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What is the use of the inputs B10 (X2) and B23 (B3) on a SumoBot? — Parallax Forums

What is the use of the inputs B10 (X2) and B23 (B3) on a SumoBot?

bobneedshelpplzbobneedshelpplz Posts: 9
edited 2017-12-05 22:18 in Robotics
A few people in my school's robotics club are trying to figure out how to connect an 11.1 V battery to our SumoBots. We are wondering if the inputs mentioned above can be used to intake power. If not, what is their use? Thanks!

(Also, if you have any suggestions on how to connect the battery to our robots, please help us out! This is the battery: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-1450mah-3s-11-1v-transmitter-lipoly-pack.html?___store=en_us )

EDIT: The reason we want to know is because we are trying to use PING sensors on our robots, and we need more voltage than our current batteries can. Our supervisor has talked about the battery to someone knowledgeable about this and he's said it is the right amount of voltage, I believe.

Comments

  • Just use one of these to step down the voltage. The input voltage is 6.5 to 12 so it will handle your battery nicely.
    I'd also recommend a charging board that meets the battery specs, hooked up to the other line.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?
  • Hey mikeologist, thanks for your reply, but do you have any suggestions on how to connect the 11.1 V battery? Any possible wire connections or anything that would not go outside of our 10x10x10 cm limit for our SumoBot ?

    Also, what are the uses of the two inputs mentioned in the question? We know the uses for the others, but not the two mentioned above!
  • erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?
  • kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

  • Hey mikeologist, thanks for your reply, but do you have any suggestions on how to connect the 11.1 V battery? Any possible wire connections or anything that would not go outside of our 10x10x10 cm limit for our SumoBot ?

    Also, what are the uses of the two inputs mentioned in the question? We know the uses for the others, but not the two mentioned above!

    NVM, the PSU I spec'd only does 5V, my bad. Use this

    The other plug on the battery is for a charger. You can get away with an external charger to cut volume.

    As far as mounting them, you all will just have to experiment. Be sure to allow venting room so your battery doesn't melt any components when it's charging.
  • Thank you mikeologist!
  • Thank you mikeologist!

    Happy to help.

    Post your progress and people will give you advise.
    Use the quote button and they will be notified when you reply to their post.
    Best of luck :cool:
  • ElectrodudeElectrodude Posts: 1,614
    edited 2017-11-29 00:37
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.
  • kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.

    It's possible that they are running short of current and someone chose the wrong word, but I agree that it may not have been considered.
    I didn't even know there was a second device until the update to the original post.
  • kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.

    It's possible that they are running short of current and someone chose the wrong word, but I agree that it may not have been considered.
    I didn't even know there was a second device until the update to the original post.
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.


    I’ll be honest, my supervisor did the calculations and has talked to someone about the battery, and she’s already ordered us the batteries. I didn’t get a say in the battery, but she told us this is what we need. We have a few extra robots we’ll test the set up on before putting it on our robots we’ve worked on. My supervisor just told us we were getting 11.1 V batteries and we had to find a way to connect it to our SumoBots.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.

    It's possible that they are running short of current and someone chose the wrong word, but I agree that it may not have been considered.
    I didn't even know there was a second device until the update to the original post.
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.


    I’ll be honest, my supervisor did the calculations and has talked to someone about the battery, and she’s already ordered us the batteries. I didn’t get a say in the battery, but she told us this is what we need. We have a few extra robots we’ll test the set up on before putting it on our robots we’ve worked on. My supervisor just told us we were getting 11.1 V batteries and we had to find a way to connect it to our SumoBots.

    That's a sure way to fry something. What you need is a battery in the 6V to 7.2V range with a higher current (or mAH) rating to provide the additional current the ping draws.
  • kwinn wrote: »
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.

    It's possible that they are running short of current and someone chose the wrong word, but I agree that it may not have been considered.
    I didn't even know there was a second device until the update to the original post.
    kwinn wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Just hit your servos with a hammer instead of burning them up on 11.1 volts. Faster, saves power, and avoids a bad smell.

    Seriously, a very bad idea. Just adding high voltage won't make you win, quite the opposite. Servos (just like Batman) have limits.

    I take it you want an easy "hack" to let your Sumobot prevail?

    No, we're adding a PING sensor to our SumoBots. We need to up the voltage to power it, since it uses 5 V according to the page.

    So you think you need 11.1V to power a 5V ping sensor?


    No, the batteries we have now supply the servos and board with the 6 V they need, according to my supervisor. We need another 5 V to power the PING sensor. We're entirely removing the other battery supply and replacing it with only this.

    Sorry I've not been very clear. This sounds better in my head when im explaining than when typed or said out loud.

    That's not how electricity works. You can power multiple 5V devices off of the same 5V power supply. If adding the PING brings down your battery voltage, you need higher capacity batteries, not higher voltage batteries. If the motors want 6V and the electronics want 5V, you want 6V batteries.

    The 6V supply by itself should work does fine. Does it not work for you? If not, what doesn't work.


    I’ll be honest, my supervisor did the calculations and has talked to someone about the battery, and she’s already ordered us the batteries. I didn’t get a say in the battery, but she told us this is what we need. We have a few extra robots we’ll test the set up on before putting it on our robots we’ve worked on. My supervisor just told us we were getting 11.1 V batteries and we had to find a way to connect it to our SumoBots.

    That's a sure way to fry something. What you need is a battery in the 6V to 7.2V range with a higher current (or mAH) rating to provide the additional current the ping draws.


    Hmm... I will certainly mention that to my supervisor before we try this. Thank you, kwinn!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    kwinn wrote: »
    What you need is a battery in the 6V to 7.2V range with a higher current (or mAH) rating to provide the additional current the ping draws.

    A 7.4V Lipo is another option, available online or from a hobby shop. Fully charged, just over 8V, right on the ragged edge of too much voltage for servos. I'd suggest connecting it through one or two series silicon diodes (which drop ~0.7 volts each) then you can rock & roll.

  • erco wrote: »
    kwinn wrote: »
    What you need is a battery in the 6V to 7.2V range with a higher current (or mAH) rating to provide the additional current the ping draws.

    A 7.4V Lipo is another option, available online or from a hobby shop. Fully charged, just over 8V, right on the ragged edge of too much voltage for servos. I'd suggest connecting it through one or two series silicon diodes (which drop ~0.7 volts each) then you can rock & roll.


    Where would I be able to obtain the silicon diodes? Also, would the SumoBot still be able to fit in a 10x10x10 cm square with them?
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2017-11-29 03:10
    erco wrote: »
    kwinn wrote: »
    What you need is a battery in the 6V to 7.2V range with a higher current (or mAH) rating to provide the additional current the ping draws.

    A 7.4V Lipo is another option, available online or from a hobby shop. Fully charged, just over 8V, right on the ragged edge of too much voltage for servos. I'd suggest connecting it through one or two series silicon diodes (which drop ~0.7 volts each) then you can rock & roll.


    Where would I be able to obtain the silicon diodes? Also, would the SumoBot still be able to fit in a 10x10x10 cm square with them?

    Mouser, Digikey, Newark, Jameco.

    PS, the diodes are pretty small.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    kwinn wrote: »
    PS, the diodes are pretty small.

    +1, about the same size as a 1/2 watt resistor.

  • Thank you, erco and kwinn! I will look into this!
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