DiyLightAnimation

Hardware => Lynx Aeon => Topic started by: ponddude on December 20, 2010, 08:56:38 pm

Title: Current Draw
Post by: ponddude on December 20, 2010, 08:56:38 pm

I guess this question is more for RJ, but I was wondering if you knew how much current the the Aeon draws?  I could just hook a meter up to it but I am lazy.  I am building a case for my clocks and am running them on battery power currently.  I just wanted to see if I could figure out how long the batteries would last.

Greg

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: RJ on December 20, 2010, 08:59:31 pm

No I never checked. It was never intended to be battery powered so it was not done with the concern for current draw so put some big batteries in it  ;D

RJ

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: ponddude on December 20, 2010, 10:39:04 pm

Thanks RJ.  I am getting a reading of around 70mA, which seems about right.  I will have to break out the books to figure out the mAh.  Here comes the math.... <md..

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: RJ on December 20, 2010, 11:28:08 pm

Ah ... As I said BIG batteries!   <yk..

Give you an example.  Standard Nimh aa camera batteries are good for about 2400 mah at 1.2 volt.

So 6 of those could run it but only for about 63 hours  <fp.

70ma is nothing plugged into a wall but on batteries  ...    :o 

If I built it to run on batteries there would be a lot different. Like the leds would be turned way down and

The pic would sleep and be woke up by the uninterrupt of the time module. I would do away with the linear regs and use one of the replacement switchers that can get over 90% eff rate.

But in reality for not planning it if you consider there is three leds on and the rest of the circuit 70ma is pretty good.

RJ

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: ponddude on December 21, 2010, 04:02:17 pm

It's very good RJ.  However, I did some math for running it on 4 AA's, which was my plan and it it came out saying it would last 26 hours.  When I woke up this morning it was already dead...haha.  It wasn't actually dead but it was lower than the 5 volts so the v-reg was not functioning correctly.  Time to ditch the battery idea.

Thanks though....

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: JonB256 on December 23, 2010, 08:27:28 pm

You could use batteries as a UPS/failover.

I still don't have mine assembled. Maybe this weekend.

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: ponddude on December 23, 2010, 09:45:01 pm

Well the clock has an onboard battery to run the onboard clock, so you never loose time.  I am not concerned about that, I just didn't want to see the wire.  I can get over it.

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: chrisatpsu on January 10, 2011, 02:26:23 pm

Install a recessed outlet behind the clock...  like they do in schools   ;D

Title: Re: Current Draw
Post by: CaptKirk on January 25, 2011, 03:40:33 pm

Cold fusion is the answer-  RJ, get right on that!!    <yk..