2011Batteries/Power forum
Reducing voltage drop in battery rigs by replacing diodes with hot-swap controllers or ideal diode solutions
15 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Built-in diodes in battery rigs can cause a voltage drop of around 0.6 to 0.7 volts when using multiple batteries in parallel
- Hot-swap controllers use integrated circuits that achieve significantly lower voltage drop, around 0.1 volts, compared to traditional diodes
- Hot-swap controller devices work by employing active circuitry rather than passive diode elements to manage power distribution between batteries
- Ideal diode evaluation boards offer another approach to reducing voltage drop below what passive diodes typically provide
- Hot-swap controllers designed by one manufacturer may only work with that brand's equipment due to proprietary intelligence built into the device
- Properly specified passive diodes can achieve lower voltage drops than 0.6 volts, though integrated circuit solutions may perform better
Depends on
- The hot-swap controller solution discussed was specific to one manufacturer's system and may not be compatible with other brands
- Details of the modification performed on the steadicam were promised but not provided in the thread
- The ideal diode solution mentioned showed the product as sold out, availability uncertain
- No technical specifications or independent measurements comparing the various solutions