AM335x Starter Kit Battery Pack

Want to take your AM335x Starter Kit to the beach but don't have a 1000' foot extension cord?  This quick and easy battery pack can be made easily for under $5.00!  

What's needed

The components listed below were obtained from DigiKey but you could get from other suppliers.

• SBH341AS - 4 x AA battery holder with leads, cover, on/off switch - $2.54
• CA-2188 - Right angle 2.5mm barrel connector with leads - $1.90 NOTE: If using you battery connector with the Starter Kit case, we recommend to use the straight barrel connector (CA-2184, $1.90)
• 4 x AA Batteries
• Shrink tubing / electrical tape can also be used
• Solder/Flux

Tools needed:

• multimeter
• wire strippers
• needle nose pliers
• soldering iron
• heat gun for shrink tubing 

Let's get started!

Instructions

1.  Snip the leads from the battery holder to a lenth of ~2" and strip 0.25" of the wire insulation exposing the bare wire 

2. Snip the leads from the 2.5mm connector  to a length of ~2" and strip 0.25" of the wire insulation exposing the bare wire

3. Use your multimeter to determine lead from the barrel connector is negative.  Place one lead on the outside of the barrel connector and the other lead on one of the two wires.  Mark the wire that Ohms out.

4.  Add some flux to all the exposed wire ends and tin the wire.  Use your needle nose pliers to make small hooks at the end of each wire

5.  If your going to use shrink tubing, now is when you should place it on the wire.  Insure it is away from the ends before you solder or you'll shrink the tubing from the heat of the iron.

6.  Remember your negative wire from the barrel connector?  Good, now hook that tinned wire to the black, hooked lead from the battery holder 

7.  Use your soldering iron to heat both wires and add some additional solder

8.  Follow steps 5 & 6 for the red wire and the left over wire from the barrel connector

9.  Slide the shrink tubing over the solder joints and use a heat gun to shrink the tubing to a nice snug fit.  You can also use electrical tape here but we recommend the shrink tubing as it is less likely to fall off and potentially short the wires together.

10.  Install your 4xAA batteries according to the diagram inside the enclosure and replace the cover (you can use the included screw to securely keep it in place)

11.  Turn the switch to the on position, plug it into the power port of the AM335x Starter Kit and power on your Starter Kit!

Our limited experiments show that batteries can last up to 4-5 hours.