Power
Start Here β Power Your Project
π Portable? Use 18650 Li-Ion with a TP4056 charger. 3.7V, 2500-3500mAh, rechargeable.
π Wall-powered? Use a DC-DC buck converter. Converts 12V/24V down to 5V or 3.3V.
βοΈ Outdoor / solar? Use 5V solar panel + CN3791 charge controller. See Solar Guide.
| Type | Input | Output | Max Current | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-DC Buck | 4.5β28V | 1.25β20V adj | 2A/3A/5A | Voltage step-down |
| DC-DC Boost | 2β24V | 5β28V adj | 2A | Voltage step-up |
| Battery 18650 Li-Ion | 3.7V nom | 3.7V | 2β10A (varies) | Portable projects |
| LiPo 3.7V | 3.7V nom | 3.7V | 0.5β5A | Compact, lightweight |
| Power Bank Module | 3.7V in | 5V USB out | 1β2A | USB-powered projects |
| Solar Panel 5V | β | 5V | 0.1β1A | Outdoor solar nodes |
| AC-DC Adapter | 110/220V AC | 5/9/12/19V DC | 1β5A | Wall-powered projects |
Power Budgetβ
Calculate your project power before buying:
Total mA = MCU (50β500mA) + Sensors (1β10mA each) + Motors (100β2000mA each) + Display (20β100mA)
Runtime hours = Battery mAh / Total mA