How do I charge an Arduino UNO board with a LiPo or standard battery pack? What products do you recommend to do this? Do I need a 5V LiPo battery or can I use a 7.4 V LiPo, I have the a few spare 7.4V LiPo’s from a previous project. What adaptors will I need? Thanks Melissa
Melissa,
All you need to power the Arduino Uno is something between 5V and 12V. You can use an adapter like this one to plug into the power port:
You could use a battery pack like this:
Or you could wire directly into the VIN and GND on the board. Each of these two inputs will accept between 6V and 12V. Do not provide power via the 5V pin, it bypasses the regulator.
I’m not sure what type of liPo battery you have if you want an adapter I suggest using the 2.1mm barrel jack.
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I wouldn’t use a lipo. Lipo’s need to be balance charged and they cannot handle being discharged even down to 3V without being rendered useless. If you use a lipo in place of another battery, you will need a balance charging circuit and anti discharge protection. Otherwise, the first time you use your device and the battery runs down, the Lipo will be damaged or destroyed. In my opinion, you are far better off using nicads for most projects.
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