Comparison of power supply & management hardware
Comparisons of hardware used for either powering or managing the power for embedded systems.
Comparison of power supply/management hardware
This comparison is designed with the goal of making it easier to sift through all the power supply solutions for embedded systems with an emphasis on UPS functionality. They are devices usually to be used in conjunction with basic PSUs. It could contain both commercially available products or just schematics of designs (ideally which have been tested).
Explanation of columns:
- Input: list of input power sources (PSU, battery, etc) ordered by their priority. Voltage range, interface (USB, header pins, etc), (max required current).
- Output: list of outputs voltages, maximum currents, and interface.
- Target system: the system it was tailored to. List what makes it specific.
- 'backpack' (aka 'shields', 'capes', 'hats', 'cloaks', 'armour' etc) denotes it was designed to physically piggyback onto that specific piece of hardware through header pins, fastener holes, etc.
- 'software' denotes there is software to control the unit but which has been written specifically for that system. In theory it could be re-written for other platforms (if its open source).
- UPS:
- yes (green): it is a fully fledged standalone UPS, requires no additional hardware other than a PSU. Plug it in and it works.
- yes (yellow): if it was designed specifically as a key component to making a UPS (eg power management regulator/controller/multiplexer/switch) but may require other pieces of off-the-shelf hardware (eg battery, battery charger, super capacitors, nuclear generator, etc.). Should list what is required.
- Battery Charger: has a battery charger onboard. Should list battery chemistries supported, including supercapacitors.
- DC-DC converter: Types of onboard voltage converters used for main power conversions including battery charging. Linear regulators can be quite inefficient compared to switched regulators. Doesn't include low power ones used for MCUs, etc.
- Interface: The interface with the embedded system, if any (I2C, 1-wire, SPI, serial, etc). Simple interrupts don't count.
- Interrupts: List of interrupts it can signal events with (eg low battery). Usually are just pins which go high/low signalling something has changed. They cannot require polling by the embedded system to work (eg can't have interrupts with I2C without using a 5th wire or the hardware playing master).
- Efficiency: Useful information which should be supplied by manufacturer for matching a supply with the load requirements to achieve good performance (eg maximize battery life).
- Docs: Documentation/datasheet available. Ideally should be a concise portable published document such as a PDF.
- yes (green): acceptable documentation, at least basic block schematics, and API published (if applicable). If open source, it should include PCB layout.
- partial (yellow): some documentation but missing some key components.
- Open Source: If so, list licence (eg GPL) and link to where source can be found if different from main link.
Name | Input | Output | Target
Systems |
UPS | Battery Charger | DC-DC converter | Interface | Interrupts | Features | Efficiency | Docs | Open Source | Commercially Available |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PowerCape
by CircuitCo |
|
header, terminal block |
BeagleBone (backpack) | No | No | Linear | No | No | Yes | Yes? | ~$25-$35 | ||
Battery Cape
by CircuitCo |
|
|
BeagleBone (backpack) | No | No | Switched (boost) | I2C | low bat. | I2C 256k EEPROM, power button | 90-95% | Yes | Yes? | ~$45-65 |
Pi UPS+
by CW2 |
|
header |
RPi (backpack)(software) | +battery |
Li-ion Li-polymer |
Switched | I2C
(undocumented) binary sw. pkg. |
? | [1] no API | No | €30 | ||
PiJuice |
(undocumented) |
|
RPi (backpack) | Yes | Yes? | Yes? | ? | ? | No | No | soon £21
1.4Ah battery inc. | ||
Pi UPS
by CW2 |
|
header |
RPi (backpack) | +battery | No | Linear? | I2C |
|
[2] missing schematic | No | £25 | ||
Pi PoE Switch HAT
by Pi Supply |
|
header |
RPi (backpack) | No | No | Switched | No | No | PoE | ≤ 87% | No | No | £25 |
SmartUPS
by OpenElectrons.com |
|
USB-A female |
RPi (software) | +batteries | NiMH | Switched? | I2C
battery info, battery temp, charge state, time to empty |
buttons | buttons | [3] missing schematic | No | $65 | |
UPS PIco
by PiModules and ModMyPi |
|
header |
RPi (backpack) | Yes | Li-poly | Switched? | I2C
voltages, temperature |
No | buzzer
~RTC fan control, buttons, IR control |
[4] missing schematic | No | €26-32 | |
PowerBoost 500C
by Adafruit |
|
USB-A female |
+battery | Li-ion Li-poly | Switched & Linear (bat.chgr) | No | Low battery | [6] TPS61090 | No | $15 £12 | |||
PowerBoost 1000C
by Adafruit |
|
USB-A female |
+battery | Li-ion Li-poly | Linear & Switched (bat.chgr) | No | Low battery | [7] MCP73871 TPS61090 | No | $20 | |||
FPF1320 breakout
by Pololu |
|
solder |
+battery (+battery boost/mgmt) | No | No | No | No | [8] FPF1320 | No | $4 | |||
TPS2113A breakout
by Pololu |
|
solder |
+battery (+battery boost/mgmt) | No | No | No | No | [9] TPS2113A | No | $5 | |||
MoPower UPS
by All Spectrum Electronics |
|
|
RPi (backpack) (software) | +assembly +batteries | NiMH | Switched & Linear (bat.chgr) | Serial | No | GPIOs, switches, auto-power cycle, RTC, interval power-up. | ~80%? | Yes | No | Soon $35 |
Juice4Halt J4H-HV-TRM
by Pavol Sedlacek |
|
|
RPi (backpack) (software) | Yes | Supercapacitors | Switched | Serial? | power state | [10] missing API | Partial? | €61 | ||
Juice4Halt J4H-5V-USB
by Pavol Sedlacek |
|
|
RPi (backpack) (software) | Yes | Supercapacitors | Switched | Serial? | power state | [11] missing API | Partial? | €53 | ||
Raspberry Pi Battery backup
by George |
|
|
RPi (software) | +parts +assembly | 9V NiMH | Linear | GPIO | power drop-out | no PCB layout | Maybe | No | ||
Raspi EDLC UPS |
|
|
+parts +assembly | Supercapacitors | No | No | power drop-out | no PCB layout | Maybe | No | |||
Raspberry Pi UPS |
|
|
RPi (software) | +parts +assembly | one of the schematics | Switched | No | power drop-out | no PCB layout | Maybe | No | ||
MicroUPS |
|
|
various (eg RPi, Beagle, Cubie) | +batteries? | Li-ion | Switched | Serial | ? | power buttons | No | software on GitHub | Maybe [12] | |
Battery Block
by Sparkfun |
|
|
Intel Edison (backpack) | Yes | Li-poly | ? | ? | ? | Yes | [13] | $19 $25 w/bat. | ||
OpenUPS2
by mini-box.com |
|
|
+batteries | Li-ion | Switched | USB, SMBus | ? | bat.temp., 3×18650 cell holder, prog. voltage, pwr btn. | Yes | No | $109 | ||
PicoUPS-120-ATV
by mini-box.com |
|
|
+battery | SLA | No | No | No | Yes | No | $35 | |||
BattBorg |
terminal block |
header |
No | No | Switched | No | No | ≤90% | OKI78SR | No | £10-15 | ||
Pi Supply Switch
by Pi Supply |
|
|
RPi (software) | No | No | No | GPIO | button press | polite power switch, buttons | No schematics | No | £13 | |
Power Pi
by AndiceLabs |
|
|
RPi (backpack) | +battery | Li-ion, Li-poly | Switched & Linear charger | I2C | No | INA219 pwr mon., power button, AVR RTC and WDT, power scheduling | no schematics, API | No | $60 | |
BeagleBone Power Cape
by AndiceLabs |
|
|
BeagleBone (backpack) | +battery | Li-ion, Li-poly | Switched & Linear charger | I2C | No | INA219 pwr mon., power button, AVR RTC and WDT, power scheduling | no schematics, API | No | $60 | |
Power Bar
by AndiceLabs |
|
|
BeagleBone (backpack) | No | No | Switched (buck/boost) | No | No | no schematics (missing info) | No | $20 | ||
RemotePi B, B (ext. IR/LED), 2,B+
by MSL Digital Solutions |
|
|
RPi (backpack) | No | No | No | unknown (GPIO) | ? | IR on/off from a remote | no schematics, no API | No | €20-22 | |
DC Power Bank Board
by Pridopia |
mini-USB, terminal block |
USB-A female, header |
RPi (backpack) | No | No | Switched (buck) | No | No | I2C logic lvl conv., 3.3V lin.reg., GPIO LEDs | ≤90% | no schematics | No | No? |
Power Supply Kit
by Meltwater |
|
|
No | No | Switched (buck) | No | No | ~80% | LM2576HV datasheet | No | £21, £11 DIY kit | ||
Name | Input | Output | Target
Systems |
UPS | Battery Charger | DC-DC converter | Interface | Interrupts | Features | Efficiency | Docs | Open Source | Commercially Available |
Comparison of PSUs
TODO: compare basic power supplies, commercial or otherwise, from mains power eg wall warts.
- name/brand/identification/markings
- input specs
- output specs
- efficiency: how they actually perform % efficiency over their rated output. Maybe just state the peak % at V, A.
- performance: how they actually perform in terms of input and output power (eg with output voltage dropping no less than -5% for 5V supply as per USB specs)
- quality: does it work alright for things such as RPi or should it be avoided (some wall warts from ebay).