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Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: airman00 on September 02, 2008, 10:21:57 PM

Title: Do I really need to regulate power
Post by: airman00 on September 02, 2008, 10:21:57 PM

I was wondering if for a project like my bluetooth lights( where all it is is a BlueSMIRF UART and digital outputs to LEDs) would need a voltage regulator
I mean can't I just use a 6V battery and not need a regulator , b/c I am not using any ADC . The digital outputs I know would be fine,  but would it affect the UART?

I have found with my PIC microcontrollers that an unregulated power source didn't make a difference when no ADC was used. I'm just not sure about AVR.

Thanks,
Eric

Title: Re: Do I really need to regulate power
Post by: dsheller on September 03, 2008, 01:00:24 AM

I regularly test with a battery that's ~5.7 Volts (6 D cells, they're pretty much dead I know -- but convenient), unregulated and I have never noticed a problem on the UART lines. Granted it did have some weird behavior when I used a servo... you could move the servo by touching the sense line o.O

Title: Re: Do I really need to regulate power
Post by: dunk on September 03, 2008, 03:12:34 AM

you will get away with going a little over voltage for short periods of time but if this is a project you plan to leave plugged in for days at a time then better to stick within the datasheets recommendations.

the UART should behave like a digital pin in this regard.

if i were you i'd be happy to chance it with an AVR as they are quite inexpensive but i'm not so sure i'd want to risk your BlueSMIRF....


dunk.