Troubleshooting power supplies

Power supply systems may include batteries, charging regulators, and a primary power source such as solar panels or ac/ac or ac/dc transformers attached to mains power. All components may need to be checked if the power supply is not functioning properly. Check connections and check polarity of connections.

Base diagnostic: connect the data logger to a new 12 V battery. (A small 12 V battery carrying a full charge would be a good thing to carry in your maintenance tool kit.) Ensure correct polarity of the connection. If the data logger powers up and works, troubleshoot the data logger power supply.

When diagnosing or adjusting power equipment supplied by Campbell Scientific, it is recommended you consider:

• Battery-voltage test
• Charging-circuit test (when using an unregulated solar panel)
• Charging-circuit test (when using a transformer)
• Adjusting charging circuit

If power supply components are working properly and the system has peripherals with high current drain, such as a satellite transmitter, verify that the power supply is designed to provide adequate power. For additional information, see Power budgeting.