LEGO Renewable Energy Meter User manual

LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas de LEGO Group.
©2010 The LEGO Group. 1
Renewable Energy
Getting Started
With the LEGO® Energy Meter

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Table of Contents
1. Energy Meter Overview ........................................................................................... 3
2. Attaching the Energy Storage ................................................................................ 3
3. Charging and discharging the Energy Meter .................................................... 4
3.1 Charging and discharging with the
LEGO® Power Functions Battery Box ............................................................. 5
3.2 Charging and discharging with the
LEGO Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box ................................... 7
3.3 Charging and discharging with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® NXT .............. 9
4. Removing the Energy Storage ............................................................................... 12
5. Using the Energy Meter ........................................................................................... 13
6. Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................... 16
7. Caring for your Energy Meter ................................................................................. 16
8. Technical Specifications .......................................................................................... 16

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Energy Meter Overview
Energy Meter
Attaching the Energy Storage
To attach the Energy Storage, slide it onto the
bottom of the Energy Display as shown.
Front Back
LEGO® MINDSTORMS®
Output Port
Display
Directional control switch
On/Off button
Output plug
Energy Display
Energy Storage
Input plug

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Charging and discharging the Energy Meter
Before using the Energy Meter for the first time, you must charge the Energy Meter three times in
quick succession in order to achieve the full capacity it was designed to provide.
The Energy Meter measures, stores and releases generated energy. The Energy Storage powers
the Energy Meter and stores energy generated during the course of your experiments.
To fully charge and power the Energy Meter, the following three energy sources can be used:
Power Functions
Battery Box
Power Functions
Rechargeable Battery Box
LEGO® MINDSTORMS®
NXT
IMPORTANT!
To maximise the life of your Energy Meter, it is essential that you read the following
information thoroughly:
Using the Energy Meter for the first time
Before using the Energy Meter for the first time, you must charge the Energy Storage
three times in quick succession in order to achieve the full capacity the Energy Storage
was designed to provide. The remainder of this section provides full instructions on
charging and discharging the Energy Storage using one of the devices listed above.
After long periods of inactivity
To prolong the life of your Energy Storage and ensure that it performs as designed, we
highly recommend that you charge it three times in quick succession either every six
months or following a longer period of inactivity, whichever occurs first.
Regular use
When used on a regular basis, the Energy Storage only needs a single charge, as and
when required. Do not manually discharge the Energy Storage unless you are using
it for the first time or charging it after long periods of inactivity. Remember to always
disconnect the Energy Storage after use.

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Charging and discharging with the
LEGO® Power Functions Battery Box
Charging the Energy Meter
Step 1
Make sure that the Power Functions Battery
Box is fitted with six new batteries before
beginning. Rechargeable batteries can
beused.
Step 2
Connect the Power Functions Battery Box to
the Input plug at the back of the Energy Meter
with the Power Functions Extension Wire.
Step 3
Turn on the Power Functions Battery Box by
moving the orange slider button to the right or
left. The Battery Box is on when the green light
is on.
Step 4
Make sure the Energy Meter is on. Turn on the
Energy Meter by pressing the green On/Off
button. Charging will now begin.
Charging is complete when the display turns
off. Even though the display may show 100J,
the Energy Meter is not fully charged until the
display turns off.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® Power Functions Battery Box
INFO
Remember that charging
and discharging the
Energy Meter must
always be done under
adult supervision.
INFO
A full charge normally
takes approximately one
to three hours.

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Discharging the Energy Meter
Follow steps 5 to 9 only if this is the first time you are using the Energy Meter.
Step 5
To completely discharge the Energy Meter, first
disconnect all wires and devices.
Step 6
Turn on the Energy Meter by pressing the
green On/Off button.
Step 7
Press and hold the green On/Off button for
10 seconds until a blinking warning symbol
appears on the display (shown below right).
Discharging will now begin.
Discharging is complete when the display
turns off.
You can cancel the discharge at any time by
pressing the green On/Off button. Press the
button again to turn the Energy Meter on and
use as normal.
Step 8
Charge and discharge the Energy Meter a second time by repeating steps 2 to 7.
Step 9
Finally, charge the Energy Meter for the third and last time by repeating steps 2 to 4.
You are now ready to start using your fully charged Energy Storage.
Always remove the Energy Storage from the Energy Display when not in use
(see ‘Removing the Energy Storage’).
INFO
A full discharge normally
takes approximately
30-90 minutes.
INFO
Always store the
Energy Storage at room
temperature in a clean,
dry place.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® Power Functions Battery Box

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO®
Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box
Charging the Energy Meter
Step 1
Make sure that the Power Functions
Rechargeable Battery Box is fully charged
before beginning.
Step 2
Connect the Power Functions Rechargeable
Battery Box to the Input plug at the back of
the Energy Meter with the Power Functions
Extension Wire.
Step 3
Connect the Rechargeable Battery Box to a
power source using the LEGO® transformer
asshown.
Step 4
Turn on the Power Functions Rechargeable
Battery Box by pressing the green On/Off
button. The Rechargeable Battery Box is on
when the green light is on.
Turn on the output power by turning the
orange dial all the way to the right or left.
Step 5
Make sure the Energy Meter is on. Turn on the
Energy Meter by pressing the green On/Off
button. Charging will now begin.
Charging is complete when the display turns
off. Even though the display may show 100 J,
the Energy Meter is not fully charged until the
display turns off.
INFO
Remember that charging
and discharging the
Energy Meter must
always be done under
adult supervision.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box
TIP
When fully charged,
the Power Functions
Rechargeable Battery
Box can charge up to
three Energy Meters at a
same time.
TIP
A full charge normally
takes approximately one
to three hours.

8
LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Discharging the Energy Meter
Follow steps 6 to 10 only if this is the first time you are using the Energy Meter.
Step 6
To completely discharge the Energy Meter, first
disconnect all wires and devices.
Step 7
Turn on the Energy Meter by pressing the
green On/Off button.
Step 8
Press and hold the green On/Off button for
10 seconds until a blinking warning symbol
appears on the display (shown below right).
Discharging will now begin.
Discharging is complete when the display
turns off.
You can cancel the discharge at any time by
pressing the green On/Off button. Press the
button again to turn the Energy Meter on and
use as normal.
Step 9
Charge and discharge the Energy Meter a second time by repeating steps 2 to 8.
Step 10
Finally, charge the Energy Meter for the third and last time by repeating steps 2 to 5.
You are now ready to start using your fully charged Energy Storage.
Always remove the Energy Storage from the Energy Display when not in use
(see ‘Removing the Energy Storage’).
INFO
A full discharge normally
takes approximately
30-90 minutes.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box
INFO
Always store the
Energy Storage at room
temperature in a clean,
dry place.

9
LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Charging and discharging with the
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT
Charging the Energy Meter
Step 1
Make sure that you have the LEGO Converter
Cable, Power Functions Extension Wire, LEGO
transformer, Energy Meter and MINDSTORMS
NXT as shown.
Step 2
Connect the LEGO Converter Cable to Port A
of the MINDSTORMS NXT and then connect the
LEGO Converter Cable to the light grey end
of the Power Functions Extension Wire. Now,
connect the dark end of the Power Functions
Extension Wire to the input plug at the back
of the Energy Meter. Finally, connect the
MINDSTORMS NXT to a power source using
the LEGO transformer as shown.
Step 3
Build the following program in the
MINDSTORMS NXT Software:
• Configure a Move block for motor A with the
duration set to unlimited and power to 100
• Configure a Loop block to run forever
• Place a Keep Alive block inside the Loop
block so the MINDSTORMS NXT does not
power down during
charging
Step 4
The MINDSTORMS NXT must be on. Turn on the
MINDSTORMS NXT by pressing the orange On/
Enter button.
Step 5
Attach the MINDSTORMS NXT to a computer
using either a USB cable or Bluetooth
connection.
INFO
Remember that charging
and discharging the
Energy Meter must
always be done under
adult supervision.
TIP
Show the complete
palette to locate the
Keep Alive block.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT
TIP
When fully charged,
the MINDSTORMS NXT
can charge up to three
Energy Meters at the
same time.

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Step 6
Open the program you created in the
MINDSTORMS NXT Software and press
Download and run.
Step 7
Make sure the Energy Meter is on. Turn on the
Energy Meter by pressing the green On/Off
button. Charging will now begin.
Charging is complete when the display turns
off. Even though the display may show 100 J,
the Energy Meter is not fully charged until the
display turns off.
INFO
A full charge normally
takes approximately one
to three hours.
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT

11
LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Discharging the Energy Meter
Follow steps 8 to 12 only if this is the first time you are using the Energy Meter.
Step 8
To completely discharge the Energy Meter, first
disconnect all wires and devices.
Step 9
Turn on the Energy Meter by pressing the
green On/Off button.
Step 10
Press and hold the green On/Off button for
10 seconds until a blinking warning symbol
appears on the display (shown below right).
Discharging will now begin.
Discharging is complete when the display
turns off.
You can cancel the discharge at any time by
pressing the green On/Off button. Press the
button again to turn the Energy Meter on and
use as normal.
Step 11
Charge and discharge the Energy Meter a second time by repeating steps 2 to 10.
Step 12
Finally, charge the Energy Meter for the third and last time by repeating steps 2 to 7.
You are now ready to start using your fully charged Energy Storage.
Always remove the Energy Storage from the Energy Display when not in use
(see ‘Removing the Energy Storage’).
Charging and discharging with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT
INFO
A full discharge normally
takes approximately
30-90 minutes.

12
LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Removing the Energy Storage
To remove the Energy Storage, press the
plastic tab on the back and...
... press the Energy Storage down to slide it off.
INFO
Always remove the
Energy Storage from the
Energy Display when not
in use.

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Input Voltage
Output Voltage Output Current Output Wattage
Lightning
Symbol
Input Current Input Wattage
Accumulated
Joules
Warning
Symbol
Using the Energy Meter
Energy Display
This component houses the display, controls and connectors. See below
for a more detailed description of these features.
Energy Storage
This component provides power to the Energy Meter and stores energy
generated during the course of your experiments.
Input plug
Connect various power sources here to charge the Energy Meter.
1. LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Output Port – Allows the Energy Meter to be used with LEGO
MINDSTORMS. Visit www.MINDSTORMSeducation.com for more information
2. Display – Shows input and output measurements, as well as power status and error information
3. Directional control switch – Selects the output function. Set to the middle position to turn the
output function off
4. On/Off button – Turns the Energy Meter on and off. Press and hold for two seconds to reset
the joule counter
5. Output plug – Connect components, such as E-Motor and LED Lights, to use the stored
energy and measure the energy needed to power them
6. Input plug – Connect various power sources here to charge the Energy Meter or Connect
the Solar Panel or E-Motor, used as a generator and read the Energy Meter measurements.
The Display
INFO
At least 1 J of energy
must be stored before
power can be drawn from
the Energy Meter.

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Accumulated joules
When experimenting and measuring energy input, the
Energy Meter can store up to 100 joules. The following will
occur when this figure is reached:
• The Accumulated joules symbol blinks at one-second
intervals
• Input voltage continues to be measured and displayed
• Input current and Input wattage display 0
Energy Storage power level is low
After a period of usage, the lightning symbol on the display
will start blinking at one-second intervals to indicate that the
Energy Storage needs to be recharged. You can continue to
use the Energy meter until the lightning symbol stops blinking
and remains on constantly (see ‘Energy Storage power is
empty’ below). We recommend that you charge the Energy
Meter when you have completed your experiments.
After recharging once, you can continue using the Energy
Meter.
Energy Storage power is empty
The lightning symbol remains on constantly to indicate that
the Energy Storage is empty. You cannot continue using the
Energy Meter until it is fully charged.
Energy Storage charging
The Energy Meter has to be turned on. The input voltage
is then measured and shown in the display as the Energy
Meter charges.
100 J not fully charged
100 joules on the display does NOT indicate that the Energy
Meter is fully charged and that charging has stopped. The
Energy Meter will automatically turn off when fully charged.
Energy Storage discharging
The triangular warning symbol blinks at one-second intervals
to indicate that the Energy Storage is discharging.
INFO
Accumulated joules is
not an indication of the
charge status of the
Energy Storage.
TIP
Press and hold the On/Off
button for two seconds
to reset the accumulated
joules.
Using the Energy Meter
INFO
A full charge normally
takes approximately one
to three hours.
INFO
A full discharge normally
takes approximately
30-90 minutes.

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de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Charging has finished
The display turns off.
Output overloaded
Joules and Output Voltage reset to zero and the lightning
symbol blinks at one-second intervals to indicate that the
output has been overloaded. We recommend charging the
Energy Storage.
Energy Storage error
The triangular warning symbol remains on constantly to
indicate that there is an error on the Energy Storage.
Remove the Energy Storage and check that the connections
are clean. Reconnect the Energy Storage and charge. If the
warning symbol reappears, replace the Energy Storage.
Using the Energy Meter

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LEGO, the LEGO logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks of/sont des marques de commerce de/son de marcas registradas
de LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Troubleshooting
The display goes blank
The Energy Meter is designed to turn itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity. If the display remains
blank after turning the Energy Meter back on, ensure the Energy Storage is connected correctly
and is fully charged.
The Energy Meter will not charge
Check that the power source is connected correctly to the Energy Meter via the Input plug. If it is,
connect a different Energy Storage to determine if the Energy Meter is faulty.
The Energy Meter will not start up
Remove the Energy Storage from the Energy Display, wait 5 minutes, reinstall the Energy Storage
and then charge the Energy Meter.
Connected elements are not being powered
Check that the element is connected correctly to the Energy Meter via the Output plug. Ensure
that the directional control switch is not set to off. Ensure the Energy Storage has sufficient
charge.
Caring for your Energy Meter
The life of your Energy Meter is affected by how it is used, maintained and stored. Follow the
guidelines below to ensure that you get the most out of your Energy Meter:
Do…
• Store the Energy Meter at room temperature in a clean, dry environment
• Recharge the Energy Storage before every use
• Disconnect it after use
Do not…
• Use excessive force when operating the Energy Meter or when connecting elements to it
• Mishandle or drop the Energy Meter or submerge it in water
• Exceed the maximum 10 V supply voltage
• Overload the Energy Storage
• Short circuit the Energy Storage
Technical Specifications
Input voltage .................................................................. 0.0 - 9.9 V
Input current ................................................................... 0.000 - 0.200 A
Input wattage ............................................................... P = V x I
Output voltage .......................................................... 0.0 - 9.9 V
Output current ........................................................... 0.000 - 0.450 A
Output wattage ....................................................... P = V x I
Accumulated joules .................................... 0 - 100 J
Energy Storage ....................................................... 150mAh
INFO
At least 1 J of energy
must be stored before
power can be drawn from
the Energy Meter