Controllable Currents

Intelligent Busbar Monitoring

Have you ever considered the implications of underperforming batteries or alternators on your multi-engine boat? The efficiency of your energy system relies heavily on the performance of each component, from batteries to solar panels. An underperforming battery in your battery bank can lead to decreased overall system performance, while a single alternator might be bearing an unnecessary burden, potentially shortening its lifespan.

Furthermore, when dealing with solar panels, it's crucial to identify if any panel is lagging behind in performance. Discrepancies in outputs can significantly impact the effectiveness of your energy collection. The Controllable Current monitored busbar addresses these concerns by providing real-time diagnostics for each component in your energy system. By employing advanced monitoring technology, you can easily pinpoint inefficiencies and take corrective measures, ensuring that every part of your system is functioning optimally. With precise data at your fingertips, you'll enhance the reliability and longevity of your energy resources.

Manufacturer Agnostic

No need to buy into a vendor specific ecosystem. By monitoring the current of all devices, this busbar becomes the heart of your monitoring system. Most proprietary ecosystems don’t offer monitoring of third party devices. Loads like alternators, water makers, bilge pumps, heaters, generators, wind mills, thrusters, etc… are typically not tracked individually. How would you know how much your alternator(s) are contributing vs solar or generator? How much energy does your water maker consume in one hour and would you like a notification if it is drawing more current than expected?

Safety Is Paramount

  • Ground bar is segregated to the back isolating accidental shorts while replacing fuses.

  • Each fused circuit and ground bar is temperature monitored identifying loose, corroded, or poorly crimped electrical connections.

  • Each channel reports blown fuses.

  • Exposed bolts are isolated with insulated dividers and are fused protected if short does occur reducing fire risk.

  • Copper busbar is tucked below the fuses drastically reducing exposure compared to competitors.

  • Each circuit alarms if current exceeds circuit programmed limit.

  • If monitoring system fails, the fused protection of the system is not affected.

The Secret Sauce

Patent Pending

“It’s like 12 shunts on a tiny 12 channel fused busbar.”

Every fuse has a resistance. As current flows thru the fuse, a proportional voltage is generated. We monitor that voltage to determine the power entering and exiting the busbar.

Each channel is monitored for:

  • Bidirectional current

  • Blown fuse status

  • Temperature of clamping bolt (detection of loose, corroded, or poorly crimped terminals)

  • Power usage

  • Load cycle count (refrigerator, bilge pump, HVAC, etc…)

Busbar monitoring:

  • Fused and ground bar temperature monitoring

  • Busbar voltage

Battery Bank Diagnostics

No other busbar on the market can tell you if one of your batteries is failing. By connecting each battery to a separate channel, you can determine if one of the batteries is doing all the work, if one is taking to long to charge, or if one is pulling a constant current while float charging. Knowing this, provides time to isolate a faulty battery before it has a chance to damage the entire bank.

Additional Features

  • Channels can be grouped together and reported as a single entity (battery bank).

  • Number of channels are practically unlimited.

  • Busbar can vary in thickness to accommodate current requirements.

  • Multiple busbars can be coupled (engine room, bow, lazarette) and communicate with each other.

  • Multiple busbars can be linked via relays for static and switched loads.

  • Multiple communication options possible (CAN, N2K, RVC, WiFi, MQTT, Modbus, Bluetooth, etc…)

Thru Bolt Fuse

The thru bolt just has some unique characteristics. It is very compact, can be set directly on top of a busbar, and sandwiches the wire terminal to the busbar with fuse protection in the center. Because the thru bolt is insulated, the bolt does not carry any current. By mounting a monitoring circuit board to the back, the bolt and busbar provides all the necessary inputs to provide full diagnostics in a compact format without interfering with the core functionality of the fuse. Currently there are two thru bolt fuse types on the market Bussman MRBF and Littlefuse Z-Case. These are specifically designed for mobile DC power systems. Depending on the manufacturer they may have the following features.

  • Ignition protected (use in gasoline engine bays)

  • 10,000AIC @ 14V / 5,000AIC @ 24V

  • 30-300A capacity

  • 58V Max Rating

Controllable Currents patent pending status protects the use of all thru bolt fuses in monitoring busbar applications.