Battery for Nicla voice

Official Hardware Nicla Family Nicla Voice
1

It says in the manual here: https://docs.arduino.cc/tutorials/nicla-voice/user-manual

" Using a 3.7V Lithium Polymer (Li-Po) battery connected to the board through the onboard battery connector; the manufacturer part number of the battery connector is BM03B-ACHSS and its matching receptacle manufacturer part number is ACHR-03V-S. The recommended minimum battery capacity for the Nicla Voice is 200 mAh. A Li-Po battery with an integrated NTC thermistor is also recommended for thermal protection."

However I have bought a 3 pin battery and a pack of BM03B-ACHSS and now have the nightmare task of joining the two together.

Can you recommend a battery which can be used off the shelf? preferably with a uk vendor link?

2

Hello @johnstaveley, this is José from the Arduino PRO Content Team. You can buy a battery for the Nicla Voice at LiPol Battery. The Nicla's Voice battery model is LP702120 3.7V 200mAh with a protection circuit, wires, and 10K NTC. Ask them to add the battery a JST ACHR-03V-S(A) connector. I will see if you can find this battery in the UK.

I hope this helps!

Best,

José

3

Ok, thanks for that, it gives me more to work on. Why did arduino, known for its great interoperability and ease of prototyping choose an effectively bespoke battery rather than something easily obtainable off of the shelf?

So how do I charge this battery?

4

Your Nicla Voice has a built-in LiPo battery charger, but it is, by default, disabled. To enable it, you can use the enableCharge() function defined in the Nicla Voice board core:

// Enabling the battery charger 
// The function parameter defines the charging current in mA
nicla::enableCharge(100);

The recommended charging current for a 200mAh LiPo battery is 100mAh. You can also use this type of LiPo battery charger. Just be aware of setting the charger's charging current to the recommended battery you plan to use. This usually is made by changing a resistor on the board.

5

@johnstaveley also take into account that you can connect a LiPo battery to your Nicla Voice's headers without the use of the onboard battery connector:

image
image1202×485 138 KB

In that case, you can use a battery like this; you just have to cut the connector. It is recommended tough to use batteries with an integrated NTC.

Best,

José

6

Does using the headers instead of the connector still allow me to use the charging function?

7

@cowjam yes, the VBAT pin is connected directly to the onboard battery charger as shown in the board's schematics.

Best,

José

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9

Hello, I'm trying to find the correct battery for the Nicla Voice. I burned my current board, possibly due to reverse polarity, while using this battery: JAUCH QUARTZ UK LTD / LP503030JU+PCM+2IC+NTC+MOL.

I noticed you recommended "LP702120," but the closest alternative I could find is "LP702020." I just want to confirm this before using it, as I don't want to damage my second board as well! Also, a list of compatible off-the-shelf batteries would be great (USA-based), because the typical need is 1-2 or maybe 5 batteries for prototyping, but these places want us to order a minimum of 100, even when we are not sure if the connector/ battery will work with Nicla Voice.

11

The LP702020 should be compatible; the part number's numeration refers to the dimensions of your board (702020 = 7.0 x 20 x 20 mm). What is essential to consider is the battery's voltage (it should be 3.7 VDC). Double-check the polarity of the connectors and also refer to the board's schematics to confirm the polarity of the battery pins.

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