New DC/DC converters have been successfully installed and integrated into the Red Rover’s electronics system, providing cleaner and more consistent power to the rover’s subsystems. The DC/DC converters filter and convert the raw battery voltage to voltages required by the rover, namely 28V, 12V, and 5V. Before the upgrade, a 28V DC/DC converter was not installed. Systems such as the motor driver that required 28V were simply powered directly by the battery. This led to inconsistent performance, as the battery voltage would decline over time. An International Rectifiers 28V DC/DC converter was added to mitigate this setback, ensuring that 28V is available at all times to power the motor drivers. The old 12V Vicor DC/DC converter was replaced a more efficient and cleaner International Rectifiers 12V DC/DC converter. The old 5V Vicor DC/DC converter is still in use solely because the new International Rectifiers 5V DC/DC converter has not arrived yet.

A heatsink was required for the new International Rectifiers DC/DC converters. This heatsink was fabricated practically, as existing mounting hardware used by the old Vicor DC/DC converters was exploited. All three DC/DC converters and corresponding fuses fit safely on this heatsink, with room to easily swap out the old Vicor 5V DC/DC converter for the new International Rectifiers 5V DC/DC converter as soon as it arrives. Cables were fabricated to connect the new converters to the electronic subsystems, and the rover was successfully checked for functionality following the integration.

DC/DC converters integrated with the rover's electronics