Hi!
Any view on if it is suitable to connect the Voltage Divider (SKU:DFR0051) sold by Core Electronics to measure the voltage of a PV panel (max. goes to around 17V). The voltage divider is then connected to a National Instruments data Acquistion device which accepts voltages upto 10V .
The (SKU:DFR0051) is stated to reduce its input voltage by four times. Thus I feel the divider can do the work to reduce the volatge up to the input voltage suitable for our data acquisition device.
Thanks !
Hi Nuz,
Thanks for your message. Am I overlooking something here - why not use two resistors in a voltage divider configuration? If you used something easy such as a 1:10 ratio then every 1V = 10V. This means the max measurable voltage would be 1.7V.
You could get the full window of operation by using 10:17 ratio; which means for every 10V you are measuring 17V. That, or change the Vref of the test equipment to 1.7V and use the 1:10 ratio. Lot’s of options, all up to you. Whichever configuration you use, the actual voltage can be calculated with the divider ratio in mind.
If the voltage divider is an option then here is a voltage divider calculator. Perhaps the key issue you will run into either way is the input impedance of whatever the device you are measuring with - you want it to be as high as possible as to not draw excessive current from the panels but allow accurate readings to be taken.
Regarding the DFR0051 - it will step down the voltage 5x, which doesn’t seem necessary if you have a couple of resistors around.
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Yes that’s a simple and excellent way of doing it . Thanks
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Yes, I often have a set-up like this on my Arduino based PCB, so that I can measure the voltage of the battery supplying the Arduino. Easy to program in some check and blink a led (crazily) if the voltage goes below a certain level.
Saves having to measure voltage with a voltmeter…to find out if it needs charging.
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