Was just wondering if anyone knew what the voltage tolerance on the external power input was, I believe the external PSU is 12v?
Just wondering if it would be viable to run from a 3 cell Lipo (12.6v charged, 11.1v discharged) or similar?
Thanks
2B External Power
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Nemesis
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wrecks
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Re: 2B External Power
Hi Nemesis,
I use a similar setup with a 4-cell lipo and a voltage regulator.
I run it through a step down voltage regulator set to output 12V - (search ebay for a LM2596 Voltage Regulator). I have a low voltage alarm connected to the lipo as they don't take well to being discharged too much. The alarm is annoyingly, super ear piercingly loud which works for me as I can be a touch distracted. This setup works very well (no difference from mains adapter).
If you only have 3 cell lipos and don't want to buy a 4 - cell you can get something called a boost/buck converter which can step voltage up and down. No experience with these but might save you from costly lipo purchases.
As a side note, lipos are capable of immense current delivery. With my setup I don't believe this poses any safety difference from mains power somehow working its way in, but I feel it's worth mentioning as someone may have some info here. For this reason alone I would never directly connect a lipo without a voltage regulator.
It's probably a really good idea to wrap your lipo in silicone tape or otherwise ruggedise it a bit, they sometimes react explosively to being dropped or having holes poked in them. Obviously this could happen in the heat of the moment.
I have a variety of different capacity lipos in varying condition so it's difficult to say how long they last, but it's at least an hour for a 2500mah cell.
As a general rule I like to feed most devices exactly what they want over their mains-adapter plugs. Given that there is essentially a tiny computer in your 2B I would keep the voltages tight also. Given finally that all this is connected to your body I tend not to get too inventive or push the limits here.
Have a blast! =)
I use a similar setup with a 4-cell lipo and a voltage regulator.
I run it through a step down voltage regulator set to output 12V - (search ebay for a LM2596 Voltage Regulator). I have a low voltage alarm connected to the lipo as they don't take well to being discharged too much. The alarm is annoyingly, super ear piercingly loud which works for me as I can be a touch distracted. This setup works very well (no difference from mains adapter).
If you only have 3 cell lipos and don't want to buy a 4 - cell you can get something called a boost/buck converter which can step voltage up and down. No experience with these but might save you from costly lipo purchases.
As a side note, lipos are capable of immense current delivery. With my setup I don't believe this poses any safety difference from mains power somehow working its way in, but I feel it's worth mentioning as someone may have some info here. For this reason alone I would never directly connect a lipo without a voltage regulator.
It's probably a really good idea to wrap your lipo in silicone tape or otherwise ruggedise it a bit, they sometimes react explosively to being dropped or having holes poked in them. Obviously this could happen in the heat of the moment.
I have a variety of different capacity lipos in varying condition so it's difficult to say how long they last, but it's at least an hour for a 2500mah cell.
As a general rule I like to feed most devices exactly what they want over their mains-adapter plugs. Given that there is essentially a tiny computer in your 2B I would keep the voltages tight also. Given finally that all this is connected to your body I tend not to get too inventive or push the limits here.
Have a blast! =)