Skip to content
Parallax Learn

Parallax Learn

  • Welcome
  • Tutorials
        • Tutorial Series head tag

          Tutorial Series
        • Tutorial Series

          The special, classroom-ready series pages are organized collections of tutorials for our most popular hardware and/or languages. The tutorials for each topic are conveniently accessible from a single page, shown in the order it is recommended that they be completed.
        • Robotics Series Head tag

          Robotics Series
        • Robotics Series

          • Artificial Intelligence
          • Cybersecurity: Radio Data tutorialCybersecurity
          • cyber:bot + Python
          • cyber:bot + MakeCode
          • Boe-Bot Tutorial SeriesBoe-Bot
          • Arduino Shield-Bot
          • ActivityBot with C TutorialsActivityBot + C
          • ActivityBot with BlocklyProp Tutorial SeriesActivityBot + BlocklyProp
          • Scribbler 3 Tutorial SeriesScribbler 3
        • Electronics & Programming Series Head tag

          Electronics & Programming Series
          • BS2 Board of Education Tutorial SeriesBS2 Board of Education
          • Propeller C-Language BasicsPropeller C Basics
          • FLiP Try-It Kit C Tutorial SeriesFLiP Try-It Kit + C
          • FLiP Try-It Kit BlocklyProp TutorialsFLiP Try-It Kit + BlocklyProp
          • Badge WX Tutorial SeriesBadge WX
          • Propeller BlocklyProp Basics and ProjectsPropeller BlocklyProp Basics
          • View All Tutorial Series »
        • Browse Tutorials
        • Browse Tutorials

          Individual tutorials sorted by robot or kit, and language.
        • By Robot or Kit
          • ActivityBot
          • SumoBot WX
          • Boe-Bot
          • Shield-Bot
          • cyber:bot
          • Badge WX
          • ELEV-8
          • ARLO
        • By Language
        • By Language

          • Propeller C
          • Arduino
          • BlocklyProp
          • PBASIC
          • Python
          • MakeCode
          • View All Tutorials »
  • Educators
  • Reference
  • Downloads
  • Home
  • All Courses
  • Robotics with the Board of Education Shield for Arduino

Robotics with the Board of Education Shield for Arduino

Connect the Battery Pack to the BOE Shield

To properly power the servos, you’ll need to switch to an external battery pack now.  When servos make sudden direction changes or push against resistance to rotation, they can draw more current than a USB port is designed to supply.  Also, it would be no fun for the BOE Shield-Bot to be tethered to the computer forever!  So, from here on out we’ll be using an external battery pack with five 1.5 V AA batteries.  This will supply your system with 7.5 V and plenty of current for the voltage regulators and servos. From here forward, remember two things:

  • ALWAYS unplug the battery pack when you are done experimenting for a while.  Even when the power switch on your BOE Shield is off (position-0), the Arduino module will still draw power from the batteries.
  • Unplug the programming cable too, whenever you unplug the battery pack. That way, you won’t accidentally try to run the servos off of USB power.

Which Battery Pack Do You Have?

  • Compare your parts to the picture below to see which battery pack you have. 
  • For the 5-cell Pack, keep going on the next page.
  • For the 4-cell pack, skip to the 4-Cell Pack + Boe-Boost Setup.

Rechargeable Options
The thrifty Boe-Boost (#30078) allows you to add another cell in series with a 4-cell or 5-cell pack.  Adding a 6th 1.2 V AA rechargeable cell to a 5-cell pack will supply 6 x 1.2 = 7.2 V. 
The Li-ion Boe-Bot Power Pack-Charger (#28988) combines a lithium-ion battery pack and recharger in one board that you can mount under your Shield-Bot.

CAUTION: AC powered DC supplies are not recommended for the BOE Shield-Bot.
Some DC supplies provide much higher voltage than their rating.  The BOE Shield-bot is designed for use with a 7.2–7.5 V battery supply.  It will work with higher supply voltages at low loads, but the servo loads can heat up the regulator until it shuts off to protect itself.

 


Printer-friendly version
Connect the Servos to the BOE Shield
Prev
5-cell Pack Setup
Next

DISCUSSION FORUMS | PARALLAX INC. STORE

About | Terms of Use | Feedback: learn@parallax.com | Copyright©Parallax Inc. 2024

© 2025 Parallax Learn • Built with GeneratePress