Setup: Arduino Nano + 2 x LARGE 6v alkaline batteries in series
What i did: attached two large 6v alkaline batteries in series to get 12 volts and attached it to the VIN and GND pins. (100% sure they were the proper polarity)
What happened: Smoke! and now the arduino nano doesn't work anymore
I have a couple more of these chips and im paranoid that ill damage another one so im trying to understand what i did wrong before i try again. What went wrong here?
i was under the impression that the arduino would only draw as much current as it needed to run.
Or maybe the batteries are supplying more than 6Volts even though they say 6V on them?
ill buy a multi meter tomorrow and do some measuring but in the meantime, anyone have suggestions?
i suspect it was the regulator that got hot but not 100% sure
it might also be worth noting that the nano in question was one of the Chinese made ones that i bought off ebay back when i didnt know better. but the two i have left are both gravitech.
is it possible that the Chinese made one uses a cheaper regulator that cant handle 12 volts?
i would hate to connect one of the gravitech ones and have them burn out as well
Osgeld, not quite sure on that model # since i tossed the chip away, i just measured the voltage across both batteries and it reads 12.26v so that theory sounds quite plausible.
according to the arduino home page,
"The Nano was designed and is being produced by Gravitech."
the two gravitech made ones i own have a white G printed on it with "GRAVITECH.US" and "USA" printed on them
the china one that i just burnt out just says "arduino nano v3.0 www.arduino.cc" printed on it and may have been made with cheaper, lower quality parts causing the regulator to burn out when 12v was applied to it.
but this is just speculation, maybe a mod can confirm this?
It is likely that it was the voltage rating on the capacitor across the input of the regulator that was not up to it.
They do produce a lot of smoke under those conditions.