I am using an Arduino Uno to control a 12V motor. I will power both the motor and the Arduino with a 12V source. I would like to be able to monitor the serial.Print output while it is running. Can I safely use the USB while the board is being powered from the power jack?
Hi,
Yes, this is commonly done.
Make sure the 12V supply does not have any large voltage transients or swings. Automotive 12V systems are very noisy and may have very large quick transient voltages.
Great. Thanks for the input, Terry. I will be using a very small 12V SLA battery (5Ah) as the primary energy source, with a 7W solar panel to keep the battery charged.
Why not let the UBS be the pwr source and awoid electrical hazards from the 12 volt system?