What do I need to power a MKR1000 arduino board?

Development Tools IDE 1.x
1

I received today a MKR1000 board but it did not came with cable neither adapter and I am afraid to plug it to my windows 7 because I readed this article
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/MKR1000

I am not english but I understand that fisrt it says to use USB (that I think it tipically has 5V)

Windows (tested on 7, 8 and 10)
Connect the MKR1000 to your computer with a USB cable. Windows should initiate its driver installation process once the board is plugged in, but it won't be able to find the driver on its own. You'll have to tell it where the driver is. Click on the Start Menu and open the Control Panel Navigate to “System and Security”. Click on System, and open the Device Manager. Look for the listing named “Ports (COM & LPT)”. You should see an open port named “MKR1000”. Right click on the “MKR1000” and choose “Update Driver Software”.

But later says that 5V will damage the board...

Please Read...
The microcontroller on the MKR1000 runs at 3.3V, which means that you must never apply more than 3.3V to its Digital and Analog pins. Care must be taken when connecting sensors and actuators to assure that this limit of 3.3V is never exceeded. Connecting higher voltage signals, like the 5V commonly used with the other Arduino boards, will damage the MKR1000.

The only thing I can think that arduino would sugest initially to connect it to the pc's 5v source is because maybe the voltage is adjusted by software and the computer will constantly gives 3,6v? if this last case is true then I will plug it like the other arduinos but I dont want to find out breaking this one.

Thanks for any help.

2

You will need a data USB cable.
Many cables sold are just charging which mean not all 4 pins on each end of the cable are connected.
Cables for printers and cameras and memory card readers will be data cables.

Connect up using USB cable just as the instructions say.

3

Ok I did thanks, I found that the microUSB has already the conversion.

4

exceles:
I found that the microUSB has already the conversion.

What conversion?

5V to 3.3V ?

If it is only a cable, it does not!

5

Hi ieee488,

I mean I realized by your first answer that the micro USB has the conversion but if you say no I believe you.

If the data cable has to be plugged to the computer I imagine the computer is not giving 5v so in somewhere there is a conversion from the computer to the arduino board.

I dont know too much about this but I always thought that USB ports usually gives 5v so that's the starting point why I didnt want to plug it without asking so I didn't damage.

6

There is most likely a voltage regulator on the the MKR board that provides the 3.3V.

Check the schematic.

.

7

Thank you I am doing it right now.

My question is solved, thanks again :slight_smile: