CH200
CH200
OrderableSmart 12 V Charging Regulator
Overview
The CH200 is microcontroller-based smart charge controller that is ideal for an external rechargeable 12 Vdc VRLA battery such as Campbell Scientific's BP12 or BP24. The controller manages amperage and voltage for safe, optimized battery charging from a solar-panel or ac power source. It also measures various input, output, and status parameters to allow close monitoring of the battery.
This featured product was part of the Aconcagua expedition to install a weather station on South America’s tallest peak. Learn more about the expedition on our Extreme Application Series: Aconcagua page.
Key Advantages
Manages voltage and amperage to protect battery
Technical Description
The CH200 has two input terminals that enable simultaneous connection of two charging sources. It also incorporates a maximum power point tracking algorithm for solar inputs that maximize available solar charging resources. RS-232 and SDI-12 terminals allow the CH200 to convey charging parameters to a data logger.
The CH200 has several safety features intended to protect the charging source, battery, charger, and load devices. Both the SOLAR – G and CHARGE – CHARGE input terminals incorporate hardware current limits and polarity reversal protection.
A fail-safe, self-resettable thermal fuse protects the CHARGE – CHARGE inputs in the event of a catastrophic AC/AC or AC/DC charging source failure. Another self-resettable thermal fuse protects the 12 V output terminals of the charger in the event of an output load fault.
The CH200 also has battery reversal protection, and includes ESD and surge protection on all of its inputs and outputs.
Product Notes
Benefits
- Allows charging from various sources: solar panels or AC wall chargers
- Two-step constant voltage charging and temperature compensation optimize battery charging and increase the battery’s life
- Allows simultaneous connection of two charging sources (e.g., solar panel, ac wall charger)
- Ability to monitor both load and battery current
- Battery reversal protection
- Protects against high-amperage and high-voltage damage to power supply
- Real-time measurements of charge input voltage, battery voltage, on-board temperature, battery current, and load current
Specifications
- Operational Temperature
- -40° to +60°C
(VRLA battery manufacturers state that “heat kills batteries” and recommend operating batteries at ≤ 50°C.)
- Dimensions
- 7.5 x 3.7 x 10 cm
(3 x 1.5 x 3.9 in.)
CHARGE - CHARGE Terminals (AC or DC Source)
- AC
- 18 to 24 VRMS
(with 1.2 ARMS maximum)
- DC
- 16 to 40 Vdc
(with 1.1 Adc maximum)
SOLAR Terminals (Solar Panel or Other DC Source)
- -NOTE-
- Battery voltages below 8.7 V may result in less than 3.0 A current limit because of fold-back current limit.
- Input Voltage Range
- 15 to 40 Vdc
- Maximum Charging Current
- 4.0 Adc typical
(3.2 to 4.9 Adc depending upon individual charger)
Quiescent Current
- No Charge Source Present
- 300 μA maximum
- No Battery Connected
- 2 mA maximum
Battery Charging
- -NOTE-
- Two-step temperature-compensated constant-voltage charging for valve-regulated lead-acid batteries; cycle and float charging voltage parameters are programmable with the default values listed.
- CYCLE Charging
- Vbatt(T) = 14.70 V - (24 mV) x (T-25°C)
- FLOAT Charging
- Vbatt(T) = 13.65 V - (18 mV) x (T-25°C)
- Accuracy
- ±1%
(on charging voltage over -40° to +60°C)
Power Out (+12 Terminals)
- Voltage
- Unregulated 12 V from battery
- 4 A Self-Resettable Thermal Fuse Hold Current Limit
- > 4 A
(< 20°C)
4.0 A(20°C)
3.1 A(50°C)
2.7 A(60°C)
Measurements
- -NOTE-
- At -40° to +60°C
- Average Battery Voltage
- ±(1% of reading + 15 mV)
- Average Battery/Load Current Regulator Input Voltage
- ±(2% of reading + 2 mA)
Impulse type changes in current may have an average current error of ±(10% of reading + 2 mA).
- Solar
- ±(1% of reading - 0.25 V) / -(1% of reading + 1 V)
1.0 V negative offset is worst-case due to reversal protection diode on input; typical diode drop is 0.35 V.
- Continuous
- ±(1% of reading - 0.5 V) / -(1% of reading + 2 V)
2.0 V negative offset is worst-case due to two series diodes in AC full-bridge. Typical diode drops are 0.35 each for 0.7 V total.
- Charger Temperature
- ± 2°C
Accessories
(8)20769
SDI-12 Interface Cable for the PS200 or CH200
Orderable34040
10 A External Battery Cable for CH150, CH200, CH201, PS150, or PS200
Orderable34031
BP12 and BP24 10 A Battery Cable
Orderable18663
Null Modem Cable, 9-Pin PIn (Male) to 9-Pin Pin (Male)
Orderable20770
RS-232 Interface Cable for the PS200 or CH200
Orderable25356
Serial Interface Cable, PS200 or CH200 to Datalogger
Orderable39177
Status unavailable39642
SDI-12 DIN Rail Terminal Bus Kit without Mounting Bracket
Orderable
Common Accessories
(17)A100
Null Modem Adapter for Rechargeable Power Supplies
The A100 adapter attaches to the CH200 to provide a null modem connection. This functionality is required in a station where a datalogger will not be present, such as a phone-to-RF base station.
Please note that only one A100 or A105 can be used at a time.OrderableA105
12 V Terminal Expansion Adapter for PS1X0/200 or CH1X0/200
An A105 adapter connected to the CH100 provides four additional 12 V terminals and four additional ground terminals. The extra terminals may make it easier for the customer to wire multiple continuously powered 12 Vdc devices to the power supply.
Please note that only one A100 or A105 can be used at a time.Orderable20769
SDI-12 Interface Cable for the PS200 or CH200
The 20769 is the 2-ft cable used to connect the SDI-12 terminal on the CH200 to the datalogger's terminals. A datalogger connected to the SDI-12 terminal of a PS200 can receive the charging, load, battery voltage and current information of the CH200.
Orderable20770
RS-232 Interface Cable for the PS200 or CH200
The 20770 is a 6-ft cable that connects a CH200 to a computer. The CH200 needs to be connected to a computer to change settings or to download a new operating system.
If this cable is paired with a pn 18663 null modem cable, it can serve the purpose of a pn 25356 interface cable for direct serial communication to the datalogger.Orderable25356
Serial Interface Cable, PS200 or CH200 to Datalogger
The 25356 is the 2-ft cable used to connect the RS-232 terminal on the CH200 to the datalogger's terminals. A datalogger connected to the RS-232 terminal of a CH200 can receive the charging, load, battery voltage and current information of the CH200.
Orderable34040
10 A External Battery Cable for CH150, CH200, CH201, PS150, or PS200
The 34040 connects a CH200 power supply to an auxiliary, 12 V flooded battery such as a deep-cycle marine or RV battery. This is helpful when the battery is not in the same enclosure as the charge regulator/controller. The cable length is 3.048 m (10 ft). This two-conductor cable has a two-pin connector on one end that attaches to the power supply, and pigtails on the other end that attach to the battery.
Orderable34031
BP12 and BP24 10 A Battery Cable
This 24 in. battery cable comes attached to the BP12 and BP24 batteries. One end terminates in clips to connect to the battery's post. The other end terminates in a white connector to plug into a CH150, CH200, CH201, CH100, PS150, PS200, or PS100. The 34031 may be purchased to replace a lost or damaged cable, or it may be purchased by those supplying their own batteries locally.
Orderable34031
BP12 and BP24 10 A Battery Cable
This 24 in. battery cable comes attached to the BP12 and BP24 batteries. One end terminates in clips to connect to the battery's post. The other end terminates in a white connector to plug into a CH150, CH200, CH201, CH100, PS150, PS200, or PS100. The 34031 may be purchased to replace a lost or damaged cable, or it may be purchased by those supplying their own batteries locally.
Orderable18663
Null Modem Cable, 9-Pin PIn (Male) to 9-Pin Pin (Male)
This 1 ft, null modem cable has 9-pin connectors on both ends for connecting the data logger's RS-232 port to a peripheral's RS-232 port. An interface such as the SC105 or SC932A is typically not required.
OrderableBP12
12 Ah 12 V Sealed Rechargeable Battery with Mounts
The BP12 is a rechargeable, 12 V, 12 Ah battery pack that can power a Campbell Scientific system that has components that have above-average power requirements, such as satellite transmitters.
OrderableBP24
24 Ah 12 V Sealed Rechargeable Battery
The BP24 is a rechargeable 12 Vdc, 24 Ah battery pack that can power a Campbell Scientific system. It is intended for high-current-drain systems, such as satellite transmitters, that require more power.
OrderableSP10
10 W Solar Panel
The SP10 solar panel provides a 10 W maximum peak power, 9 W guaranteed minimum power, 0.59 A current at peak, and 16.8 V voltage at peak.
OrderableSP20
20 W Solar Panel
The SP20 solar panel provides a 20 W maximum peak power, 18 W guaranteed minimum peak power, 1.19 A current at peak, and 16.8 V voltage at peak.
OrderableSP50
50 W Solar Panel
OrderableSP90
90 W Solar Panel
Orderable39177
1.67 A 24 Vdc Power Supply
The 39177 converts 100 to 240 Vac to a regulated 24 Vdc. The 39177 comes standard with a USA/Canada plug, with an option to add a kit for international use. On one end, the 39177 has a plug that inserts into a wall socket. There are several cable termination options for the other end of the cable.
Note: When the 39177 is used as a power source for the CH200, PS200, or CH201, the charge controller needs to be configured to match the incoming current so it doesn't trip the over-current protection of the 39177.Orderable39642
SDI-12 DIN Rail Terminal Bus Kit without Mounting Bracket
The 39642 makes it easier for you to connect wires from multiple SDI-12 sensors into one set of terminals on a data logger. The 39642 uses six DIN-rail mountable (pn 27479), 6-wire terminal blocks. The 39642 is a jumper that electrically connects two terminal blocks together at a time (pn 32918). This setup allows up to 11 SDI-12 sensors to be connected to one set of terminals on a data logger.
Orderable
Other Accessories
(2)BP84
84 Ah 12 V Sealed Rechargeable Battery
The BP84 is a rechargeable 12 Vdc, 84 Ah battery pack that can power a system with larger power requirements. It is typically used when access to AC power is not available.
Orderable36589
10 A Battery Cable with White PS/CH Connector
The 36589 enables you to connect the BP84 84 Ah 12 V Sealed Rechargeable Battery to our CH charger regulators, such as the CH200.
Orderable
Replacement Parts
(3)6044
Grommet for #6 or #8 Screw
These grommets are commonly used with the 505 screws to secure our equipment to the backplates of our enclosures.
Orderable505
Screw #6-32 x .375 Pan Phillips
These screws, along with the 6044 grommets, are commonly used together to secure our equipment to the backplates of our enclosures.
Orderable28490
Red Wire and Black Wire Power Cable Set
The 28490 includes two wires—one red and one black. These wires differ only in their insulation color; they have the same same length (1 ft) and gage (18 AWG). The red and black wires are used to connect a Campbell Scientific power supply to a datalogger. The 28490 is shipped with our power supplies and may also be purchased as a replacement part.
Orderable
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(7)PS150
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OrderableCH150
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Orderable29290
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OrderableDCDC18R
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Orderable18529
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OrderableCH201
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Orderable38898
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Orderable
Compatibility
Batteries
This charging regulator can charge the following battery families: EnerSys Genesis NP Series (includes our PS200, BP12, and BP24), EnerSys Cyclone Series, Concorde Sun Xtender Series (includes our BP84) and a custom battery.
Related Resources
Case Studies
Documents
- Compliance
CH200, PS200, and 22238 EU Declaration of Conformity
September 2022
View Document - Compliance
CH200, PS200, and 22238 UK Declaration of Conformity
September 2022
View Document - Brochure
CH200 Smart 12 V Charging Regulator
March 2026
View Document - Brochure
CH200 Smart Charging Regulator and PS200 Smart Charging Power Supply
August 2017
View Document
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