$FRM: - Force Regulator Mode This command (with its parameters) will force the regulator to change its current mode to the one indicated. Once forced into a mode the regulator will continue to manage the system accordingly, even if this means the regulator immediately exits the forced mode. For example, if you force the regulator into Float mode, but the Amps being taken from the battery exceed the exit_float criteria, the regulator will return to the Bulk phase.
$FRM:<Mode>
Mode: <Character> The ASCII character immediately following the ‘:’ will be used to force the alternator mode. Character must match EXACTLY the following (including case), must be IMMEDIATELY after the ‘:’, but may b e followed by any number of additional characters.
B
= Force into BULK mode.
A
= Force into ACCEPTANCE mode.
O
= Force into OVER-CHARGE mode.
F
= Force into FLOAT mode.
P
= Force into POST-FLOAT mode.
E
= Force into EQUALIZE mode.
C
= Force into CONFIGURATION mode
Any other character will be ignored and no change will be made. If the active Charge Profile has ‘disabled’ a given phase, the regulator will immediately exit that phase – even if it is ‘forced’ into it, and switch to the next appropriate phase. Also note that if the exit criteria of a forced-mode phase is meet, the regulator will again exit that phase quickly. In such cases the mode may be chanced before the next $AST string is sent. Configuration Mode is a special mode where the regulator will listen and process all CAN and ASCII communications, but it will not actively drive the alternator nor doing error checking. It can be useful if you wish to do extensive configuration of the regulator without worrying about overheating the field, or have faults reported due to not yet in place sensors. As well as allowing simpler bench-top configuration w/battery under-voltage faults occurring. Once entered, the only way to exit CONFIGURATION mode is to $RBT: or power-cycle the regulator.
Examples:
Forces regulator into BULK mode Forces regulator into BULK mode
$FRM:B
$FRM:Bulk $FRM:Bob@
Forces regulator into BULK mode (Note use of ‘@’ as needed with Arduino IDE termin al)
Ignored (lower case ‘b’)
$FRM:b
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