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Topic starter
2026-02-09 1:31 am
Hey folks, I’m an engineer who designs lithium-ion power connectors for drones—mostly supplying them to brands like DJI and Yifeite. Recently I got bored and wanted to tinker with something new, so I repurposed a proven power circuit design from drones to a quadruped robot. But I hit snags during testing, wondering if any of you who know cross-application tweaks can help:
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When the quadruped runs at 36V 80A full load (powering 12 joint motors), after ~1 hour, the lithium-ion connector between the main controller and motor driver acts up. The current waveform gets distorted (way more spikes than when it’s used on drones at 32V), and the connector’s contacts feel hot. The resonant capacitor values check out, but the frequency drifted from 98kHz to 110kHz. Is this because the connector can’t handle the quadruped’s load, or is it from the transformer’s magnetic core saturation (it hit 125℃) messing with the connector?
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Last week I tested it outdoors in light rain, and the connector caused a 2-3 second dropout of LiDAR and IMU signals. This connector’s IP65 rating works fine on drones, but it’s failing here. Any tips to make drone lithium-ion connectors more moisture/vibration-resistant for off-road quadruped use?
Any cross-application experience you can share would be a huge help—thanks a ton!
Yassin | Building Compact, High-Current Connections for Drones & Robots
Duce robot reacted
2026-03-06 8:07 am
Power management is tough I had to use capacitor at each servo 470uf plus a 10000uf capacitor at the trunk line and a 0.4uf capacitor with it . Good luck.!
2026-03-08 11:23 pm
Hi @yassin,
Well out of my area, but pondering it suggests a couple of daft questions ... Assuming for drones versus robot comparison, that you are using same connectors, and the current is the same, then I think you are asking what else might be different? I'll just mention of couple of things to consider.
What about cooling and ambient temperature? I am guessing there is significant cooling airflow in the case of the drone, but maybe less with the robot? Sometimes, even a few degrees of temperature rise makes both insulators and metals more 'flexible' ... and that could reduce the force that the contacts are pressing on each other, increasing the effective contact resistance, and further increasing the heating.
I would also wonder if the current waveforms are different. Remember heat loss is proportional to the square of the current. So two current waveforms may have the same average current, but one with higher peaks is likely to generate more heat.
Just things to check for and probably discount.
Good luck on your research.
Topic starter
2026-03-13 1:09 am
Hi@davee ，
Thanks for the pointers, bro. Really appreciate you mentioning temp rise and current waveforms—those are exactly what I’ve been digging into lately.
You’re spot‑on. Drones get plenty of airflow, but robots run hot with barely any cooling. Even a little extra temperature kills contact stability fast. That’s why I switched to a new lithium‑power connector I’ve been testing.
It pushes higher, steadier current even when things get hot, and it’s way more compact inside than most options out there. Plus it’s fully certified, so I don’t have to worry about reliability anymore.
Whole power system’s way smoother now. Definitely feeling a lot less headaches.
Yassin | Building Compact, High-Current Connections for Drones & Robots
DaveE reacted
Topic starter
2026-03-13 1:12 am
Hi@duce-robot ,
That’s super relatable. Power management on these quads is no joke, especially when you’re running 12 joint motors at 36V/80A like I am. I’m already using a bunch of capacitors across the system to suppress spikes and stabilize the bus, but I haven’t tried that exact combo yet—470uF on each servo plus 10000uF on the main line with 0.4uF alongside it.
I’ll definitely test this setup to see if it cleans up the waveform distortion and heat I’ve been getting on my power connectors. Thanks a lot for sharing what’s working for you—this is exactly the kind of practical tip I needed!
Yassin | Building Compact, High-Current Connections for Drones & Robots
Duce robot reacted