Build a Load Tester for 12 Volt

Robot Batteries
Developed by the Tuxedo Pandas and
the New River Robotics Association
especially for FIRST Tech Challenge use
 Benefit
• Batteries used in our robots can always be
recharged, but over time, some batteries lose
their ability to hold that charge.
• A voltmeter only shows the current voltage, not
capacity.
• Bad batteries can have a good voltage after
charging, but have very limited capacity.
• Load testing quickly indicates whether a battery
has lost its capacity to hold a charge.
 Background
• FTC Tetrix batteries: 12 Volts DC, Nickel Metal
Hydride (NiMH). Known for very good charge
capacity, minimizes the “memory” effect of
Nickel Cadmium (NiCad)
• Made of 10 NiMH battery cells each delivering
1.2 Volts, wired in series
• Cost: $49.95 each, via Pitsco Education
website. Every dollar counts- so get the most
from your batteries!
• Tetrix batteries have a rated capacity of 3,000
mAh: 3,000 milliamps, or 3 Amps, for one hour
• Truly testing capacity requires placing the
battery under a load, and measuring voltage
over time until the battery is exhausted.
• Batteries are effectively exhausted for FTC use
after dropping below 11 to 10.5 Volts (no load)
 Design Principles
• 12 Volt battery load testers are common in the automotive
market, but are designed for much higher load: 60-120
Amp hours versus our 3 Amp hour robot battery.
• We need a continuous, constant load for testing accuracy:
automotive lamps are the easiest, low-cost way to load a 12
Volt battery. Fog lamps are in a safe housing, are relatively
low cost, and easy to find in most auto and department
stores.
• We need to measure voltage during the discharge, as well
as time, plus keep everything safe.
• We want our test to provide definite results, but not
require us to drain a battery any more than necessary. 5-
10% of the charge would be a good goal.
Finished Product
 Circuit Diagram
50 Watt lamps

SPST
1 or more
types of 50 W or 100 W load
battery Start/Stop test
connectors SPST

-
Voltmeter

Tetrix 12V battery

 Testing Procedure
• Connect a fully charged battery to the tester. Turn on your voltmeter.
• If you included a switch for both headlights, enable both lights for a full 100
Watt test.
• Observe the starting battery voltage, usually between 14.2 Volts to 13.2
Volts.
• Start a 40-second countdown timer or stopwatch at the same time that you
turn on the switch.
• Observe the battery voltage declining during the test.
• After 40 seconds, if the battery voltage has dropped below 11.2 Volts, then
your battery likely has lost its capacity to hold an adequate charge.
• Turn off the tester, stop the timer. About 5% of your battery capacity has
been used for the test, so you may want to top off your charge before going
into a competition with this same battery, assuming your battery passed.
• Label your batteries, and keep a record of each battery’s date placed in
service, a unique letter or number identifier, and the results of this test over
time. Testing batteries once a quarter should be adequate, but do it at least
once a year.
• Send feedback to NewRiverRobotics@gmail.com
Test Results
 Observations
• Testing under load indicated that Battery 3 is no longer a
useful battery for competition. Starting voltages alone do not
indicate this. In fact, battery 4 had one of the lowest voltage
readings right after charging, but lasted almost two minutes
longer than any other battery.

• To see a distinct difference in battery capacity, the battery

must be measured under load for at least 30 seconds, to
isolate the voltage drop over time. See graph enlargement,
right.

• Based on our tests, if a battery drops below 11.25 Volts in less

than 30 seconds, that battery has lost its charge capacity.

• More battery performance data is available through a battery

capacity tester. This $45 device is added in-line between the
battery and load, either actual robot load or a test load such
as the foglamps we used. Sample output is shown at the top.
 Tips and Notes
• For versatility, add multiple types of battery connectors.
The white standard connector is called a Tamiya plug.
Anderson Power Pole connectors are highly encouraged
on FTC forums, and Dean’s Connectors are also popular.
• The test rig shown has two meters: a standard voltmeter,
and a battery capacity tester available from Tower
Hobbies. This meter tracks Volts, Amps, Amp-Hours and
Watts. See this link for info, price about $45. But a
voltmeter and a stopwatch is really all you need.
• My typical Amp-hour reading from this PowerMatch
meter was 1500 mA-H, or 1.5 A-H. That is about half the
rated capacity, but I also stopped the tests when voltage
under load dropped below 10.5 VDC.
• Test data and graphs are available as an Excel spreadsheet
on our website, www.TuxedoPandas.org
Battery tester in operation