- Power distribution modules are certainly nothing new but one of the complaints we
always hear from enthusiasts looking to add one is the cost.
Well this particular product here at the CWI Performance booth has caught my eye.
It's a power distribution module and it is under $500 USD including a Blink Marine
keypad.
We're here with Sam from CWI to find out a little bit more about the product.
So this is a substantial way below where we would normally expect to see a power
distribution module.
Now for a start, what's really important to say is this is not solid state is it?
This does use mechanical relays inside the packaging?
- Correct so on our current version, as you can see here on the display, the current version that
we have has 10 outputs and those 10 outputs you can six small 15 amp relays and four bigger
40 amp relays that we can use to switch, we can do polarity reversion on 'em so if
you're running a DC motor that can reverse polarity like on a power window motor,
then you can use that to bring the window up and down and stuff like that.
- OK so just wanted to clear away that right at the start, that it does use a conventional
relay and there's nothing specifically wrong with that in this particular package, one of
the reasons why it's priced where it is.
One of the other advantages that we do see with power distribution modules however is
that they allow smart fusing so instead of using a mechanical fuse that when it blows, you
physically have to replace it, this is done electronically.
Safe to assume that that is still how your product works?
- Correct so we monitor the current that's coming into the unit and we limit it based on
just, it's a hard coded, the end user essentially doesn't get to choose what the amperage rating
for each of the outputs is, we just have a hard limit at 40 amps on the unit.
So the unit is obviously a very low power unit and very affordable and that's what we're trying
to keep it at.
It's currently the unit that we have out in the market, is a unit that's more designed for an
accessory purpose and we are planning on making a unit that's going to have 27 outputs
with about a 240 amp capability on it.
- Just to come back to your fusing there, you've mentioned that there are 40 amp
outputs and there are also 15 amp outputs.
From what I understand, 10 outputs, six, 15 and four 40 amp, it's safe to assume that
the 40 amp are fused at 40 and the 15 are fused at 15 though?
- Correct.
- In terms of the advantages of power distribution modules, one of them is the electronic fusing
and the ability to retry these circuits if they fail.
Moving on from that though, the simplicity of wiring is really important and this is something
that a lot of people overlook.
Yes in general terms a power distrubution module will add a little bit of expense to your build but
what it saves in terms of time spent actually wiring up individual relays and fuses, that's something
that's really easy to overlook so I wanted to get that in there.
But in terms of wiring up switches, again conventionally wiring up individual switches,
that's really time consuming.
This particular unit works with the Blink Marine CAN based keypad so tell us how that integrates?
- So the Blink Marine keypad, we have it fully integrated to our unit.
We basically offer the unit with the Blink Marine 10 button option since the unit has 10 outputs.
That way you can assign individual outputs to each individual key on the keypad.
That obviously takes away from the bulkiness of having to wire 10 different toggle switches.
We still do low side or high side selectable inputs to the unit, we have three of those
in the unit, so that if you wanted to for example use an ECU and trigger some kind
of output using an ECU input you could do that as well.
- So for example, you've got an ECU that is triggering the thermofans to come on above
a certain temperature and the fuel pump to run when you key on and when the engine's
running, you can wire those auxiliary outputs from the ECU into the PDM, you can control
those that way rather than needing to physically push the button on that keypad?
- Correct.
- Now the fact it has that CAN based keypad, that sort of suggests that you've got CAN
capability there.
A lot of the ECUs on the market now will send out a CAN message that asks for things like a
fuel pump to be turned on.
Can this communicate with those ECUs and use those CAN messages or is that outside
its capability?
- So on the current state of the unit, what we're doing is we are developing the CAN
side of things to essentially be a drop down menu where you can select certain CAN
messages that we will give you the current configuration settings based on whatever
ECU you're using.
So yes it is completely capable of being integrated CAN wise into the ECU rather than
using just the keypad or low side or high side inputs.
But at the current state of the unit we don't offer that.
That is definitely something that we will be including for sure in a more user configurable
way for our next unit which is going to be a more, basically running a whole car.
- Now in terms of that, I think there's actually some advantages there that are easy to
overlook.
Everyone thinks that they want the most complex product that's the most configurable.
The reality is that 85% of enthusiasts out there actually don't probably need that and the complexity
for people, they get scared of learning about CAN templates and messaging so I think that
there's some advantages in making this simple, even to the terms of where you do have CAN
interface, just having that drop down selectable, I've got XYZ ECU, select that and then your job's done.
In the same vein, a lot of the PDMs that are currently on the market, they do allow some
pretty complex functionality to be set up by the user.
Again when you know what you're doing with it and you want to do something complex, that's great
but a lot of people get scared off by that.
Now this particular PDM if I'm reading the situation right, if you want to turn on your fuel
pump, your thermofan, wind your windows up and down it's going to be perfect.
If you want to start developing some complex functions to do anti stall functionality, if you
stall the car on a standing start, this isn't the unit for you, is that right?
- Definitely, so we want to keep things as simple as possible for the end user because we believe
that there is a lack of a device that offers that in the market.
All of the devices personally that I've used, they have a really high entry level barrier where
you have to know how to program essentially to get the functionality out of the PDMs.
So what we're trying to do is trying to bring it down to earth to the more conventional people
that are used to other softwares that are essentially drop down menus and more
simplistic use and still offer that same benefit of having it be easy to wire into any car.
- In terms of the wiring, the connectors on it, readily available DTM style connectors, no
special tooling required either?
- No so you can use, we can offer pins for you if you buy the unit and you'd like a pin and plug
kit, we can give that to you but it's a easily available DT 12 pin connector on there.
- Perfect now if people do want to find out more about the product or purchase,
where are they best to do so?
- They can go to cwiperformance.com, you can find us on Instagram as CWI Performance or on
Facebook as Creative Works Inc.
- Perfect, thanks for you time there Sam.
- Thank you.
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