Connecting a Lipo battery to a 5volt Arduino Nano

Projects General Guidance
1

Ok, so I've got my prototype arduino project working.

For now, It's taking power from my laptop (by USB) or from my car USB socket.

But I now need to get a lipo battery to power it on the move.

I've read a bit about this, but still confused about the follow:

  1. What type of lipo should i get? 5 volts? 400mAh?
  2. How do I connect it to the Nano?
  3. Can I charge it through the Nano's Micro USB connection?

thnx!

2

skyboyflyboy:
But I now need to get a lipo battery to power it on the move.

Why have you decided that you 'need a Lipo' ?

There are other power sources that are portable.

Perhaps the question you meant to ask was 'how do I power a Nano on the move'

3

I want a Lipo because it is rechargeable. Which suits my specific project.

However, I will consider a CR2032 if it will work.

4

Adafruit Powerboost 1000C

LiPo battery charger and LiPo voltage to 5V booster in one package. I find mounting it such that the micro USB connector protrudes through the enclosure to be a bit dicey.

5

Ok, so I'm slightly wiser.

So I need one of these AND a separate Lipo battery?

also, if I wanted to try connecting a CR2032 battery, how would I do this?

I already have a CR2032 battery holder, but not sure how / where to connect it?

thnx

6

I use a conventional PowerBank. It charges mobile phones and connected to the USB port of my UNO my project is mobile. The PB is charged either by a PC or by a conventional USB-charger.

7

One CR2032 or two? Each cell is only 3V and won't power either the 3.3V or 5V devices. Depending on the current draw, you will lose a lot of power in the battery due to its internal resistance. Your Lipo idea was much better. The Powerboost 100C is a three-in-one device. It will accept a micro USB to charge and power the circuit, then when the USB is disconnected use the LiPo to power the circuit and in either mode run a boost converter to give 5V out. It also has some warning LEDs and signal available the Arduino can read as digital inputs. It's a pretty slick unit, except for the mounting.

8

USB powerbanks are a solution for some projects, but if yours goes into low power idle mode, your powerbank may switch off when you dont want it to.

There are of course other types of rechargeable batteries apart from LiPos.

9

Using Lipos with projects requires a good deal of care.

An automatic low voltage cutoff @ circa 3.0V is essential safety wise, let a LiPo go much lower than that and they can be dangerous to re-use. We know LiPos catching fire or exploding is not unknown.

Its not clear if the Adafruit product actually cuts off the battery when it gets too low, it only claims to have an low voltage indicator LED, which is only useful if you see it and switch off. If the batteries go flat in use, its easy to slip in Alakalines if I dont have the time to wait for a re-charge.

For portable projects I use 3.3V Arduinos exclussivly and power them from 3 or 4 AA NiMh batteries or 3 x AA NiZn. Much safer, no need to thow batteries away if you accidently let them go completly flat.

USB powerbanks, which do normally have an automatic low voltage cutoff, are another good choice.

10

Thanks for the info guys.

I'm now super worried that I'm going to blow up a Lipo if I use that! The thought of my project catching fire is not a good one considering where I want to user it!

Is there a safer rechargeable battery that I should use?

11

Is there a safer rechargeable battery that I should use?

NiMh, NiZn, LiFePo4 - all available in AA sizes, which is handy since battery holders for these, with and without switch are easy to find.