Adafruit
USB / DC / Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer charger [v2]
This versatile LiIon/LiPo battery charger accepts power from three sources: a 6 V solar panel (via 2.1 mm DC jack), USB Mini-B, or a 5 V DC adapter. It featu...
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This versatile LiIon/LiPo battery charger accepts power from three sources: a 6 V solar panel (via 2.1 mm DC jack), USB Mini-B, or a 5 V DC adapter. It features automatic charging current tracking that draws the maximum possible current from a solar panel in any light condition, providing near-MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) performance without the cost of a buck converter.
The charger includes smart load sharing, which automatically uses input power when available to prevent the battery from constantly cycling between charging and discharging. A dedicated LOAD output port lets you power your project while simultaneously charging the battery.
Key Features
- Triple Input – Charge via 6 V solar panel, USB Mini-B, or 5 V DC adapter
- Automatic Current Tracking – Draws maximum current from solar panels in any light condition
- Smart Load Sharing – Powers your project from input when available, preserving battery life
- Adjustable Charge Rate – Set for 500 mA by default, adjustable from 50 mA to 1 A via resistor
- Three Status LEDs – Power good, charging, and done indicators
- Low Battery Indicator – LED output triggers at 3.1 V
- Temperature Monitoring – Solder in a 10 kΩ NTC thermistor (not included) for battery temperature protection
- JST Connectors – 2-pin JST for both BATT and LOAD ports
Specifications
- Battery Chemistry – 3.7 V / 4.2 V Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer
- Input Sources – 5–6 V DC, USB Mini-B, or 6 V solar panel
- Default Charge Rate – 500 mA (adjustable 50 mA – 1 A)
- Low Battery Threshold – 3.1 V
- DC Jack – 2.1 mm barrel jack
Package Contents
- 1× Assembled charger board
- 1× 2-pin JST cable
- 1× Stabilisation capacitor (must be installed in your finished project)
Ideal For
- Solar-powered outdoor projects
- Portable battery charging stations
- IoT devices with solar harvesting
- Off-grid electronics prototyping
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Buck converter
- A power circuit that reduces a higher DC voltage to a lower DC voltage. It is useful when your supply voltage is too high for a module or microcontroller and you want less heat and better efficiency than a simple linear regulator.
- DC
- DC means direct current, where electricity flows in one constant direction, as supplied by batteries, USB ports and many plug-pack power supplies. When a product specifies DC, it runs from a DC supply rather than mains AC, so you need to provide the correct voltage and polarity.
- IoT
- Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- LiPo
- A LiPo (lithium polymer) battery is a rechargeable lithium battery widely used in portable projects because it is light and compact. LiPo cells need correct charging circuitry and careful handling to stay safe, so equipment that supports LiPo generally includes charging or protection hardware suited to that battery type.
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Power & Batteries
Related Tutorials
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