MORNINGSTAR SunGuard Operation Manual

SOLAR BATTERY CHARGE CONTROLLER

O

PERATOR’S

M

ANUAL

1098 Washington Crossing Road

Washington Crossing, PA 18977 USA

Website: www.morningstarcorp.com

1.0 SPECIFICATION SUMMARY

System Volts

12 V

PWM Setpoint

14.1 V

Max. Solar Volts

30 V

Accuracy

+/–60 mV

Rated Solar Input

4.5 A

Min. Operating Volts

6V

Max. Input (5 min.)

5.5 A

Self-consumption

6mA

Max. Solar Short Circuit Rating

5.5 A

PWM Temp Compensation

–28 mV/˚C

Reverse Current Leakage

<10 uA

Ambient Temperature Range

–40 to +60 ˚C

Relative Humidity

100%

2.0 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

• Follow these instructions carefully during installation.

•

WARNING - Be very careful when working with batteries. Lead

acid batteries can generate explosive gases, and short circuits
can draw thousands of amps from the battery. Read all instruc­tions provided with the battery.

• Do not exceed the voltage or current ratings of the controller.
Use only with a 12 volt battery.

• Do not SHORT CIRCUIT the solar array while connected to
the controller. This will DAMAGE the controller.

• The negative system conductor should be properly grounded
for most effective lightning protection.

3.0 OPERATION AND FUNCTIONS

• 100% SOLID STATE: All power switching is done with
MOSFETs. No mechanical relays are used.

• The SunGuard wires are rated for outdoor use, size 16 AWG,
with Hypalon insulation.

• BATTERY CHARGE REGULATION: SunGuard uses an
advanced series PWM charge control for constant voltage
charging. A true 0 to 100% PWM duty cycle is very fast and
stable for highly efficient charging.

• TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION: A sensor measures ambient
temperature and corrects the constant voltage setpoint by
–28 mV per ˚C with a 25˚C reference. This works best if the
SunGuard and battery are in a similar thermal environment.

• The SunGuard prevents the battery from discharging through
the solar array at night. There is no need to install a blocking
diode for this purpose.