Redboard

[bogdan3220]

Hello. I have a Redboard compatible with arduino made by Sparkfun and I have a question about it. Can I power it up only using the micro USB cable connected to my laptop USB port? I heard that I can and I'm trying to understand why. Shouldn't I have a power cable?

Sorry if my question is kinda weird :). I'm new at this.

Thank you !

[Peter_n]

You don't need a power cable, use the usb to power it.

The DC power jack is just an extra, and is mainly used when the board is used without connecting to a computer.
For example to measure the temperature and make noise when it gets too high. Or to blink a led strip when motion is detected.

The board is used as an Arduino Uno.