Is it better to mess around charging and balancing multiple cells to get the desired voltage. Or use one cell and a buck/boost converter to get the voltage you want?
Li-Ion combined with a "buck/boost converter" sounds like an idea worth trying. My latest project uses six 5V mini servos. Two for pan/tilt and four for an arm. I'm using transistors to enable or disable the selected group. I'm using AA alkalines. Not having to be concerned with balance charging is great.
Yikes, that sounds like a lot of work removing, charging & balancing.
There is no explicit balancing for non-lithiums since all the other battery techs can be mildly overcharged. This is known as "top balancing" when charged as a series pack. Lithiums don't have this as an option.
I still don't understand what you meant by that. What's to practice?
Inclusion and tolerance are a couple things that come to mind.
BTW, battery is a crime. Aren't there legal forums for this kind of material?
-Phil
Probably.
Now here's a new one for erco, the 14500 ones wrapped by the same firm who makes the batteries that are (supposed to be) in the 18650 form, the form do not fit in AA single cell holders. This also confirms that the 18350s from the same firm don't fit holders made by Keystone Electronics. But of course the 18650 ones do fit into the holders supposedly made by the same firm, do.
Very strange.
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Okay erco the robots are now in Britain and are looking for a place to stay.
Yes 14500 cells are slightly longer than AAs. Not normally a problem with most AA holders, but occasionally. And protected 18650 cells are longer than bare 18650 cells, which may cause problems, as in the case of those cheap USB Powerbanks where a bare cell is already a super tight fit.
I just ordered my first pair of 18350s to try, I'm hoping two may fit into a single spring-contact 18650 cell holder. That would be a compact robot battery.
I just ordered my first pair of 18350s to try, I'm hoping two may fit into a single spring-contact 18650 cell holder. .
Close but no cigar. An 18350 is longer than half an 18650. It would take some tweaks to the 18650 battery holder to wedge two 18350's in. I might replace the spring contact & rivet with a simple flat sheet brass contact.
Comments
There is no explicit balancing for non-lithiums since all the other battery techs can be mildly overcharged. This is known as "top balancing" when charged as a series pack. Lithiums don't have this as an option.
BTW, battery is a crime. Aren't there legal forums for this kind of material?
-Phil
Probably.
Now here's a new one for erco, the 14500 ones wrapped by the same firm who makes the batteries that are (supposed to be) in the 18650 form, the form do not fit in AA single cell holders. This also confirms that the 18350s from the same firm don't fit holders made by Keystone Electronics. But of course the 18650 ones do fit into the holders supposedly made by the same firm, do.
Very strange.
----
Okay erco the robots are now in Britain and are looking for a place to stay.
I just ordered my first pair of 18350s to try, I'm hoping two may fit into a single spring-contact 18650 cell holder. That would be a compact robot battery.
Close but no cigar. An 18350 is longer than half an 18650. It would take some tweaks to the 18650 battery holder to wedge two 18350's in. I might replace the spring contact & rivet with a simple flat sheet brass contact.