Lets start with saying i got a background in mechanical engineering, which means my electrical knowledge is limited. I hope this post is in the correct subforum, if not i am sorry.
I am working on a project which includes a Lidar [1] connected to an arduino mkr wifi 1010. On top of the arduino mkr there are 2 shields (environment rev2 + imu), but there are not important for the question. Lidar datasheet found in [2].
I want to control (turn on/off) the lidar with the arduino, on average the lidar will be on 3s per minute. The lidar got it's own power source, because the peak current of 300mA is to high (Vcc max is 200ma) to be directly powered through arduino.
I first thought of the setup shown below. However, reading about transistors i think the relay + boost converter could be replaced by a transistor, which would simplify the setup.
The new setup would look something like below.
I got a couple of questions:
- Would you agree the transistor setup is better than the relay setup? In terms of power consumption. Or would you recommend a totally different setup?
- Is the transistor setup correct in the first place? And how do i pick the right transistor and resistor (R) for my setup. There are so many options available, which makes it hard to pick one.
- In the end i need 2 lidars, the easiest option is just to create 2 identical setups, which is my original idea. Controlling 2 lidars with 1 arduino can be quite tricky according to the internet, or is it easier then it seems?
Thanks in advance!
[1] https://en.benewake.com/TF02Pro/index.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoa2xBhACEiwA1sb1BIFK6oNmRgXOeviyVy9k18o9tAcj88y9FJq4aoc23VvSwOdFmvgX2hoC8FwQAvD_BwE
[2] https://doc.switch-science.com/media/files/04d214b4-f352-4559-b840-ebdc44a24ac1.pdf
