This is the third capsule that I have had that solar panel quits charging the battery. I have cleaned the panel and moved it to direct sunlight and it still does not charge the battery. Is there something in the code that I need to change to enable to ensure the battery charges with the solar panel?
Cubecell Capsule Solar not charging battery
No need to change the code, you can measure the voltage and current!
I just checked the output from the solar panel with my meter. I made sure to have the positive lead connected to the red wire and the negative lead connected to the black wire, and got -5.8v does this mean the solar panel is soldered backwards?
Generally speaking, there is a VS pin on the development board that is connected to the positive pole of the solar energy, and the negative pole is directly grounded.
Make sure the black lead of your meter is in the common jack.
Hey! I have been working with Cubecell Solar for a while and I can give you few tips about these devices.
- Charging only works when deep sleep, otherwise the consumption is too high and the battery will not get charged.
- Once the solar panel is connected, the maximum voltage in Vs is about 4.5-4.2V because of the diode voltage drop.
- In order to properly make the charging work, I had to charge the battery completely first, otherwise (I don’t know why) the charging does not work. Actually, I think charging only works if there is a minimum voltage, probably 3.3 V, but I had not tested it properly.
I hope you find it useful.