I’m currently using 4 rechargeable AAs on my mBot with the battery holder secured as instructed under the mCore board. I would also like to use a LiPo battery so that I can easily recharge it through USB and mount it underneath the vehicle next to the drive motors.
I already know I can, and do, power up the mBot with the 6V AAs and USB at the same, but is connecting the other 3.7V power source at the same time a really unwise thing to do?
My reason for doing this is that the AAs are harder to recharge (have to unscrew the top casing to get access), and at 4x 2500mAh vs a LiPo at only 1/4 the capacity, I can tap the AAs only seldomly for backup when the primary LiPo rechargeable runs out (like the “plug-in hybrid” approach).
I don’t expect an automatic switchover of one power source to another by any means, so power cycling would be fine, but I rather not see smoke to find out the answer to my question.