Power Distribution

After converting the mains power to a 12V system, this guide describes how to set up the distribution system so you can power the different components.

Introduction

The power distribution board on a PANOPTES unit is composed of an Arduino Uno and an Infineon 24V relay shield (referred to as the "trucker board" because of it's intended use in the automotive industry).

The trucker board is attached directly to the Arduino Uno as a "shield" and is controlled by the software on the Arduino (called a "sketch").

The Infineon board is a capable of handling 24V and is officially called a "24V Protected Switch Shield" but works just as well for 12V.

Functional Requirements

The primary purpose of the power distribution is to provide 12V DC power for each of the PANOPTES subcomponents (mount, camera box, weather station, and fan) as well as the ability to independently power-cycle each channel. The recommended solution is to use the Arduino/Infineon "trucker" board combination described below.

Requirement	Provided by
Five (5) channels of 12V DC power.	Arduino/Infineon "trucker" board.
Power-cycle for each channel.	Arduino/Infineon "trucker" board.

Assembly

The Infineon relay shield attaches directly to the Arduino Uno, as demonstrated in the following short video:

Quick demonstration of attaching the Infineon shield.

Wiring

See the following video for the complete wiring of the Control Box, including the Power Distribution:

Software

For instructions on installing the software for the power distribution board, see the Arduino Software - Power Distribution page:

Installing PowerBoard