3DR Solo battery diagnostics tool + power adapter:

[VCD]

something new
The status and health data may prove really important as the battery packs grow older.

3DR Solo Battery charging adapter and diagnostics tool. – Madhacker.org

 

[perplumblewintz]

something new
The status and health data may prove really important as the battery packs grow older.

3DR Solo Battery charging adapter and diagnostics tool. – Madhacker.org

Anyone know how they're doing that? It would be fun to make an open source version of that with a microcontroller.


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[Frank Foster]

I ordered 1, looks like a neat device. Interested in the mfg dates

 

[CS223]

I ordered 1, looks like a neat device. Interested in the mfg dates

It would be a handy tool to track battery health and to rotate your batteries so they all get used & cycled equally. Let us know when it arrives and your impressions of it.

 

[Frank Foster]

Will do

 

[Chuck]

I ordered 1, looks like a neat device. Interested in the mfg dates

That is a very interesting tool. I would also like to know your opinion after you get it and try it out.

 

[Whirlygig]

It would be a handy tool to track battery health and to rotate your batteries so they all get used & cycled equally. Let us know when it arrives and your impressions of it.

What is the optimal strategy if you own multiple batteries? Use 2 or 3 and store all spares at 50 % or rotate all 5 or 6?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I've been wanting something like this. Purchased. Yay.

 

[User Name]

Anyone know how they're doing that? It would be fun to make an open source version of that with a microcontroller.

I'm sure that's exactly how they did it... beside the open source part. That's a $4 serial / i2c LCD screen soldered directly to what's likely an Arduino based microcontroller - you can see it peeking out on both sides from behind. I have one of those screens and got it working easily enough with an Arduino. If someone knew how to read the battery data with an Arduino, it would be near trivial to replicate.

 

[perplumblewintz]

I'm sure that's exactly how they did it... beside the open source part. That's a $4 serial / i2c LCD screen soldered directly to what's likely an Arduino based microcontroller - you can see it peeking out on both sides from behind. I have one of those screens and got it working easily enough with an Arduino. If someone knew how to read the battery data with an Arduino, it would be near trivial to replicate.

Sorry, I guess I didn't phrase that well. I'm curious if anyone knows the protocol that it uses (maybe I2C or SPI?). I just got my first oscilloscope, so I'll have to play around and see if I can figure anything out. If someone can figure that out, I can create the code to read and display the data.


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[pious_greek]

Sorry, I guess I didn't phrase that well. I'm curious if anyone knows the protocol that it uses (maybe I2C or SPI?). I just got my first oscilloscope, so I'll have to play around and see if I can figure anything out. If someone can figure that out, I can create the code to read and display the data.


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SMBus protocol: Reading Battery Data With an Arduino

 

[VCD]

.... That's a $4 serial / i2c LCD screen soldered directly to what's likely an Arduino based microcontroller - you can see it peeking out on both sides from behind..

Yes, Arduino PCB's (even when not used as arduino) is an very affordable source to xtal, mcu and other discreet components needed, the PCB-Based connector is way more expensive than the rest, four milled PCB's goes into that alone, no cheap alternatives to that.

 

[CS223]

What is the optimal strategy if you own multiple batteries? Use 2 or 3 and store all spares at 50 % or rotate all 5 or 6?

Personally I would rotate them all while trying to maintain similar capacities on each. That way the batteries all have similar flight times. I've numbered all of mine for rotation purposes, the reader would make rotation much more precise.

 

[User Name]

the PCB-Based connector is way more expensive than the rest, four milled PCB's goes into that alone, no cheap alternatives to that.

So that top slot in the battery, am I correct in assuming the top contacts are clock, and the bottom ones are data?

This is, literally, in my living room... and it'll go through PCB like butter! . Happy to make some up if we can collectively figure this out.

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[VCD]

So that top slot in the battery, am I correct in assuming the top contacts are clock, and the bottom ones are data?

Yes

 

[User Name]

Yes

Cool, I just ordered some 1 and 1.5mm copper clad PC board. As soon as I get them, I'll whip up a connector and post.

 

[perplumblewintz]

SMBus protocol: Reading Battery Data With an Arduino

That's awesome! Thanks so much. I can't wait to try this.


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[Whirlygig]

Personally I would rotate them all while trying to maintain similar capacities on each. That way the batteries all have similar flight times. I've numbered all of mine for rotation purposes, the reader would make rotation much more precise.

Thank you for the advice. I am going to follow it.