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BrianTRice moved page Calex Charger Teardown to Gen2/Calex Charger/Damage Report
This showcases a teardown and de-potting of a Calex 1200 charger from a 2016 DSR model, following a total failure of the charger.
[[File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-3.jpg|400px|thumb|none|Board topside completely uncovered]]
[[File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-7.jpg|400px|thumb|none|Board underside mostly uncovered]]
;Notes
: Odometer estimate when the charger failed: 31000 miles.
: Symptoms observed prior to the fault:
:* Excessive sparking at the inlet despite cleaning and using a hospital-grade cord.
:* Prior failure at 30,000 miles of the Sevcon DC-DC converter.
;General Observations
* A component on the board overheated and caught fire.
* The fire burned through the board.
* The rubbery potting extinguished and contained the fire.
;Design Observations
* The board is mounted on the upper side of the charger casing, with the largest/heaviest components suspended below it within a great mass of potting.
*: The board itself is mounted very close to the surface that is flush with the underside of the main powerpack casing on the S platform.
* The rubbery potting fills the case volumetrically, and is likely poured in as a substance which then sets chemically or thermally.
* The board surface is nearly as large as the enclosure, and seems too thin for its span to support the mounted components on its own.
*: The components seem mainly supported by the potting.
*: The board's unusual size could be an attempt to increase the distance between components.
*: This might be intended to reduce the intensity of heat buildup inside the charger, after the 2014-2015 design proved to be prone to failure.
* The board's capacitor banks do not seem adequately shielded from current inrush.
*: This lack of shielding probably plays interacts with a dirty charging inlet and possibly also interacts with a glitchy DC-DC converter on the main/output bus.
;References
* [https://zeromotorcyclenotes.blogspot.com/2019/02/stock-charger-teardown.html Stock Charger Teardown blog post] shows a 2015 S' charger with a somewhat different board layout.
The photos presented are all oriented with the rear/connection side of the charger pointing to the right.
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Uncovering the topside of the board">
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-lid.jpg|Calex 1200 top lid
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-potting.jpg|Top potting revealed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-10.jpg|Under the covering plate
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-8.jpg|Covering plate, once removed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-9.jpg|Carving (1)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-2.jpg|Carving (2)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-6.jpg|Carving (3)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-1.jpg|Carving (4)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-3.jpg|Board topside completely uncovered
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Uncovering the underside of the board">
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-4.jpg|Massive covering heatsinks revealed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-5.jpg|Largest heatsink plate removed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-7.jpg|Board underside mostly uncovered
</gallery>
[[File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-3.jpg|400px|thumb|none|Board topside completely uncovered]]
[[File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-7.jpg|400px|thumb|none|Board underside mostly uncovered]]
;Notes
: Odometer estimate when the charger failed: 31000 miles.
: Symptoms observed prior to the fault:
:* Excessive sparking at the inlet despite cleaning and using a hospital-grade cord.
:* Prior failure at 30,000 miles of the Sevcon DC-DC converter.
;General Observations
* A component on the board overheated and caught fire.
* The fire burned through the board.
* The rubbery potting extinguished and contained the fire.
;Design Observations
* The board is mounted on the upper side of the charger casing, with the largest/heaviest components suspended below it within a great mass of potting.
*: The board itself is mounted very close to the surface that is flush with the underside of the main powerpack casing on the S platform.
* The rubbery potting fills the case volumetrically, and is likely poured in as a substance which then sets chemically or thermally.
* The board surface is nearly as large as the enclosure, and seems too thin for its span to support the mounted components on its own.
*: The components seem mainly supported by the potting.
*: The board's unusual size could be an attempt to increase the distance between components.
*: This might be intended to reduce the intensity of heat buildup inside the charger, after the 2014-2015 design proved to be prone to failure.
* The board's capacitor banks do not seem adequately shielded from current inrush.
*: This lack of shielding probably plays interacts with a dirty charging inlet and possibly also interacts with a glitchy DC-DC converter on the main/output bus.
;References
* [https://zeromotorcyclenotes.blogspot.com/2019/02/stock-charger-teardown.html Stock Charger Teardown blog post] shows a 2015 S' charger with a somewhat different board layout.
The photos presented are all oriented with the rear/connection side of the charger pointing to the right.
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Uncovering the topside of the board">
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-lid.jpg|Calex 1200 top lid
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-potting.jpg|Top potting revealed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-10.jpg|Under the covering plate
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-8.jpg|Covering plate, once removed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-9.jpg|Carving (1)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-2.jpg|Carving (2)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-6.jpg|Carving (3)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-1.jpg|Carving (4)
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-3.jpg|Board topside completely uncovered
</gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Uncovering the underside of the board">
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-4.jpg|Massive covering heatsinks revealed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-5.jpg|Largest heatsink plate removed
File:2016-dsr-calex-1200-depotting-7.jpg|Board underside mostly uncovered
</gallery>
