A protection board cuts the output if the current goes above its limit, even for a short time. A motor start-up can do this.
What the message means
Motors draw a large current when they start or stall. The protection chip sees the peak and trips, and the robot loses power.
Fix it in this order
- Check the current rating of the protection board against the peak current of your motors.
- Measure the start-up and stall current if you can.
- Use a board with a higher rating, or a pack made for high discharge.
- Soften the start with a slow ramp of the PWM.
- Do not stall motors against a wall for long.
- After a trip some boards need a charger connection or a short wait to reset.
If you see this, do this
| You see | Do this |
|---|---|
| Cuts off when the motors start | Over-current trip. |
| Cuts off late in the run | Under-voltage cut-off. Charge the pack. |
Related
battery management systems, battery sag.
Last reviewed: November 2026. These are the usual causes and the order that finds them fastest. Test on your own board; clones and cables differ.