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Can serial port be used when Arduino connected to power supply?

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barrie
(@barrie)
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I want to check variables when running two stepper motors drawing around 0.5A so probably not a good idea to run the sketch from the USB connection. Can the usb connection be used in parallel with a power supply in order to display the serial port? 

This topic was modified 2 years ago by barrie

   
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Inq
 Inq
(@inq)
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Posted by: @barrie

I want to check variables when running two stepper motors drawing around 0.5A so probably not a good idea to run the sketch from the USB connection. Can the usb connection be used in parallel with a power supply in order to display the serial port? 

As a matter of fact, I'm doing this exact thing as I write this:

  • 16V power source (4) 18650 batteries
  • 16V goes to two A4988 stepper motor drivers AND to DC-to-DC converter to output 5V
  • 5V goes to 5V pin on ESP8266
  • While programming, I'm using USB to the computer for compiling and Serial.print type statements for debugging.

however, I am using an ESP8266 instead of an Arduino.  I've always assumed that an Arduino is more robust than an ESP8266, but you may want to wait for someone else more hardware oriented to chime in.

VBR,

Inq

3 lines of code = InqPortal = Complete IoT, App, Web Server w/ GUI Admin Client, WiFi Manager, Drag & Drop File Manager, OTA, Performance Metrics, Web Socket Comms, Easy App API, All running on ESP8266...
Even usable on ESP-01S - Quickest Start Guide


   
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Ron
 Ron
(@zander)
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@barrie Indeed even USB 3.0 and 3.1 are only 900ma. However, for stepper motors, we always recommend they be powered separately from the board, not through the pins. UNO pins are 20ma.

USB for debug in conjunction with seperate power for stepper is fine.

First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.


   
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barrie
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@Zander @inq Thank you.Starting to get the hang of this peculiar but interesting environment.


   
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