Can battery simultaneously provide positive and negative voltage?

[fonograph]

This is probably stupid question,have patience I am noob.Lets say I have single 3V battery,and I need to power two devices at the same time.One device needs +3V and other -3V,can I power them both at same time from single battery?

[8086]

Depends, do they need a common ground? If not, you can just connect one backwards.

[fonograph]

Depends, do they need a common ground? If not, you can just connect one backwards.

Common ground means that the current flows in same direction in both devices,so after it exit from them it goes to the similiar place on battery,like a negative side for example? I mean common ground is when they both share same return path for current in the electronic circuit?

[Brumby]

First mistake is to think there is any difference between what you describe as "positive voltage" and "negative voltage".

There is only voltage.

The concept of positive or negative relates to the potential of one point in relation to a reference point.

If you take the negative terminal of a battery as your reference point, then the voltage you measure at the positive terminal will be positive.  Likewise, if you take the positive terminal of a battery as your reference point, then the voltage you measure at the negative terminal will be negative.

Same battery.  Same voltage.  It's how you measure it that makes the difference.

[Brumby]

These 3 circuits are identical.  The voltage measurements only differ in the point which was used as the reference point.

The reference point, by the way, is 0V - by definition.

[danadak]

Yes, you can use a single battery, to power positive (or negative) rail,
and a charge pump or isolated switcher to power the opposite rail running
off the same battery.

Regards, Dana.

[Brumby]

This is probably stupid question,have patience I am noob.Lets say I have single 3V battery,and I need to power two devices at the same time.One device needs +3V and other -3V,can I power them both at same time from single battery?

If the two circuits operate completely independently from each other - then yes.

If there is any connection between the two or with other circuits, then the specific topology would need to be shown in order to answer this.

[Zero999]

This is probably stupid question,have patience I am noob.Lets say I have single 3V battery,and I need to power two devices at the same time.One device needs +3V and other -3V,can I power them both at same time from single battery?

What are the two devices in question? Do you have schematics for them?

[peter-h]

If you need to generate the positive and negative rails at the same time, the simplest way is an inverter like an ICL7660.