Smart Battery Checker and Charger

My first final project idea and the start of my Fab Academy documentation.

Project Idea

For my Fab Academy final project, I decided to work on a smart battery checker and charger. I wanted to make something useful that connected to stuff I already like working on, like electronics, batteries, wiring, screens, 3D printing, and making parts myself instead of just buying a finished product.

The basic idea was to make a small desktop battery tool that could read a lithium battery, show the voltage on a screen, and eventually help with charging.

First idea for smart battery checker and charger

What I Wanted It To Do

My first goal was to have the device check battery voltage and show that information clearly on a display using an ESP32 touchscreen.

I also wanted the project to have real fabrication work in it including PCB design, soldering, 3D printing, and enclosure design.

Battery charger modules and parts for testing

Parts I Started Looking At

Some of the parts I started testing and planning around were lithium battery charger modules, boost converters, buck converters, battery holders, wiring terminals, and an ESP32 display.

ESP32 touchscreen and battery voltage test setup

Enclosure Plan

I wanted the project to have a real enclosure instead of loose wires sitting on a desk. My plan was to design and 3D print a case with openings for the display and charging ports.

Final project enclosure and layout planning

Why I Picked This Project

I picked this project because it combines electronics, coding, PCB design, CNC machining, 3D printing, and system integration all into one project.

Planned Final Project Features

Read lithium battery voltage
Show voltage on a screen
Use an ESP32 display/controller
Support lithium battery charging
Use buck and boost converters
Design and mill a PCB
Solder and assemble electronics
3D print a custom enclosure

Learning GitLab and Documentation

During Week 1, I also learned how my Fab Academy website works using HTML, CSS, image folders, and GitLab commits.

Uploading Pictures

I learned how to upload pictures into the images folder and link them inside HTML pages using relative paths.

<img src="../images/week1.10.jpg" width="500">

Committing Changes

I also learned how GitLab commits update the live Fab Academy website.

Fab Academy Student Agreement

Signed by committing this file in my repository,

DILLON JOSEPH PODACH