How can I power a kinect using the iRobot Create 2 base? (Turtlebot)

Question

Hey everyone!

I'm creating a turtlebot from scratch. I have an iRobot Create 2, a kinect sensor (and all its cables), and an acer netbook.

How do I provide 12V power to the kinect using the create 2? I saw a lot of tutorials online and they say to use the serial port on the create 2 base. However, if I do this, then how do I connect the create 2 to my netbook?

Currently I am using the serial to USB cable to connect the irobot to my netbook. Is there a way to splice this cable and use it for powering the kinect?

Or will I need an external 12V battery?

Thanks! I'm relatively new to electronics, so any help is appreciated!

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Originally posted by blazerman345 on ROS Answers with karma: 1 on 2016-06-06

Post score: 0

Answer 1

iRobot has published instructions about getting power from the Create 2's internal battery here. The Kinect can be powered by the main brush motor driver, you just have to regulate it down to 12V. They recommend using an inductor but I did not end up needing one. You just have to send power to the main brush motor when you start up your turtlebot, which is opcode 144 of the Create 2 open interface.

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Originally posted by Raika with karma: 18 on 2016-09-22

This answer was ACCEPTED on the original site

Post score: 0