Is my power supply enough? (DC Motors Encoders Arduino Raspberry)

Robotics and electronics discussion Electronics
1

Hello everybody!

I would like to ask if 6 batteries connected in the row generate enough power for:

-2 DC 6V motors (https://www.pololu.com/category/60/micro-metal-gearmotors
I really dont know which model this is, because I got ready part from the Uni and there is only a label which says: 09165, so let me know if you know what the model is.

If the power will be enough, my question is how to connect these loads? (parallel or in series?).

My main problem is that I dont know for what should I look up in the description of the every product (for example for a motor.). I should guarantee the exact value for BOTH Voltage drop and Current to provide enough power and not to burn it, right?
So how do I find the necessary from the product decription?
I will use non-rechargeable batteries that means 1.5V more precisely this http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/l91.pdf . So far I understand that the voltage for a motor will be controlled by Arduino. If I provide enough power for Arduino it would just send it further to encoders and 2 motors. Is my assumption correct? There are 2 questions now, if the batteries would generate this enough power and how to connect Arduino to power source, through USB from Raspberry or parallel to batteries?

Thanks in advance for any kind of help!

2

Hello.

We have found that it is practical to run a small robot with motors like that and a Raspberry Pi off a bank of 6 AA batteries connected in series. The Understanding battery capacity- Ah is not A post on our blog might be helpful in understanding how to choose batteries for a robot. Generally, you will connect your various loads (the input to the Arduino board, the input to the regulator for the Raspberry Pi, and the input for the motor driver) in parallel to the batteries.

You will need to use a 5V voltage regulator like our D24V22F5 or D24V50F5 to provide a steady 5V to the Raspberry Pi. The current drawn by the Raspberry Pi can depend on the perepherals attached, so you should choose a regulator that can provide enough current for you configuration.

If you have not already purchased that RoMeo board, our A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller uses the same microcontroller (the ATmega32U4), a more modern motor driver, and it has a set of header pins that allow it to be placed on top of a Raspberry Pi.

Can you tell me more about the motors? What color is the code that is printed on them? That code does not indicate which gearbox is on them, but if you post a picture of them here, I might be able to help you identify them.

-Nathan