Comparison of power supply & management hardware
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, (max 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', etc) denotes it was physically designed to piggyback onto that specific piece of hardware through header pins, fastener holes, etc.
- 'software' denotes there is software to control the unit but which is specific to that platform (eg closed source, specific hardware interface, etc)
- 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 managment regulator/controller/multiplexer/switch) but may require other pieces of off-the-shelf hardware (eg battery, battery charger, super capacitors, generator, etc.). Should list what is required.
- Battery Charger: has a battery charger onboard. Should list types of batteries supported.
- DC-DC converter: Type of onboard voltage converter. Linear regulators can be quite inefficient compared to switched regulators.
- Interface: The interface with the embedded system, if any (I2C, 1-wire, SPI, etc)
- Interrupts: List of interrupts it can signal system with (eg low battery)
- Efficiency: A useful piece of information which should be supplied by manufacturer for matching a supply with the load requirements while maintaining decent efficiency to maximize battery life.
- Docs: Documentation/datasheet available. Ideally should be a concise portable published document such as a PDF.
- Open Source: if schematics are published.
TODO:
- add rest from RPi Expansion Boards#Power Supply and Control
- add from [1]
- add [2]
- add [3]
- add [4]
- add [5]
- add [6]
- add [7]
Name | Input | Output | Target
Systems |
UPS | Battery Charger | DC-DC converter | Interface | Interrupts | Misc Features | Efficiency | Docs | Open Source | Commercially Available |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PowerCape
by CircuitCo |
|
header, terminal block |
BeagleBone (backpack) | No | No | Linear | No | No | Yes | ~$25-$35 | |||
Pi UPS+
by CW2 |
|
header |
RPi (backpack)(software) | +battery |
Li-ion Li-polymer |
Switched | I2C
(undocumented) binary sw. pkg. |
? | [8] 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 |
|
[9] | software only | £25 | ||
Pi PoE Switch HAT
by Pi Supply |
|
header |
RPi (backpack) | No | No | Switched | No | No | ≤ 87% | No | No | £25 | |
SmartUPS |
|
USB-A female |
RPi (software) | +batteries | NiMH | Switched? | I2C
battery info, battery temp, charge state, time to empty |
buttons | buttons | [10] | 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 |
[11] | No | €26-32 | |
PowerBoost 500C
by Adafruit |
|
USB-A female |
+battery | Li-ion Li-poly | Switched, Linear? | No | Low battery | [13] TPS61090 | No | $15 £12 | |||
PowerBoost 1000C
by Adafruit |
|
USB-A female |
+battery | Li-ion Li-poly | Linear & Switched | No | Low battery | [14] MCP73871 TPS61090 | No | $20 | |||
FPF1320 breakout
by Pololu |
|
solder |
+battery (+battery boost/mgmt) | No | No | No | No | [15] FPF1320 | [16] | $4 | |||
TPS2113A breakout
by Pololu |
|
solder |
+battery (+battery boost/mgmt) | No | No | No | No | [17] TPS2113A | [18] | $5 | |||
Name | Input | Output | Target
Systems |
UPS | Battery Charger | DC-DC converter | Interface | Interrupts | Misc 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).