Combining Powerboosts for higher current draw

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Cerin
 
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Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:28 am

Combining Powerboosts for higher current draw

Post by Cerin »

I'm trying to power a couple of 6V DC motors for a small mobile platform. Combined, the motors will have a peak current draw between 2-3A. I've tested them with a USB battery pack rated for 2.5A and they seem to run well. The pack is convenient in that it will automatically recharge when an external USB power supply is present. Unfortunately, the battery pack is designed to recharge cell phones, so it's hard to hack, doesn't have any pinouts for monitoring, and turns off after a few minutes, which would make it a pain to integrate into my project.

I've been researching several alternative USB Lipo boost/charging boards, and Adafruit's Powerboost 1000 is interesting in that it has the highest rated amp output I've seen of 1A. Most other boards are only rated for the minimum 500mA USB standard, which usually isn't enough to power most actuators.

So I have two questions.

Is anyone aware of a product like the Powerboost 1000, but able to produce a higher current output given a stock 4000mAh 3.7V lipo battery?

If not, how feasible would it be to wire the output 5V/Gnd output pins of two Powerboost 1000s in parallel to double their current output? This assumes they're both connected to identical lipo batteries. I don't see anything wrong with this arrangement, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

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adafruit2
 
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Re: Combining Powerboosts for higher current draw

Post by adafruit2 »

dont do that, really bad for the powerboosts. you can use a larger battery and then use a buck like
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1385

Cerin
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:28 am

Re: Combining Powerboosts for higher current draw

Post by Cerin »

adafruit2 wrote:dont do that, really bad for the powerboosts. you can use a larger battery and then use a buck like
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1385
Yes, but that buck converter won't charge the battery...

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Combining Powerboosts for higher current draw

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Yes, but that buck converter won't charge the battery...
True. You need a charger that can charge the higher voltage battery pack. We do not have such a charger. But there are several on-line battery sources that have packs and chargers for higher voltages.

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