Powering 2 cameras

Technical Electrical
1

I know there are teams that have used more than one camera, but how do you power them if theres only one 5v port on the PD board?

2

You can get 5v from the digital sidecar.

I usually power a camera from the DSC anyway since it’s easier for wiring, since I have a lot of wire going to the DSC and it makes the routing easier.

3

Here is the response from our electrical and command and control mentor:

A couple of years ago we did run two cameras on our robot. By wiring the cameras in parallel both get 5 volts and the current available on that rail (3 amps) is distributed between the two branches of the circuit. Remember in a series circuit current is the constant and voltage changes, in parallel voltage is constant and current changes.

Example:

C = Camera

5V ------- C -------- C ------- GND Series


          5V
           |
     -------------
     |           |
     C           C       Parallel
     |           |
     |___________|
           |
          GND
4

You may want to check the rules for connecting two devices in parallel to one power terminal.

5

It’s trivial to splice downstream somewhere. This specific rule is because the connector is only rated for one wire, not for any other electrical reason.

6

so safest route is one camera on the DSC and one on the PD board?

7

Neither one is ‘safer’. Both places supply 5v power needed for cameras, either will work for either camera. You can also connect both to one of them.

8

We always used the standard power converter from AndyMark.

9

We ran two cameras off the PD board in 2012. No issues with power or rules. You need to watch the data rate through the wireless connection to the driver station though.