My team has designed the robot in such a way that we only have one PDP port to power a bunch of hardware. While we would normally put several VRMs on the one port to do this we need to power a limelight. Does anybody know if there’s any real reason why you can’t power a limelight off the VRM? I know it says to use the PDP on the limelight website but according to the specification the VRM’s 12V 2A ports should supply the wattage necessary.
Anybody who can supply reasoning for not using the VRM to power the limelight would be greatly appreciated- although it’s even better if we can use them.
Why not just connect the limelight in parallel with the other hardware on the last PDP branch circuit? Legality-wise, you can call the entire thing a single CUSTOM CIRCUIT.
Where the Limelight docs tell you not to use “the VRM” they are referring to the VRM connected to the VRM slot on the PDP (with ?10A? fuse), that the wifi radio is connected to. That VRM should only have the radio connected, ideally connected redundantly through POE & barrel jack.
If you need voltage regulation as part of a CUSTOM CIRCUIT, you can use additional VRMs, or you can use other COTS regulators, it’s all a CUSTOM CIRCUIT connected to a PDP slot.
The Limelight does not require external voltage regulation, it has an internal power supply that’ll happily accept Vbatt.