Voltage booster? / ALL BATTERY FTW

Do you have a technical question that doesn't really fit a specific console? Want some general info on electronics, hacking, making cookies, etc? Here's the place to ask! Go nuts.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Voltage booster? / ALL BATTERY FTW

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

My SNES portable is having major problems with the voltage, it seems like the voltage is dropping like a rock! :(

My thoughts are, either buy new batteries (li-po, etc) and spend 60+ dollars, buy 1 more NIMH battery and a new charger (the current one wont support that many batteries), or get a step-up regulator...

Where is the cheapest step-up regulator I can buy that outputs either 7.5/7.4/7.2 volts?


EEDDIITT:: All-Battery is sending me out 6 brand new AA cells... free! :D Lets see how these work out. :)
Last edited by Sharp Sapphire on Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
bicostp
Moderator
Posts: 10491
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:47 pm
Steam ID: bicostp
Location: Spamalot
Contact:

Post by bicostp »

Sounds like the batteries might not be able to handle the load... :?
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

bicostp wrote:Sounds like the batteries might not be able to handle the load... :?
yeah, the voltage is dropping below the 7V-ish type deal (6*1.2) REAL fast...

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=566

Those are the batteries I have..
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts: 3225
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location: California, land of the homeless and hippies

Post by palmertech »

AA batteries are not so good for running loads like that. Maybe get some sub c cells? At least you can use your current charger.
Image

Excellent
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

I dont have the room for Sub-C sells.
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts: 3225
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location: California, land of the homeless and hippies

Post by palmertech »

li-ion maybe? Or some AA sized Li-ion cells. Twice the capacity in the same size.
Image

Excellent
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

i'd rather get the flat ones, but those are expensive, and could be dangerous
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
Rekarp
Portablizer Extraordinaire
Posts: 2163
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:52 am
PSN Username: Lnghrn_
Steam ID: rekarp
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Post by Rekarp »

I ran my SNES V2 off of 4AA 2600mAh Batteries for about 2 hours.

4.8V goes to a PTN04050C Ti card and gets boosted to 7.4V. At that level the PTN04050C is about 88% efficient.

P=V*I

P*(100/E)=Po

Po/Vo=Io

Ah/Io=Hours

V=Voltage you are boosting to
I=Current draw of the portable
P=Power of the portable
E=Efficiency of the conversion (Look at the graphs)
Po=Power needed from batteries
Vo=Total voltage from batteries
Io=Current draw from batteries
Ah=Rated Amp hours of the batteries

This will pretty much give to a really close estimate of the battery life of portables when using a voltage booster. I would knock off 10-15 minutes because of nonlinear voltage drops that occur in batteries.


How much current you drawing?
The wood master

Image

"I was under the impression Mac owners don't actually USE their machines, they just parade them around trying to evangelize the masses."
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

Can you provide me with a link to buy one of these? :D
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
Rekarp
Portablizer Extraordinaire
Posts: 2163
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:52 am
PSN Username: Lnghrn_
Steam ID: rekarp
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Post by Rekarp »

Digikey and Mouser sells them. They need two caps and a resistor for setting the voltage so check the datasheet. You can get them for free to.
The wood master

Image

"I was under the impression Mac owners don't actually USE their machines, they just parade them around trying to evangelize the masses."
timmeh87
Senior Member
Posts: 3047
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:19 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Post by timmeh87 »

umm... If you cant pull enough current out of your batteries, what makes you think that trying to pull /more/ current is going to solve any problems.

Also the maximum input on that converter is only 5 volts.

And anyways, you need at least some difference in your input and output voltage; if you want 7.4v to come out you are going to need less than 6.9v going in there at all times (ref: that datasheet).

So you could split your battery pack and double the capacity, halve the voltage.

And now you are losing 10% of your power through a converter - not counting power lost inside the batteries cause you are pushing them too hard - and your batteries are still too small.

You might have better luck with a different brand of cells (no offense but these ones look pretty sketchy). You will certainly have better luck with a physically larger Ni-Mh cell. Lithium is an another choice. Adding an extra cell isnt the best solution but it would probably work.

Also, I dont think lithium comes in 'AA' size, as that is just asking someone to try and put it in any of the millions of devices that take AA batteries. (which would probably make things go boom)
Image

"Linux is only free if your time is worthless"
Sharp Sapphire
Portablizer
Posts: 415
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:40 pm

Post by Sharp Sapphire »

timmeh87 wrote:umm... If you cant pull enough current out of your batteries, what makes you think that trying to pull /more/ current is going to solve any problems.

Also the maximum input on that converter is only 5 volts.

And anyways, you need at least some difference in your input and output voltage; if you want 7.4v to come out you are going to need less than 6.9v going in there at all times (ref: that datasheet).

So you could split your battery pack and double the capacity, halve the voltage.

And now you are losing 10% of your power through a converter - not counting power lost inside the batteries cause you are pushing them too hard - and your batteries are still too small.

You might have better luck with a different brand of cells (no offense but these ones look pretty sketchy). You will certainly have better luck with a physically larger Ni-Mh cell. Lithium is an another choice. Adding an extra cell isnt the best solution but it would probably work.

Also, I dont think lithium comes in 'AA' size, as that is just asking someone to try and put it in any of the millions of devices that take AA batteries. (which would probably make things go boom)
the voltage of the batteries is not going below 5 volts, only around 6-ish...
Things I need to purchase for my NES Laptop:
1X PSone screen
6X 1.2v 3500mAh sub-C's
1X 1/8'' to RCA stereo Adapater
1X Radioshack repair kit

..yeaaaaah...
Rekarp
Portablizer Extraordinaire
Posts: 2163
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:52 am
PSN Username: Lnghrn_
Steam ID: rekarp
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Post by Rekarp »

I supply these to my portable buyers.

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?P ... ProdID=245

I get pretty good feedback about them.
The wood master

Image

"I was under the impression Mac owners don't actually USE their machines, they just parade them around trying to evangelize the masses."
timmeh87
Senior Member
Posts: 3047
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:19 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Post by timmeh87 »

Well when you reread and see that the MAXIMUM input voltage is 5, then you will see the problem.

You could still go with that boost regulator and a 3.6v (3 by 2) pack.

But I still think buying the right battery is the best option.
Image

"Linux is only free if your time is worthless"
Rekarp
Portablizer Extraordinaire
Posts: 2163
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:52 am
PSN Username: Lnghrn_
Steam ID: rekarp
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Post by Rekarp »

timmeh87 wrote:Well when you reread and see that the MAXIMUM input voltage is 5, then you will see the problem.

You could still go with that boost regulator and a 3.6v (3 by 2) pack.

But I still think buying the right battery is the best option.
The maximum for that Ti card is 5.5V but I have stuck 6V on it with no problems. I don't recommend it though.
The wood master

Image

"I was under the impression Mac owners don't actually USE their machines, they just parade them around trying to evangelize the masses."
Post Reply