[Microbit-Python] Battery plug orientation

[David Whale]

On the voltages front...

Jonny is your man there. I think the on-chip regulator is used, so checking
the data sheet (and accounting for 1 diode drop, I think) might give you
the answer.

I seem to recall I saw Michael Sparks using a two coin cell (6V) battery
pack with it successfully, although that's  probably not recommended, it
appeared to work!

I use the same one from the Adafruit sewables kit but only fit one battery
- usefully the contacts on the other battery container if bent enough will
connect together, giving you a nice flat little battery pack including an
on-off switch. However, the AAA batteries last for ages, but the coin cell
runs out a lot quicker, and I sometimes notice some spurious resets with
it, presumably because it's not providing enough current with some of the
smaller capacity batteries.

One to be aware of is if you power it from the 3V pad at the bottom, I
think that avoids the diode drop from what I remember Howard saying, so you
might have to be more careful with voltage and polarisation on those pads -
but I think Jonny could squash any heresay and speculation here. I don't
have access to the schematics so I can't really comment in detail.

David


___________________________________________________________
David Whale, B.Sc (Hons), MIET
*Software Engineer and IET Schools Liaison Officer, Essex*

email:  dwhale at theiet.org
twitter: @whaleygeek
blog:  blog.whaleygeek.co.uk

Co-author of the new book "Adventures in Minecraft" <http://amzn.to/ZGfxZG>
- lets get kids coding!


On 18 November 2015 at 10:04, Radomir Dopieralski <microbit at sheep.art.pl>
wrote:

> On 17/11/15 17:33, David Whale wrote:
>
> > The newer boards with the silk screen haircut on the front, the red
> > wire is on the edge of the board. The later version of the board
> > now also has a 3V marked on the underside edge of the micro:bit to
> > clarify this.
>
> Excellent, thank you! Of course this is exactly the opposite of how
> the plugs on Turnigy LiPos are keyed :(
>
> Do you also happen to know what voltages are accepted?
>
> --
> Radomir Dopieralski
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> Microbit at python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/microbit
>
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