Powering the CrcDuino board
- David Martin (Unlicensed)
This page explains how a CrcDuino board is powered.
The CrcDuino acts like the brain of a robot and well, without power, a brain doesn't go a long way!
Multiple voltage levels are present on the CrcDuino. While parts of the microcontroller and Xbee module mostly run on 3.3V, most of the board, or at least the parts users interact with, run on 5V. Since having a 3.3V and a 5V distinct power source on a robot wouldn't be very practical, voltage regulators on the robot produce 3.3V and 5V from a 12V source.
To power the CrcDuino, simply push the quick-connect tabs on the power supply terminal block to insert a wires connecting the main robot 12V battery to the controller. These should require little to no force to operate.
Since we're working with DC current, polarity must be respected. Connect the 12V port to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, and the GND port (which stand for ground, the voltage reference of the circuit) to the negative (-) port of the battery. Convention makes it that a red wire is usually used for positive and a black wire for negative.
One could also use a 120V AC to 12V DC wall mount power supply instead of a 12V battery. Any 12V DC voltage supply will do the trick, as long as it can supply an adequate current!
From the CRC vault: 30 seconds before the start of the final heat of the final round of Actimania 2015, Cegep Gerald-Godin completely fried their electrical system by plugging their main 12V battery the wrong way. Immediately, their 4 opponents came to help them rewire, right on the main playing field, their whole robot so that the team could play its last heat. The crowd loudly cheered all along, and during that impromptu pause started the now famous Macarena on the playing field tradition. Talk about a truly CRC moment!