Can I use a battery pack to power up the Lidar Lite v3

Help & Support Robot Parts
1

My issue is that I do not have any indication that my Lidar Lite is initializing in conjunction with my Raspberry Pi. I have tried
programmatically initiating using python code writes to various addresses but my ‘i2detect -y 1’ command comes up empty.

I have received the standard reply that the unit requires 5 volts and up to 500 milliamps though my default connections should be sufficient.

I have powered up the Pi with a battery pack consisting of 4 AA batteries as well as the standard electrical connection.

So here is my question - can I initiate the Lidar Lite sensor by simultaneously directly connecting the battery to the Lidar Lite sensor in addition powering up the Pi using the plug connector?

I’m using a breadboard and would put the ground into there and hopefully the circuit would be sound but would value an opinion before I proceed as I’m not overly proficient in electronics.

E. Kierklo

2

It may also be worth noting that a capacitor of 680 µF between the VCC & GND pins of the LIDAR-Lite v3 is required, as specified in the instruction manual.

Depending on your Linux kernel, you may also have issues due to repeated starts. Please check here for details.

Concerning connecting a battery directly, please do not do that. The LIDAR-Lite requires a stable 5 V DC signal. Batteries do not offer a stable voltage and should always be passed through a voltage converter or regulator and filtering circuit first (this applies to other electronics, too!).

If you do have a regulated, stable 5 V DC source, then you can power the LIDAR-Lite independently of the Raspberry Pi. Simply make sure there is a common ground (GND) connection between them.

Sincerely,