IMPORTANT NOTE: The LiFePO4wered/Pi3 is superseded by the LiFePO4wered/Pi+, which is available here. NOTE: Does not come with a Raspberry Pi, but the battery is included! What is it? The LiFePO4wer...

IMPORTANT NOTE: The LiFePO4wered/Pi3 is superseded by the LiFePO4wered/Pi+, which is available here.

NOTE: Does not come with a Raspberry Pi, but the battery is included!

What is it?

The LiFePO4wered/Pi3™ is a high performance battery power system for the Raspberry Pi. It is a supercharged version of the original LiFePO4wered/Pi specifically made to work as a UPS for the Raspberry Pi 3. It can power a Raspberry Pi for 1 to 9 hours from the battery (depending on Raspberry Pi model, attached peripherals and system load) and can be left plugged in continuously. It features:

A single 3.2 V, 1500 mAh LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) cell, providing high power density, extended cycle life (2000+ cycles), and safety from fire and explosions.

A smart USB charge controller with over-charge protection, allowing the device to stay plugged in and provide UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) functionality.

Smart auto-adjusting charge current that allows the charger to draw up to 1.33 A when used with high power chargers, but automatically reduce the current to not overload lower power sources such as a PC USB port.

MPPT functionality that makes it possible to charge the LiFePO4wered/Pi3™ from 5 – 7 V nominal solar cells.

Two-way communication between the power system and the Raspberry Pi over I2C bus (to monitor voltages and customize settings) and Raspberry Pi shutdown detection.

A smart power manager controller and open source daemon that work in tandem to provide over-discharge protection and clean shutdown functionality.

Continuous measurement of USB input voltage, battery voltage and load voltage with smart user programmable thresholds for boot, shutdown and hard power down.

A touch pad with programmable parameters that provides clean boot/shutdown capability even in headless setups.

Press-and-hold touch pad for protection against accidental activation and with the ability to also monitor the touch pad in user software.

A green PWR LED that indicates the Raspberry Pi power state, gives user feedback and can even be controlled by user code.

A separate red CHRG LED that indicates charging state.

A wake timer allowing the Raspberry Pi to be off most of the time for low duty cycle applications.

An auto-boot feature to maximize uptime by making the Raspberry Pi run whenever there is sufficient battery power or when the USB input voltage is present.

An auto shutdown feature that makes it possible to automatically shut down the Raspberry Pi when the USB input voltage has been removed for a programmable amount of time.

Out of the box compatibility with Raspberry Pi Model A+, Model B+, Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi Zero.

Compatibility with original Raspberry Pi Model A and Model B with additional wiring, or by removing the composite video RCA connector.

Why did you make it?

With the success of the original LiFePO4wered/Pi, many customers wished they could have a similar system that would support UPS functionality for high power boards such as the Raspberry Pi 3. Another often requested feature was to be able to detect the USB input voltage so the system could automatically boot when external power was present and shut down when external power was removed. Both use cases are now possible with the LiFePO4wered/Pi3!

What makes it special?

Because there's nothing else like it. There are some LiPo solutions in the market, but those batteries die after a couple hundred cycles. LiPo cells also can't stand UPS duty, being held at full charge seriously affects their life. Other LiPo solutions don't provide clean shutdown capability, so what's the point? There are power managers that provide on/off functionality with shutdown, but you're on your own when it comes to the battery and to make sure the power doesn't die. If your battery dies, you still can get SD card corruption.

The LiFePO4wered/Pi and LiFePO4wered/Pi3 are really the only solution that I'm aware of that is a complete battery / UPS / power manager system!

NOTE: There is a case available on Tindie that fits the Raspberry Pi plus a LiFePO4wered/Pi3:

Disclaimer

When purchasing this product you agree to release Silicognition LLC and all its employees from all liability relating to injuries that may occur (during activity, usage, etc.). You also agree to hold Silicognition LLC and its employees entirely free from any liability, including financial responsibility for injuries incurred, regardless of the circumstances. Although one of the safest types of lithium batteries, LiFePO4 have high power density so think about what you are doing and don't do stupid stuff!