Manual: ACE 12/44 Battery Charger

The ACE 12/44 battery charger charges up to four separate battery banks with a total of 40 A. The manual explains installation, connecting the batteries, selecting the charging curve by push button and the meaning of the LED indicators.

Manual edition: Version 2A, June 2023. The manual applies to ACE 12/25, 12/44, 12/64, 24/20 and 24/30. On this page you will find the content for the ACE 12/44. Manual as PDF (German) · Go to the product: ACE 12/44 battery charger

Contents

Scope of delivery

  • Battery charger
  • one AC input connector
  • one DC output connector
  • one Temp-ACE temperature sensor
  • the user manual

Safety and installation location

Installation must be carried out by an electrician or professional installer, on recreational craft in accordance with ISO 13297. Never work on the unit while it is live: switch off all energy sources, disconnect the batteries using the battery isolator switches, and switch off or isolate chargers and alternators.

  • The PE terminal must be earthed and connected before any other connection. The housing is closed with the supplied screw before switching on.
  • The unit is mounted on a vertical wall. 150 mm of free space must remain around the charger, and the air temperature at the inlet must stay below 65 °C even in extreme cases. The hot air must be able to escape on both sides.
  • Do not place any objects on or against the charger, and do not install it near a heat source, flammable materials, liquids or gases. Keep moisture, salt and dust away.
  • Do not drill or machine the housing.
  • A battery switch belongs as close as possible to the batteries. The manual requires a 30 mA residual current device (RCD) on the AC side (NFC 15-100 recommendation).

Mounting: 4 pan-head screws M5 (head diameter under 10 mm), mounting distance 272 × 170 mm, housing 289 × 195 × 106 mm.

Wiring diagram and cabling

Wiring diagram of the ACE 12/44 battery charger with residual current circuit breaker, DC outputs, circuit breakers and fuses at the battery banks

Dimensional drawing of the ACE 12/44, 12/64 and 24/30 battery chargers with AC input, four DC outputs and mounting distance 272 mm

AC side: The mains cable is plugged into the Winsta mains socket on the unit. The charger works on single-phase mains of 90 to 265 V AC and 47 to 65 Hz. It is in operation as soon as mains voltage is present and switches off 20 seconds after the mains voltage is lost. When running from a generator, first check compatibility (power, voltage, overvoltage, frequency); when the generator is started, the charger’s AC input should be switched off. Damage caused by overvoltage is excluded from the warranty.

Battery side: Disconnect the batteries before plugging in. First check polarity and voltage with a calibrated voltmeter and verify that charger and battery banks match in voltage and current. The supplied Phoenix Contact plug is assigned from left to right:

Terminal Connection
-BAT Negative of the battery system
+BAT E Positive starter battery
+BAT 1 Positive battery bank 1
+BAT 2 Positive battery bank 2
+BAT 3 Positive battery bank 3

The maximum cable cross-section for the output on the ACE 12/44 is 16 mm². Unused outputs are left unconnected. Each output can deliver the rated current.

Avoiding interference: Keep at least 2 m away from sensitive radio equipment, route the AC mains cable separately from battery charging cables and at least 200 mm from data and control cables, and do not connect any other devices to the AC cable.

Settings by push button

The charger is configured with the “P” push button or via the P-BUS. A long press (1 to 2 seconds) switches to programming mode: the ON LED (LED 1) lights blue, the charging phase LED (LED 2) white. In programming mode, the number of flashes of the ON LED indicates the programming field, the number of flashes of the charging phase LED the value. A steady white LED means value 0. A short press raises the value by one; a long press saves and jumps to the next programming field. After saving, both LEDs flash blue. If you want to restore the state before the changes, interrupt the power supply for 60 seconds: settings are only saved when programming field 3 is exited.

Programming field 1: battery type (voltages for 12 V; for 24 V the values are doubled)

Value Battery type Floating Boost max. boost max. absorption
0 vented, free electrolyte 13.4 V 14.1 V 2 h 4 h
1 (factory) classic sealed (sealed lead-acid) 13.8 V 14.4 V 2 h 4 h
2 Gel 13.8 V 14.4 V 2 h 4 h
3 AGM (refresh not recommended for all AGM types) 13.6 V 14.4 V 2 h 4 h
4 Spiral cells 13.6 V 14.4 V 2 h 4 h
5 Lead-calcium-tin 14.4 V 15.1 V 2 h 4 h
6 Winter storage/standby, sealed battery 13.4 V 13.4 V 0 h 0 h
7 Power supply mode 12.0 V 12.0 V 0 h 0 h
8 vented SP 13.2 V 14.8 V 2 h 4 h
9 LiFePO4 with BMS 13.8 V 14.4 V 6 h 1 h
10 Stormline 13.7 V 14.5 V 2 h 6 h
11, 12 specific 12.0 V 12.0 V 0 h 0 h
13 / 14 / 15 13 adjustable via Bluetooth, 14 adjustable via CAN bus, 15 not used

The voltages apply at +BAT 1, +BAT 2, +BAT 3 and +BAT E at 10 % of the rated current (tolerance ±1 %). When switching on, the number of flashes of the charging phase LED shows which curve is currently in use. The value jumps back to 0 after 15.

Programming field 2: Refresh and Boost

Value Refresh Boost
0 off off
1 (factory) off on
2 on off
3 on on

Boost (IUoU curve) charges faster and is time-controlled; the change to the floating phase occurs at a battery current below 20 % of the rated current (below 12 % for LiFePO4 with BMS). Boost off gives a pure IU curve for maintenance charging, which is only an option for stationary batteries in continuous operation. Refresh periodically applies a voltage increase to maintain the battery and prevent sulfation.

Programming field 3: CAN bus protocol

Value Protocol
1 Cristec
2 Multibloc
3 (factory) philippi P-BUS

philippi P-BUS is preset and should not be changed. After a long press, the charger is back in normal operation.

Factory setting: sealed lead, Boost on, Refresh off, standby off. This compromise charges vented lead, gel, AGM, spiral-cell and LiFePO4 batteries with BMS satisfactorily. For special batteries, an installer has the values set according to the battery manufacturer’s specifications. philippi accepts no liability for battery damage or incorrect charging.

Temperature sensor, OTD sensor and P-BUS

  • Temperature compensation: The temperature sensor adjusts the absorption and floating voltage to the temperature of the battery compartment, with -18 mV/°C on 12 V models and -36 mV/°C on 24 V models. No compensation is applied in winter storage/standby, power supply mode and LiFePO4 with BMS.
  • OTD sensor (optional): The digital input stops charging and triggers an alarm if it stays open. It can also be used with a relay contact as remote on/off. At the factory it is disabled by a jumper: connect the sensor on the front and set jumper JP3 to position 1-2.
  • P-BUS: For this, plug the optional ACE-T-KABEL HPO (5 0411 1162) into one of the two six-pin sockets; the second stays free. Jumpers JP1 and JP2 stay in the position shown, the four micro switches stay at 0000. Display and setting are possible with the monitors P-BUS System Monitor PSL and P-BUS System Monitor PSM3 (the manual names PSM and PSL).

Charging curve

With Boost on, the unit delivers a five-stage IUoU curve with automatic weekly recycling: Boost, Absorption, Floating, Refresh, Reboost.

  • Boost: starts after switch-on when the battery is discharged; the maximum current flows.
  • Absorption: begins when the boost voltage is reached, and the current falls. Boost and absorption together last at most T Boost plus T Abs.
  • Floating: begins after T Abs or at a current below 20 % of the rated current; the voltage drops to the floating value.
  • Refresh: automatic weekly cycle after a complete charging cycle, a time-controlled voltage step every 7 days, even with Refresh switched off.
  • Reboost: new cycle with Boost if connected DC loads require it, only within a defined period.

With Boost off, the unit delivers a single-stage IU curve with constant voltage. Charging then takes longer.

LED indicators and troubleshooting

Two LEDs on the front show the status. When the unit saves a new configuration, both LEDs flash blue three times.

LED Indication Meaning
LED 1 “ON” green, steady Charger is live
LED 1 “ON” green, flashing Standby mode
LED 1 “ON” blue, flashing Programming
LED 1 “ON” off Fault: AC mains missing or damaged, input fuse blown or internal malfunction. Check the AC supply cable and the input fuse, otherwise get in touch.
LED 2 “Charging Phase” yellow, flashing Boost phase
LED 2 “Charging Phase” yellow, steady Absorption phase
LED 2 “Charging Phase” green, steady Floating phase
LED 2 “Charging Phase” green, flashing Refresh phase
LED 2 “Charging Phase” off Output voltage off
LED 2 “Charging Phase” red, flashing pattern Depending on the pattern: OTD fault, output fuse blown, temperature range or no output voltage (for the patterns see page 19 of the PDF manual (German))
LED 2 “Charging Phase” red, steady Other faults

Output fuses may only be replaced with matching fuses (Bussmann/Eaton ATM 20, ATM 30 or ATM 15; for the ACE 12/44 three 30 A/32 V fuses). For any repair, contact an authorized dealer or philippi; unauthorized repairs void the warranty.

Maintenance, repair and disposal

  • For maintenance and repair, disconnect the charger from the AC mains and from the batteries.
  • In dusty environments, vacuum regularly because dust impairs heat dissipation.
  • Check the batteries’ state of charge every 3 months and check nuts and screws for tightness once a year.
  • Dispose of via local collection points for waste electrical and electronic equipment.

According to the manual, the warranty is 24 months. More on this: Warranty and repair.

Technical data ACE 12/44

Feature Value
Part number ACE12-44
Total rated current (±7 %) / rated power 40 A / 570 W
Recommended battery bank 300 to 500 Ah (lead batteries, C/10 ratio; for lithium, ask the manufacturer for the maximum charging current)
Input 90 to 265 V AC single-phase, 47 to 65 Hz, automatic
Current consumption 230 / 115 V AC 2.7 / 5.6 A
Recommended generator power 700 W
Power factor / efficiency 1 / more than 90 %
Input fuse T15A/250V, 6.3 × 32 (F101)
Outputs 4 (+BAT E, +BAT 1, +BAT 2, +BAT 3) and 1 × -BAT, integrated MOSFET splitter
Output fuses in the negative pole 3 × 30 A/32 V (F400, F401, F402)
Factory configuration Boost / Floating 14.4 V / 13.8 V for sealed lead
Residual ripple under 2 % at rated conditions
Cooling / noise level fanless / 0
Operating temperature at 230 V AC -20 °C to +60 °C, power derating above 60 °C
Storage temperature -20 °C to +70 °C
Relative humidity up to 70 % (95 % non-condensing)
Dimensions (L × H × D) / weight 289 × 195 × 106 mm / 3.5 kg
Mounting 272 × 170 mm, 4 pan-head screws M5
Protection rating IP22
Standards EN 61204-3, EN 60335-2-29, ISO 8846 (ignition protection)
Communication CAN bus, Bluetooth as standard

Frequently asked questions

How many battery banks does the ACE 12/44 charge?

According to the manual, the ACE 12/44 has four outputs: +BAT E for the starter battery and +BAT 1, +BAT 2 and +BAT 3 for further battery banks, plus one common negative terminal. Each connection can be used on its own and can deliver the full current. Unused outputs are left unconnected.

Which setting is active from the factory and how do I change it?

As delivered, the charger is set to sealed lead-acid, with Boost on and Refresh off. To change this, press the push button for one to two seconds and select the battery type in programming field 1. To do so, count the flashes of the charging phase LED and raise the value with a short press.

Can I charge LiFePO4 batteries?

Yes, for LiFePO4 batteries with BMS, programming field 1 offers value 9 with 13.8 V floating and 14.4 V boost. Temperature compensation is not applied for this curve. For lithium batteries, also ask the battery manufacturer for the maximum charging current.

How do I integrate the ACE 12/44 into the P-BUS?

For this you need the optional ACE-T-KABEL HPO. It is plugged into one of the charger’s two six-pin sockets; the second stays free. The preset protocol philippi P-BUS in programming field 3 should not be changed. The four micro switches stay at 0000.

Matching products and further pages

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