Justin Michaud
UVLO Board
Power Management
The rover’s undervoltage lockout (UVLO) system was designed to protect the 6S LiPo battery and ensure safe system operation. The system monitored battery voltage and disconnected the main power bus when the pack dropped below a safe threshold, preventing deep discharge and potential battery damage. A solid-state relay controlled system power, allowing the rover to automatically shut down when required while still providing controlled startup and monitoring during normal operation.
Communication
A secondary RP2040 microcontroller acted as a communication co-processor for the power system. Its role was to monitor battery data and report system status to the rover’s main computer, providing information such as battery voltage and estimated state of charge. By separating this communication and monitoring functionality from the core protection circuitry, the system maintained reliable reporting without compromising the safety-critical shutdown behavior.
Undervoltage
The actual undervoltage protection was implemented on a dedicated analog PCB designed to operate independently of any software. This board monitored the battery voltage and directly controlled the shutdown circuitry when the voltage fell below the defined threshold. Using an analog implementation ensured that the protection mechanism remained reliable even if the main computer or microcontroller systems failed, providing a robust hardware safety layer for the rover’s power system.
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