RC14Power
The battery, charger, and balancer used in 2014 will be the same as in 2013. Modifications to the robot power supply will be the change of the main switch and the battery count.
Contents
Battery
- Vendor - Thunder Power
- Vendor Part Number - TP1350-4SPL25
- Voltage - 14.8V
- Capacity - 1350mAh
- Discharge Rate - 25C
- Dimensions - 27 x 34 x 66 mm
- Price - $44.99
- Quantity - 24
Vendors include
Charging
Charger
- Vendor - Tower Hobbies
- Vendor Part Number -
- Manufacturer - ElectriFly
- Manufacturer Part Number - PolyCharge4
- Capacity - 4x4 cell charger
- Charge rate - 3000mA max
- Price - $99
- Quantity - 2
Charger Power Supply
- Vendor - Jameco
- Vendor Part Number - 1585557
- Manufacturer -
- Manufacturer Part Number -
- Quantity - 2
Balancer
- Vendor - Draganfly
- Vendor Part Number - TP205V
- Manufacturer - Thunder Power
- Manufacturer Part Number - TP205V
- Price - $59.99
- Quantity - 1
Power Switch
The main power switch used in previous years were all high current switches that were quite bulky. This year we are considering replacing it with a small, low power switch and a high current P-channel FET. The implementation will be very simple, with the switch connecting the FET's gate to either the battery's positive terminal or to ground. This change will save a lot of space on the board, reduce cost, and make switch placement on the board more flexible. One possible problem that may arise is a FET failure, which will result in the robot never turning off. If necessary, a low leakage TVS diode will be added to protect the gate from ESD.
Parallel Batteries
If the 2014 model will be using the Maxon EC60 flat 100W motors, there will be a large current draw. To accommodate for this without putting much stress on the batteries, a second battery will be wired in parallel. To ensure the two battery packs do not discharge into each other due to one battery having less charge, a high current Schottky barrier diode will be used to isolate the two. Each battery will have a 30A blade fuse wired to protect the battery from excessive current draw.
