Can I power the arduino with the power pins? Like can i just stick one wire in the 5v and the other to ground???
What power pins?
i_luv_arduino:
Can I power the arduino with the power pins? Like can i just stick one wire in the 5v and the other to ground???
Yes you can. If you look at the schematic, you will see a MOSFET switch and associated circuit (comparator, etc..) that selects the voltage source automatically.
So yes, sticking clean, regulated 5 volts directly into the +5 pin and the ground pin is perfectly OK.
Thanks I didn't want to break it by overload of voltage, I just got it so thanks!!!
i_luv_arduino:
Can I power the arduino with the power pins? Like can i just stick one wire in the 5v and the other to ground???
Ehhh, this doesn't sound right to me. Some people say you can stick an external 5V into the
5V pin and power it that way [although I would NOT do it myself], but I'm not so sure that'll
be ok with "every" Arduino board. Some voltage regulators might not like it.
All in all, better to apply external power to the power jack or even the Vin pin, but of course,
then you'll need a power supply with at least 7V, in general. Also, external power should not
be more than 12V, although 7-9V would be better, to avoid the voltage regulators overheating.
This has worked fine for me in the past, but I gather newer Uno's use an LDO voltage regulator that can't cope
with being driven from the output like this. Anyone have chapter and verse on which versions of the Arduino
handle this?
Well if you must power your board with a regulated +5vdc voltage source the safest way is to get an old USB cable and lop off the PC end and then strip out the ground and +5vdc wire and wire it to your power supply. Then you can just plug the cable into the USB connector and power the board the same way your PC does, plus you gain the protection of the on-board 500ma USB thermofuse.
Lefty
Why bother, sounds like a bunch of kluge-y jury-rigs that'll bite your butt one day,
especially if you forget which board has an agreeable v.reg. "Plug in here to blow
yer new $65 Arduino board".
Which Arduino board do you have?
The schmatics should be available from where ever you purchased it. It should show the input (VCC) and Ground (GND) and max voltage for that board.
Paul
Actually, I'd like someone to show me where the manufacturer's datasheet says it's ok to
reverse drive this voltage regulator.
oric_dan(333):
Actually, I'd like someone to show me where the manufacturer's datasheet says it's ok to
reverse drive this voltage regulator.
I have seen a schematic that the Vout of voltage regulator connect to GND,and the GND pin output is -5v, of course the Vin is connect to 9v.
I think you can test it and you will get it.
The Arduino web site says:
Supplying voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses the regulator, and can damage your board. We don't advise it.
fungus:
The Arduino web site says:Supplying voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses the regulator, and can damage your board. We don't advise it.
Yes it states that but without details of a possible damage mechanism. The ironic thing is that when one is powering a Uno board via USB only then there is still +5vdc being applied to the output of the on-board +5vdc regulator which has no Vin voltage applied to it's input! So that is the exact same electrical condition as if someone was to apply an external regulated +5vdc voltage source to the shield 5v pin to power the board.
This subject, powering via the 5v pin, has come up a lot but there has never been a definitive answer to my satisfaction at least of how the on-board regulator handles external voltage applied to it's output pin by either USB or 5V path.
Lefty
Dear OP [i_luv_arduino], welcome to the wonderful world of electronics, where 20
different guys have 20 different opinions, LOL. Probably best to power your Arduino
boards in the "normal" manner - power jack, Vin pin, or USB.
retrolefty:
Yes it states that but without details of a possible damage mechanism.
Maybe it's OK on the current revision but they want the freedom to be able to tweak the board.
If something dies they can then point you to the web site where it says "don't do it!".
Or maybe they're just trying to stop people connecting unregulated supplies to the +5V pin. A bit liel microwave oven manufacturers who say "don't put metal in microwave ovens!!" when in fact they're just covering their asses from people who'd put tins of beans in there otherwise.
My project at the minute powers the arduino's via the 5 volt pin. I know it's not totally wise but everything else is 5v i have a 5v regulated supply. I'm not putting a whole new supply in just for the Arduino's just so it can put it through a regulator and changed it to what i already have 5v. Having said that i have blown two uno's in the past when i connected the power in reverse. Some diodes i guess.
I have to agree with retrolefty here, how is this (electrically) any different from plugging the USB cable into the Arduino?