FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Adafruit Ethernet, Motor, Proto, Wave, Datalogger, GPS Shields - etc!

Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
Locked
User avatar
dannya
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:35 pm

FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by dannya »

I'm interested in getting a FONA for vehicle tracking purposes, and I'm wondering if the FONA has any built-in sleep modes? If not, can I somehow use an Arduino to turn off the power (coming from the lipo battery?) to the FONA every now and then? The vehicles are only used 2-3 times a day for about half an hour, so the battery will die after a while (it will be charged while the vehicle is active).

Also, can I use this product (https://www.adafruit.com/products/259) to simultaneously charge the LiPo battery AND use the FONA at the same time (assuming that I have a power source via USB while the vehicle is on)? If I use this product, do I even need a battery? Can this convert USB to the power format that the FONA needs?

Thanks!

User avatar
adafruit_support_rick
 
Posts: 35092
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

dannya wrote:can I somehow use an Arduino to turn off the power (coming from the lipo battery?) to the FONA every now and then?
Check out the key pin in the tutorial:
Key - This is also a super important pin (but not as important as Vio). This is the power on/off indicator. Its also tied to the button in the top left. Tie this pin to ground for 2 seconds to turn the module on or off. It's not a level signal so it isn't like "low is off, high is on" - instead you must pulse it for 2 seconds to turn off/on. The module comes by default off. Tie this permanently to ground if you never want your micro to turn off the FONA for power saving
dannya wrote:Also, can I use this product (https://www.adafruit.com/products/259) to simultaneously charge the LiPo battery AND use the FONA at the same time
No necessary. The FONA already has charging circuitry for the battery. You can use and charge simultaneously.

User avatar
Znurf
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:11 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by Znurf »

I am making a GPS tracker for a car also, and i think the idea with a battery is "kinda" nice, because it will keep the FONA powered if they unplug the battery when they take the car. However, since your Arduino will lose power when they disconnect the battery (if you use the car battery to run your Arduino) it doesn't matter if you have a battery or not to your FONA? :P

You would need to have a rechargeable battery connected to the Arduino, which is getting recharged all the time by the car main battery, and thus always having the Arduino turned on, not only when the ignition/radio is on. Then just have some Micro USBs connected from that extra battery to your Arduino, and perhaps also the Fona.

It would be a fairly useless GPS tracker if the tracker only works when the car is on :P

Does the FONA GSM recharge the battery from the VIO PIN also, or JUST from the USB connector on the side?

And how far have you gotten with your project? :)

User avatar
adafruit_support_rick
 
Posts: 35092
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Znurf wrote:Does the FONA GSM recharge the battery from the VIO PIN also, or JUST from the USB connector on the side?
Only from the USB connector.
Znurf wrote:You would need to have a rechargeable battery connected to the Arduino, which is getting recharged all the time by the car main battery,
https://www.adafruit.com/product/2078
https://www.adafruit.com/products/1944

User avatar
Znurf
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:11 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by Znurf »

After replying i found that little charger, it has a million and one uses :) I will get one or two when they get back in stock :)

User avatar
dannya
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:35 pm

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by dannya »

Can I charge the battery by using the 5V terminal on the FONA wired to the 5V rail on my Arduino? I'm going to be placing my module in a vehicle, and I won't have a microUSB charger available to ensure that the battery is always charged.

Thanks!

User avatar
adafruit_support_rick
 
Posts: 35092
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Nope, sorry. The charging circuit is separate from the logic circuit.

User avatar
dannya
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:35 pm

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by dannya »

OK. Do you sell a micro-usb cable that I can hook up to my 5V and ground on my Arduino? I don't have a micro-USB port or an AC outlet in the vehicle where I'm placing this module. How else can I charge the battery?

User avatar
dannya
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:35 pm

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by dannya »

For example, this product from SparkFun says it can use a 5V input to charge the battery. Can your product do the same thing? https://www.adafruit.com/products/259

User avatar
adafruit_support_rick
 
Posts: 35092
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

No need to hack a USB cable. There's a 5V pad next to the USB port. You can connect 5V from the Arduino to this pad and charge the battery.

User avatar
dannya
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:35 pm

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by dannya »

Thanks Rick! (that's what I had tried to ask in my earlier post, but maybe I worded it confusingly...)

User avatar
adafruit_support_rick
 
Posts: 35092
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42 am

Re: FONA Sleep Mode / Battery Charging

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Sorry - I thought you were referring to the VIN pin.

Locked
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.

Return to “Arduino Shields from Adafruit”