This presentation describes the evolution of the battery board design for the KAREL robotics project. It discusses moving from a single board prototype to a two board system with separate upper and lower boards. The lower board focuses on the battery management system, motors, and line detector. The presentation tests the battery charger, protection circuit, and line detector on the third prototype of the lower board under teacher supervision. It aims to safely demonstrate the functionality of these systems for student workshops.

1. KAREL Lower Board
Testing - Workshop
Mihai Agape, Project Coordinator
Palatul Copiilor Drobeta Turnu Severin
KAREL, Comenius Project Meeting
Rybnik, 22 – 29.03.2015

2.  This project has been funded with support from the
European Commission.
 This communication reflects the views only of the
authors, and the Commission cannot be held
responsible for any use which may be made of the
information contained therein.

3. The Purpose of the
Presentation
 Describe the evolution of
battery board design
Test battery board

4. BATTERY BOARD DESIGN

5. First prototype - Karelino
Just one PCB

6. First prototype - Karelino
3D Bottom View

7. First Karel prototype
(first Rybnik meeting)

8. Proposed Improvements
(Rybnik meeting)
 Integrate new blocks (e.g. Motor voltage
regulator, UART connector, Battery
management system)
 Make changes to the initial design (e.g.
replace USB micro B connector with an USB
mini B connector)
 Redesign the PCB (components places and
traces) according to the chassis shape
 Add LEDs to show the state of Bluetooth
module

9. Karel
Second Prototype
 2 boards
 Lower board
 Battery management system
 Motors
 Upper board
 Controller
 Regulators
 I/O devices
 Motor regulators

10. Karel Battery Management System - Schematic

11. PCB Design
 Double Side PCB laminate
 Components
 SMD
 THD
 Software
 Target3001! - version limited at 400 pins /
pads

12. Board dimensions

13. Lower board
3D bottom view

14. Lower board
3D top view

15. Lower board
Design problem

16. Target 3001! V17 Smart

17. Karel Lower Board
Third prototype
 Schematic
 Battery protection circuit
 Battery charger
 Line detector
 PCB
 Single side
 Mixed SMD & THD

18. Karel Lower Board
Battery Charger

19. Karel Lower Board
Battery Protection Circuit

20. Karel Lower Board
Line Detector

21. Karel Lower Board
3D View - Top

22. Karel Lower Board
3D View - Bottom

23. BATTERY BOARD TEST

24. Battery Charger Test
Under supervision of a qualified teacher!
 Connect discharged 2s LiPo battery
 Supply charger with 12 V voltage (min 0.5 A)
from un adapter (red LED on)
 Measure
 output voltage
 charging current (indirectly by measuring
voltage across sensing resistor)
 Check the charging stages
 Charging – Yellow LED on
 Finish – Green LED on

25. Be careful!
Don’t make short circuits!

26. Battery Protection Circuit Test
Under supervision of a qualified teacher!
 Observe the behavior of protection circuit
during battery
 Charging
 Overvoltage protection
 Balance (measuring the voltage across discharge
resistors)
 Discharging
 Balance
 Overcurrent protection
 Undervoltage protection

27. Line Detector Test
 During the workshop conducted by Cristina-
Maria Agape

28. Bibliography
 Agape, Mihai. Agape, Maria-Genoveva.
“KAREL Specifications”, agreed in Karel
Project Meeting, held at Beypazari on 10–
16.11.2013. http://sdrv.ms/170NTak
 Agape, Mihai. “Karelino—One Step in Karel
Robotic Platform Developing”, presentation
given at National Symposium IPO-TECH,
Tirgu-Neamt, 29.03.2014

29. Bibliography
 Agape, Mihai. “KAREL
Controller Design”, presentation delivered
at Karel project meeting, held at Rybnik, 06-
13.04.2014
 Agape, Mihai. “KAREL
2nd Platform Design”, presentation
delivered at Karel project meeting, held at
Katerini, 12-19.10.2014

30. Questions?