Analog Read problem

Other Hardware Sensors
1

Hi,
I trying to mesure the voltage of my 12V battery with arduino , for that I'm using a LM317 DC-DC Voltage Regulator Step Down Module with those features:

  • Output Current: 1.5A (min), 2.2A (typ)
  • Input-output voltage differential (VI-VO): 40Vdc (max)
  • Adjustable output voltage range: 1.2 ~ 37V
  • Operating temperature: -55 Celsius ~ +150 Celsius
  • Current output: 1.5A
  • Voltage Input: 4.2 ~ 40 V
  • Operating temperature: 0 Celsius ~ 125 Celsius
  • Characteristic frequency: 100MHz
  • Module size: 35.6 mm x16.8 mm
  • Input Method: VIN input is positive, GND Input Negative
  • Output: VOUT output positive, GND output negative

I adapted to have 4.5V at the output of the module.
I attached the diagram of the wirning. For the arduino part I used the analogRead, like this

void setup() 
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() 
{
  Serial.println(analogRead(A2));
  delay(5000);
}

Normaly I should had a fixed value aroud 922, But I got differents and variables value in arduino serial monitor, I didn't get what the cause of this problem, if someone have an idea?

wirning LM317.png
wirning LM317.png1362×1047 80.3 KB

serial monitor.JPG

2

Your diagram doesn't show a ground connection between your power supply and your Arduino - do you have one?

3

You need to have the grounds of the Arduino and the LM317 -ve output connected.

But that isn't measuring the battery input voltage to the regulator. The point of a regulator is that the output will stay constant until the input gets too low for the regulator to maintain it.

To measure a 12V battery voltage you just need a simple 2-resistor voltage divider.

Steve

4

Oww, my mistake, how stuped of me, I didnt connected with Arduino Gnd.
I did use a voltage divider with this battery, but I'm just testing, I planing to use for my projet a bigger battery and I think the voltage divider won't be optimistic.
Thank you so much.

5

You can't measure a battery's voltage through a regulator. Just look up what a regulator does if you don't know why.

You can measure any battery's voltage through a two-resistor voltage divider, regardless of the battery voltage and capacity. You just have to adjust the resistor values to the actual voltage of your battery.