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Unread 07-03-2006, 01:38
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Mike AA Mike AA is offline
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AKA: Mike Aalderink
FRC #3458 (Code Blue)
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Re: detecting life in batteries

Quote:
Originally Posted by wkethman
wow. so no one uses a sensor like this on their robots to automatically power down certain systems that are less critical on their bot when the battery is almost gone?
Speaking from experience and from hearing many other teams, most swap out a battery after one or two rounds as to not worry about impairing the robot capability. While there is an ability to measure with a custom circuit and tell the controller there is low power turn off this device, I don't recall hearing of anyone using such a device. This would be a very simple circuit if you wanted to make it, but build at your own risk. you would have to take the power at the breaker panel (fed off a 20 breaker of course!) and feed to a circuit that will send a signal to the controller telling a relay or victor to turn off if voltage gets to say, below 11.2 volts. But the biggest problem you may have is the battery can take deep discharges for a second or two then be fine for the rest of the match.

As I said, an easier solution is just to swap out batteries each match with a freshly charged battery.

-Mike