Help with relay powering soft-latch power switched inverter

[O. Puka]

​

So I bought and installed an inverter in my RV, whose main and remote power switch is a "momentary soft latching tactile button type, press 2 sec on press 2 sec off.

https://powertechon.com/product/pure-sine-wave-inverter-2000w/

The problem is I want to wire in a programmable 12v power cutoff relay, that is either closed or open.

What is the simplest way to get it to control the inverter on/off, and keep an override switch? Relay switching the power wont work because the inverter always starts "off" when powered.

There are four wires going to the remote switch in an RJ11 wire. I'm hoping two of these will work as normal mechanical contact or no contact open/closed on off that I can route through a relay(?) The remote switch button itself is a small box with circuitry inside, I'm also hoping the mosfet or whatever that works as the soft latch circuit is contained in there, not in the inverter board itself.

The only info that I found that may apply says that one pin is 12v, one, "the switch" is a 5v. I'm not sure if this applies to mine:

"For APS remote jack: Pins 1 & 6 are unused. P2 is LED, P3 is +12V, P4 is Ground, P5 is the SWITCH.
Pin 5 has a constant low. A 5V pulse turns unit on/off.
I was a bit confused about 5V puls part, as there was no 5V voltage on the inverter. I tried sending 5V from external source (with tied grounds) and nothing happened. In the end I touched together pin 5 and 3 and it worked. Trick is physical switch has to be ON. There's actually 5V on Pin 3 when it's in standby..."


To have a manual overide on/off switch, where would that go in the overall circuit?

Or should I just find another inverter with a toggle switch?

Thanks all

 

[Kabelsalat]

So - may I summarize?
- You want to wire in a relay, power in or voltage out? External or internal?
- You have a hand controller, but is really a "black box" and you do not know what is in there? maybe exept some lagels. Neither can you tell about model number and branding.
- You're not sharing any photograps of either devices.

So - there is just nothing of useful info to work with her, please provide the information mentioned above and it may be a way to solve this.

 

[O. Puka]

Well I thought I created a pretty comprehensive, thoughtful post, certainly not deserving a snarky patronizing response--but theres always a couple of you on every forum, so I wont take it personally. I did include a photo of the relay and its programming instructions, I dont know why it is not showing, but a relay is a relay, and since you missed it, its 12v in and 12v out, or whatever volts i want (another relay) out, depending on the best solution to the problem

If you dont have experience with inverters, esp. pertaining to 12v rv/boat systems, maybe just pass my post by, but I will break it down, its pretty simple-- I just left it out in the interest of not covering ground that electronics buffs would probably consider basic.

Inverter converts 12vdc to 110vac. I want said inverter to shut off or turn on when battery voltage reaches set voltage, controlled by programmable relay. The problem is the inverter and its remote on/off switch(your "hand controller"(?), are both momentary "soft-latching" type switches, where as a relay is a basic open or closed, contact or no contact type switch.

I want to control the inverters on/off power with a relay. The problem is I cant do it with its power supply, because the inverter powers up in the "off" state, i.e. the momentary soft latch mosfet switch. As opposed to a toggle switch.

This is where I need someone with more experience who may know the pinout of the rj11 jack of the remote switch, or knows how to convert a soft latch switch to to something a relay can control, short of a mechanical "finger" that will press the button for 2 sec.

 

[Bluejets]

Perhaps try a 555 monostable module ( run off 12v supply) with relay output in which the voltage free contacts are connected across your existing push buttons.

Do not know what these connections may be though with respect to your rj11 plug.
Possible to open the remote and trace out the connections?

 

[O. Puka]

Thanks for that, good lead!

Unfortunately the switch box is glued together, but I might have to open it up to see what's what. I need to test the wires coming from inverter to the remote for voltage. I'm hoping the momentary latching and circuit closing is happening only in the remote box, and that by crossing a couple of the rj11 wires (running through a relay) closed or open will control inverter on off state. But I don't want to randomly cross wires.

 

[Bluejets]

You should be able to find which is which on the rj11 with a multimeter I would imagine.

 

[O. Puka]

Perhaps try a 555 monostable module ( run off 12v supply) with relay output in which the voltage free contacts are connected across your existing push buttons.

Do not know what these connections may be though with respect to your rj11 plug.
Possible to open the remote and trace out the connections?

So with my relay controlling the 555 module, high set voltage reading from battery in my relay triggers a timed contact, that works, but what about when the voltage cutoff relay turns off (open) as it hits the low voltage set threshold? Can the 555mod be triggered by open state?

Sorry if my electronics nomenclature is weird, I'm no pro. thanks

 

[Bluejets]

I think the enclosed diagram is a "basic" idea of what you want to do.

Relay K-1 contacts power the timer module waiting for a trigger.
When the trigger occurs, your timer module holds your start/stop button for pre-set time and then releases.
This then allows your inverter to start and power up.
This then powers relay coil K-1 which switches power off the timer and then back on again, hopefully resetting the timer ready for the next trigger.

That's the idea at least but there could be problems with not enough power-down time on your timer module as well as the structure of the relay contacts as to whether or not they are make before break, or the reverse.
Diodes also may not be necessary, just common practice in some switching "steering" arrangements.

May be a much better way to achieve this but wanted to get the basic idea correct initially.