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P2 Pro Tip: PowerAdd 5000mAh 2.4A 5V portable battery — Parallax Forums

P2 Pro Tip: PowerAdd 5000mAh 2.4A 5V portable battery

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
edited 2021-01-21 17:42 in Propeller 2
Hey all,

Working with a regulated 5VDC power supply on the JonnyMac boards is something unique for me. Usually, I just grab whatever wall-wart power supply from my desk and plug it into the board. But we must be careful when working with the P2 Edge and JonnyMac and have a 5V supply.

Since I'm always moving between Parallax, home, and another office, I don't like carrying around a bunch of stuff. For Christmas, somebody gave me one of these https://www.amazon.com/POWERADD-EnergyCell-Portable-Lightest-Compatible/dp/B07MBF4ZLN/ref=sr_1_10?crid=XFJF8LVI2NO6&dchild=1&keywords=poweradd+portable+charger&qid=1611247738&sprefix=poweradd%2Caps%2C272&sr=8-10 which I'm using with the JonnyMac board now.

It's also really useful when I go outside with Propeller projects.

Believe it or not, I don't accumulate many electronic gizmos. But this one has a place on my desk, outside, in my car, and maybe in an airplane in the future.

Ken Gracey
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Comments

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    That should read 5000mAh
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    Thanks Jim, fixed. 500 mAh wouldn't be much capacity, but 10x that is enough to do some serious work.

    Ken Gracey
  • iseriesiseries Posts: 1,492
    Apparently your phone never runs out of power?

    Mike
  • Wuerfel_21Wuerfel_21 Posts: 5,053
    If you really want to, you can even use your phone's USB-C port to power the P2...
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    Ken,
    Any chance of a revision to the P2 breadboard to change the barrel jack into a USB (micro or C) connector. Makes it a lot safer and easier to power the board from any USB power source.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    Roy Eltham wrote: »
    Ken,
    Any chance of a revision to the P2 breadboard to change the barrel jack into a USB (micro or C) connector. Makes it a lot safer and easier to power the board from any USB power source.

    Hey Roy, I'm not so convinced. I see a few issues with switching it to USB; this is the argument against it.

    If the power comes in through a USB connector, then the current limitations are subject to what's often available on USB A (hibs, power bricks, etc). The connector may be able to handle 10A at 5VDC, but we probably won't find more than 5A at 5VDC as a maximum source. Then, there's the confusion around which port is used to program - I'm sure we'll get calls like "I plugged the USB cable into the JonnyMac and the P2 Edge can't be found by the [whatever] tool. And finally, you can always easily cut a 2.1mmx5.5mm cable and connect it to a bench top power source. Cutting up a USB cable and finding those little leads isn't so easy (have you ever seen my soldering?).

    Tell me the argument in favor of switching it over.

    Ken Gracey

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  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    The main argument against is that I have several barrel jack power supplies on my bench for when I work on MCU stuff (mostly P1 & P2), and they are all 7.5v/12v (once you sell that I use with my PPDBs and more), and if I plug any of them in I will likely damage my edge board.
    Also, if the connector was USB-C then it would be clearly different from the prop plug, and it can deliver more power (even from a computer).

    I agree there is the issue that someone might power from a computer and expect that USB connection so work instead of the prop plug for programming the P2. Perhaps moving the power connection to another position and clearly labelling it as power only would help?

    I'm not sure what is worse the above issue or people calling in that they damaged their board plugging in a 7.5v/12v supplies.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    Well, we may have to go to vote on this issue. No, that's not a good idea.

    Maybe you'll buy up the $4,000 of 20AWG with thick shield USBA to 2.1mm jack cables I just ordered.

    You may need to convince Chip, and we know how stubborn he can be.

    Ken Gracey
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    I don't want to interrupt Chip from doing the things he should be doing.
    I already have a couple of those cables from you (I think).

    I think the real vote will be the number of support calls you get. :)
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,702
    here you both go...
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  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    That wasn't the point Tubular.
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,702
    Yeah I know. The real solution is to get the P2 to be able to talk usb CDC, that'd be a super strong argument for a usb connector, then
  • iseriesiseries Posts: 1,492
    It sounds like we have gone down the road to far to change this.

    I recently watch a video from ST about the USB C type connector. They have a device that can delivers up to 100 Watts of power through those connectors. It's able to program the power module to deliver whatever power is needed.

    ST USB C.

    Mike
  • moonymoony Posts: 27
    edited 2021-01-22 14:07
    USB C would've been a great choice for powering a P2 devboard, but yea, it seems a bit late to change now.

    However, the P2 will not need any special changes to drive a USB C cable in USB 2.0/1.1 mode, which only requires hooking up a single D+/D- pair, and CC1 or CC2 (as hosts will not send power unless a termination resistor is present on one of those lines)
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2021-01-28 03:14

    +1

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