ADS-DV Compute Power Supply Query

[HashamAhmad18]

Dear Ian, @IanMurphy-StreetDrone @IanMurphy-Rockfort @IanMurphy-Firmtech

From Gryphon Racing AI at the University of Leeds.

We are preparing our ADS-DV integration for Formula Student AI 2026 and plan to use an NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit as our onboard computer.

Before finalising our wiring, I wanted to clarify a few points regarding the Compute Power & CAN connector:

Is the compute power output regulated, or is it directly connected to the vehicle's LV battery?
What voltage range should we expect during operation (minimum, nominal, and maximum)?
Are there any significant voltage dips or transients during vehicle operation?
Is the 30 A specification the continuous available current or simply the fuse rating?
Would you recommend powering the Jetson directly from the ADS-DV supply, or using an external DC/DC converter?
We are designing a custom power and CAN cable, so we want to ensure our power design is compatible with the ADS-DV.

Thank you very much for your time and support. I look forward to hearing from you.

[IanMurphy-IMechE]

Is the compute power output regulated, or is it directly connected to the vehicle's LV battery?

It is directly connected to a 12V battery that is exclusively used for the AI power supply.

What voltage range should we expect during operation (minimum, nominal, and maximum)?

With the LVMS on, a DCDC converter keeps the battery charged, which means its voltage is approx. 13.5V. With the LVMS off, the DCDC is not active and the voltage will drop to about 12.5V then slowly drop from there as the battery depletes. The higher the current draw the lower the voltage will be. The battery is approx. 2Ah so a 10A draw will flatten it in 12 minutes. Thus it is very important to minimise time spent with the AI power switch 'On' and the LVMS 'Off'. This is emphasised in the User Manual.

Are there any significant voltage dips or transients during vehicle operation?

See above.

Is the 30 A specification the continuous available current or simply the fuse rating?

This is the fuse rating and it may be drawn continuously, noting that power drawn on the Sensor Plate power connector share this fuse.

Would you recommend powering the Jetson directly from the ADS-DV supply, or using an external DC/DC converter?

We can't make a specific recommendation you need to do your own research based on the info above.