste.

Quote:
I plan to use hall effect devices and I'm going to mount them in at
least three places in the electrical system. I also plan to sample
the voltage at the same locations in the electrical system. I'm
still deciding where those locations will be, but they will likely
be on the alternator lead, at the main battery and at the standby
battery. Other potential locations are the main bus and the
standby bus. I plan to route the sensor wires to a rotary selector
switch so as to be able to view any of the sensor locations on a
single ammeter and voltmeter. Too much effort and expense for
little or no gain? Perhaps, but it's the way I want it.

Then that is how you should do it. It is your airplane and you should
equip it the way you like.

Quote:
I believe that by using HE devices instead of shunts I would not
have to worry about making the shunt beefy enough to handle the
starting loads. Is there any advantage to using a shunt that I'm
overlooking?

Shunts are more accurate. When there is zero voltage across the
terminals of a shunt there is definitely no current through the
shunt. Hall effect devices exhibit offset error and can be affected
by other nearby conductors carrying current. But in most cases they
are just fine.

Bipolar hall effect sensors usually have their output midway between
ground and the supply voltage (typically +5V) when they are sensing
zero current. So +2.5V really means zero current. You just need to
calibrate your indicator accordingly.

Brian Lloyd 361 Catterline Way
brian-yak AT lloyd DOT com Folsom, CA 95630
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.270.912.0788 (fax)

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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