Adafruit
Adafruit Micro Lipo - USB LiIon/LiPoly charger [v1]
The Adafruit Micro Lipo is a tiny USB charger for single-cell 3.7V/4.2V lithium polymer and lithium ion rechargeable batteries. Its gold-plated PCB-style USB...
The Adafruit Micro Lipo is a tiny USB charger for single-cell 3.7V/4.2V lithium polymer and lithium ion rechargeable batteries. Its gold-plated PCB-style USB connector plugs directly into any USB port — connect your battery via the JST plug and charging begins automatically. Two LEDs indicate status: red for charging, green for complete. For a USB-C version, see the Micro-Lipo Charger with USB-C.
Charging uses a three-stage process: preconditioning, constant-current fast charge, then constant-voltage trickle charge. The default 100 mA charge rate works safely with any battery size. For larger batteries (500 mAh+), solder the jumper on the back to increase the charge current to 500 mA.
Key Features
- PCB-Style USB Connector – Plugs directly into any standard USB-A port
- Three-Stage Charging – Preconditioning, constant-current, and trickle charge
- 100 mA Default Charge Rate – Safe for all battery sizes; adjustable to 500 mA via solder jumper
- Dual Status LEDs – Red (charging) and green (complete)
- JST Battery Connector – Standard 2-pin JST for LiPo/LiIon batteries
- Ultra-Compact – Small enough to fit inside any project enclosure
Ideal For
- Charging LiPo/LiIon batteries for portable projects
- Wearable electronics with rechargeable batteries
- Embedding in project enclosures for built-in charging
- Quick battery top-ups from any USB-A port
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit Micro Lipo Charger v1 (assembled and tested)
- 1× 2-pin JST cable (bonus)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- LiPo
- A lithium polymer rechargeable battery commonly used in portable electronics projects. It matters because LiPo batteries need correct charging circuitry and care, and this board includes hardware intended for that battery type.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- solder jumper
- A solder jumper is a small pair or group of pads on a circuit board that can be bridged or cut with solder to change a hardware setting. It matters because changing modes may require careful soldering rather than just changing software.
- UPS
- An uninterruptible power supply is a battery-backed power system that keeps a device running when external power is unplugged or fails. For an embedded computer, it helps prevent sudden shutdowns that can corrupt files or interrupt a project.
- USB-C
- A modern reversible USB connector used for power and data connections. On this product it matters because it can connect directly to a computer as well as to a microcontroller project.
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