Starting the Car
31.05.2017
v1.7
Audi Autonomous Driving Cup 2017 - Hardware Description
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Figure 32: Connecting the batteries
For connecting the batteries, make sure to connect the power cables (thick ones with red and black
cable, see blue circles above). Please always connect/disconnect these cables. Never unplug any
cable on the PCB, except balancer and USB-cables, otherwise might damage the PCB.
Afterwards connect the balancer cable (thin wires, black, white and red) and make sure that the
battery voltmeters are plugged into the connector. If you have everything connected properly, the
voltmeters will show the voltages of the batteries in big red letters.
YOU MUST USE THE BATTERY VOLTMETERS DURING USING THE CAR. OTHERWISE
THE BATTERIES COULD BE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGED, OR COULD CATCH FIRE AND
DAMAGE THE CAR. EVERYTIME THE CAR IS USED THE VOLTMETER MUST SHOW A
VOLTAGE AND IF THEY START TO BEEP, DISCONNECT THE ACCORDING BATTERY
AND CHARGE IT.
2.2
Connecting the external power supply
You can also power the car externally by using the external power supply (24V/160W). In this case,
you can only remove the sensor battery. You still need the actuators battery for controlling the
actuators.
The external power supply and the Sensors battery, respectively, are hot pluggable. Therefore, you
are able to connect the external power supply while the battery is still connected and vice versa. That
enables you to change the Sensors battery without shutting down the PC.