Battery Tester

Project

In this project I will show you how to build a battery testing circuit that can be used to quickly test AA, AAA, 9 Volt & coin cell batteries. Just insert the battery and set the switch to the type of battery you are wanting to test and then coloured LED will light up to give you a easy visual indication of whether your battery is good or not.

The circuit

The circuit uses a LM3914 this takes an input voltage and turns on a set number of LEDs dependent on the input voltage. In this case the input voltage is from the battery you want to test. Two resistors are used to set the number of LEDs to turn on at set voltages. As I have designed the circuit to test 3 battery voltages 1.5v, 3v and 9v. A DIP switch is used to select the resistors that are used.

PCB

I designed a PCB for the battery tester. The PCB is double sided with instructions on how to use the device silkscreened onto the front. All components can be soldered in place with help from the silk screen and schematic. You can secure the 9 volt battery holders with small bolts or hot glue.

How to use

To use the device simply insert a 9 volt battery into the battery holder in the top right of the PCB.

Once the circuit is powered chose what type of battery you want to test. Look at the silkscreened instructions and turn on the appropriate switch's. Then insert the battery and the LEDs will turn on. If the LED is green the battery is good if it is orange it is a bit low and if it is red then the battery is very low.

Acknowledgement

I thank PCBWay & LCSC Electronics for the partnership.

PCBWay is a cheap and reliable service where you can get your PCBs manufactured. All the PCBs are high quality and the engineers are very helpful. Sign up today and get a $5 welcome bonus. Check out PCBWay's Hackster page. Also check out their Gift shop and Gerber viewer.

LCSC Electronics Is China's leading Electronic Components Distributor. LCSC sells a wide variety of high quality electronic components at low prices. With over 150, 000 parts in stock they should have the components you need for your next project. Sign up today and get $8 off on your first order.

Website

Check out more of my other projects on my website.