hi, i have been working on the project which require ethernet, adafuit nfc shield, adafruit music maker and official arduino gsm shield. everything seems to worked fine until i added the gsm. i later found out that gsm draws a lot of current so it is recommended to use external battery and i had 12v,3A netgear adapter around so i hooked it up to arduino. the gsm finally got initialized but after 2 minutes, gsm capacitor got smoked. after some more research, i found out that gsm shield have some design flaws and many had the same issue when it was connected to external power source. so i decided to give a shot to gsm shield again but with 9v, 3A adapter. things seems to worked fine and nothing got smoked this time around however capacitor was getting super hot. i disconnected all the things and decided to remove the diode from gsm (this diode is included in new version of gsm shield). now everything seems to work fine but my arduino is being powered only by usb. 9v adapter doesnt power anything until i connect it to usb port. im sure that gsm shield is being powered by the 9v because without external source gsm doesn't seem to get initialized. now, my project require 9v,3A adapter along with usb connection to power the arduino. can anyone tell me if i have bricked my arduino or something?.
P.S. i have soldered the diode back to its place, everything is normal now, nothing is getting hot but why do i need usb connection to power arduino when i'm already using 9v source.
i admit, my english isnt the best!
here's the problem!
mega powered using 9v source only = nothing works at all, not even power led on mega turns on.
mega powered using usb = mega powers on, gsm shield doesnt get initialized (as it require lot of current)
mega powered using usb and 9v source = everything works! nothing get hot either.
obviously i have damaged the arduino somehow (by removing the diode of gsm) which is why 9v source alone isnt working no more. someone pointed out that i've damaged the voltage regulator. so should i change arduino mega? i have a feeling that if i get the new mega then i might end up having the same problem with the gsm shield and it'll start getting hot again.
i dont have multimeter with me at the moment. i'll post the resistance on Saturday. i've tested the the whole thing with new arduino mega. gsm isnt getting hot no more.
As it was mentioned in link (baldengineer)
"In the mean time, if you buy a GSM shield, “burn in it” a few times. Cycle power on it a few times, to stress the cap out a little bit. If it doesn’t fail, it’ll heal-up and be more robust."
now the only issue is that voltage regulator of new arduino mega seems to be getting super hot. i've decided to go for 6v adapter and gsm require at least 2 amp. adafruit music maker also draw lot of current so 3A will be optimal. here's my question. many have said that when you use the external source then maximum current you can draw is 1A because of the diode rating.
for example here (external power supply - maximum input current - Portugues - Arduino Forum), it is mentioned that arduino will draws as much current as it needs, there isnt any limitation. please clearify this so that i buy the adapter accordingly.
Hi can you post a picture of your project so we can see how you have layed out the shields?
If you are using the 5V output of the arduino to supply regulated power for everything then you are overloading the arduino regulator.
Please show us in a diagram how you are powering all the boards.
ahmedablak:
"In the mean time, if you buy a GSM shield, “burn in it” a few times. Cycle power on it a few times, to stress the cap out a little bit. If it doesn’t fail, it’ll heal-up and be more robust."
That's right. Once it's blown it doesn't get stressed any more
here you go! https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3JqWIjZhvORLUY3VldNYWs1ZWs&usp=sharing
i have 12v,5a source that power the 12v fan, 3 rgb strip with 3 leds each. 5 servo with 6v voltage regulator.
then another 5v, 2a adapter power the smoke sensor (mq2), rain sensor, gLCD. temperature sensor.
9v source power the arduino, ehternet sheild, adafruit music maker, nfc sheild, gsm shield. so basically nothing is connected to 5v.
the old mega which i ruined doesnt get hot at all but it doesnt get power on with 9v source alone, and it require the usb connection. so usb and 9v are connected simultaneously.
the new arduino power with 9v fine but its regulator get super hot. i thought of using 6v, 3a, will it be a good move?
EDIT. 5v from arduino is only use for push buttons
Hi, thanks for the pictures, I hope you have all the negatives of the supplies connected together, preferably a a single common point.
Also it is more convenient to use the Attachments facility at the bottom of the REPLY window to post your files.
It hurts me to read about people doing things to electronics without researching it or at least consulting an
expert. To think of all the steps that went into creating that technology only to have it destroyed by impatience and ignorance.
I hope you have all the negatives of the supplies connected together, preferably a a single common point.
i can't believe you said that :D.
yes all negative are connected together. as i said before, everything works but arduino regulator is getting super hot.
Also it is more convenient to use the Attachments facility at the bottom of the REPLY window to post your files.
i tried but they dont let me upload more than 1mb
update: i bought this recently http://www.amazon.com/VCT-VX-79NP-Multi-Purpose-Converter-Selection1-5/dp/B0014JUGTQ
now im running my arduino with 7.5 volts but regulator still gets hot. i have even removed the adafruit music maker. now im thinking about getting more creative and add heatsink to the regulator.
let me describe hot (temperature of my regulator), i can keep my finger for 3 or 5 seconds then it get beyond tolerance. so is it safe?
as i said before, nothing is being powered using arduino regulator except the shield, so should i remove one more shield?
