Comparison Tataliken Pure Sine 1600W vs Luxeon IPS-1200S

The method of connecting the auto-inverter to the on-board network or car battery.

— In the cigarette lighter. Connection to a standard car socket DC 12V; traditionally, the role of such an outlet is played by the cigarette lighter socket (hence the name), but many newer cars also have a separate socket. This option is the most convenient — after all, plugging the plug into the socket is much easier than pulling cables from the battery to the inverter installation site. On the other hand, it is only suitable for models with a rated output power (see below) up to 300 watts — high power creates extra loads on the on-board network and can lead to overheating and damage to the wiring.

— Crocodiles (to the battery). Connection directly to the battery using cables with alligator clips. By itself, a direct connection to the battery allows you to create quite powerful devices — the 300 W limit, typical for power from the cigarette lighter (see above), does not apply here. However, it is believed that alligator clips provide a less dense and reliable connection than cables (see below), and are less suitable for high currents. Therefore, the rated power of such inverters usually does not exceed 1500 W. On the other hand, such a connection is more convenient for quickly connecting and disconnecting the inverter.

— Cable (to the battery). Connection di...rectly to the battery using cables with flat terminals, which are clamped into the battery terminals when connected. This design provides a tighter contact than the "crocodiles" described above, but is less convenient when connecting and disconnecting the inverter. It is typical for high power inverters.

— In the cigarette lighter / crocodiles. Universal models that allow connection both through the cigarette lighter socket and directly to the battery using crocodile clips. The technical features of both connection options are described above. Here we note that the rated output power of such inverters can exceed 300 W; in such cases, when operating from the cigarette lighter, care must be taken not to connect a load of more than 300 W to the device.

The highest total power supply (peak) that the autoinverter can deliver to the load for a relatively short time is 2-3 s. Usually, this power is higher than the nominal one (see above) by 30-50%. At the same time, if you choose an inverter for maximum power, the same rules apply as for the nominal one — the device performance should be 15-20% higher than the total power of the connected load. And to work with devices that consume a large amount of energy at startup (vacuum cleaners, power tools, etc.), it is also worth specifying the peak power of the inverter — it should not be lower than the "starting" load power.

Number of USB outputs in the auto-inverter design.

USB A is a standard (but already outdated) connector used in computer technology for various peripheral devices. It was originally intended for information exchange, but is intended for portable gadgets (smartphones, tablets, players, etc.) charged via USB. Actually, in autoinverters this port is used exclusively as a charging connector; and several of these connectors allow you to connect several charging devices at the same time.

The presence in the auto inverter of the low battery alert function to which the device is connected.

This function significantly reduces the risk of “landing” the car battery through the use of an inverter and at the same time eliminates the need to manually monitor the battery status. The alarm, usually, reacts to the voltage at the input: with a significant decrease, indicating a deep discharge, the device gives a warning signal. Many models also have the function of automatic shutdown some time after the alert is triggered (by timer or when the voltage drops to the maximum allowable). The sensitivity threshold is usually adjusted in such a way that after the alarm is triggered and the inverter is turned off, the battery is still able to start the car engine.

Protection systems provided in the design of the autoinverter.

— Against short circuit. A short circuit occurs due to a sharp drop in load resistance to very small values (for example, due to insulation breakdown or circuit contamination in a device connected to an autoinverter). As a result, the current increases critically, which can lead to damage to both the load and the inverter itself, and even fire and injury. This protection prevents such consequences by turning off the power in the event of a short circuit.

— From overheating. Protection against critical temperature increase of the autoinverter: when heated, the system turns off the device, preventing damage and other undesirable consequences. Note that overheating is not necessarily a sign of a problem — it can also occur during prolonged operation in normal mode (which does not negate the need to turn it off to avoid trouble).

— From overload. Overloads occur when the power consumption of the connected device(s) exceeds the output power of the auto inverter (see above). Such situations lead to work in emergency modes, which is fraught with breakdowns and even fires. Some of the consequences of such situations can be handled by other protection systems (for example, the overheating protection described above), but in this case it is easier to prevent the cause than to deal with th...e consequences.

— From incorrect connection. A system that protects the auto-inverter from connecting with the wrong polarity: detecting a mismatch between “plus” and “minus”, the protection turns off the device, preventing breakdowns and other troubles. This function is found only in models connected directly to the battery (see above) — it is impossible to reverse the polarity when plugged into the cigarette lighter socket.

The presence of its own display in the design of the auto-inverter.

The display allows you to display various additional information: input and output voltage, load power consumption, battery status, malfunction messages, etc. In modern auto-inverters, usually, the simplest monochrome LCD screens are used — they are inexpensive, and their capabilities are quite enough for the information described.

General dimensions of the autoinverter.

In modern cars (especially passenger cars), usually, there is not much space for installing additional equipment. This parameter allows you to estimate the space required to place the inverter, make sure that the selected device fits into the “footprint”, and, if necessary, choose another location or another model. At the same time, it must be remembered that for many auto-inverters a certain margin is needed in place — for the normal operation of the cooling system; this margin is usually specified in the detailed documentation.