PLEN Playground - Forum

Hi, John.

We use a battery that satisfies AAA x4. And plug in connector described below.
Please pay attention to safety, because servos use a lot of direct current. So we recommend you using the official battery.

こんにちは Ｈｅｌｌｏ

１） バッテリーからスイッチへの接続用のコネクタは何を使用していますか？メーカー、型番を教えていただけますか？
Do you use what connector for connection to the switch from the battery
Could you tell me the manufacturer 's part number

２） スイッチが２個ありますが、何に使いますか？
The switch is two , but do you use what

Similar problems here. After asking via email to PLEN support, I understood that I must plug the battery if I want to move the servos programatically. But now the default battery charge is gone... And I cannot understand how should I proceed to charge it again.

I tried every possible combination, but nothing (switch A on, switch B off, etc). How should I charge the battery? There are two switches. In what position must they be? And why there is this AC adapter that only can be connected directly to the battery? Is for "manual charge" or something? I thought that the way to charge it was the mini-USB port... Can I charge it via USB? In this case, in what switches positions??

Again, soooo many questions. We need an official and updated manual as soon as possible, people. There are a lot of missing chapters (how batteries work, how to mount the motherboard, how to connect the switches to the motherboard, how to even start using a recently mounted PLEN, what the head does and how to use it or test it...).

Thanks

Last edited by spacorum (2016-01-20 15:31:15)

Thanks for your answer, Guvalif, but I´m afraid is too short for an important topic like this. I followed your instructions and turned my email request into forum request, but please you have to explain things a little more. As I told you, I have no idea about a lot of things that you take for granted. There is no manual (only some outdated guides to print and mount the arms, foot and head).

So your answer leads me to more questions:
Once the robot is fully mounted, we have to unplug the battery from the switches and plug it to the AC adapter? Each time? I don´t understand. I thought that all the cables were hidden once mounted. Is there something I´m missing? Maybe if you could upload a picture it could help. I´m looking at this at the wiki but I don´t see the battery conection: http://plen.jp/playground/wiki/_media/t … c01057.jpg

Also, you told that the battery has to be directly plugged to the AC adapter. In this case, for how much time? How to know if its fully charged?

And maybe you could explain a little more the meaning of the two switches (why the servos only move when the first is ON, what happens when the second is ON, etc). I think it could be important for everyone to know. I spent half a day trying to move the servos programatically until you explained to me that the battery must be plugged in, for example.

Sorry if I don´t look too patient, but it´s been more than a week already, a lot of time lost 3d printing the wrong old files (thanks for updating the Github files, by the way) and I don´t see too much advance. I beg you to please work faster on that guide you are working on. It´s totally necessary.

Thanks for your time!

PLEASE answer this three questions so I can continue working:

1) How much time (in hours) do I must plug the battery to the AC adapter for a full charge? There is no indicator.
2) What is the meaning of the two switches? What happens in each position? The servos only move in a particular combination.
3) How to charge PLEN once the chasis is fully mounted? The battery cable is directly connected to the switches inside.

Last edited by spacorum (2016-01-22 04:08:40)

> 2) What is the meaning of the two switches?
Please check reply #4 and #5 on the topic.

Incidentally, You cannot move servos to supply energy from only USB, because servos use a lot of direct current.
(USB can supply typically max 0.5A only. Also it is the reason that we have not implemented charging method via USB.)

> 3) How to charge PLEN once the chasis is fully mounted?
We have supposed that users unmount the chassis and connect the AC adapter directly when users would like to charge a battery.
(The method has been adopted many products, for example, multicopters, radio-control toys, and so on.)