RMNA - SuperCap module controller

RoboTO is a student team of around 70 members focused on mobile robotics. It brings together students from the Politecnico di Torino with diverse backgrounds (e.g., Software, Hardware, Mechanics, Controls, and Management) to participate in the RoboMaster University Series. These competitions, organized by DJI around the world, challenge university teams to develop a fleet of robots and engage in tactical team battles. Our team is the first and currently only team in Europe to compete in the RoboMaster North America University League, where we face off against dozens of universities from the United States, Japan, Singapore, Canada and Mexico.

The project that we are currently working on is a supercapacitor module controller. Indeed, the competition rules leave space for an additional power storing block that can be put after their limitation unit to enhance performances. We decide to realise that block using 7 supercapacitors of 3V sized according to rule limitation (2000J). The control of charge and discharge of the board is obtained with a custom double-way buck-boost that allows us to limit the charging current and take advantage of the stored power when needed during the battle. The control of this DC-DC converter is obtained through a microcontroller that, by sensing the input and output voltages and currents, adjusts the square wave's duty cycle that controls the configuration's switch. An additional protection board has been developed to ensure a correct balancing of charge between the different supercaps and avoid damages in case of overvoltages.