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I'm working on a quadcopter project using Motors/ESCs, an Arduino DUE and a Raspberry Pi.

I have 4 motors and 4 of these Opto ESCs.

At the moment I have the raspberry Pi plugged into the mains socket, with a USB connected to the Arduino to power it. I also have a 3S Lipo battery powering the ESC/Motors using one this power distribution board.

The red cable from the ESCs/Power distribution board isn't connected to anything.

What I'm wondering - is it possible to use this red cable to provide power to the raspberry pi in place of the mains so that the whole system would be powered by the Lipo battery.

asked Sep 25, 2013 at 13:09
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  • \$\begingroup\$ What is the current rating of the bec circuit? Is it cleanly 5v? The pi isn't really designed for battery power. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 13:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ My knowledge of the area is pretty limited, but I was under impression the Opto ESC didn't have a BEC circuit? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 13:40

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You need to ensure 5V @ 700mA according to the manufacturer.

And, Yes, you can power Raspi from batteries.

From Raspberry PI Faqs

Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket?

Yes. The device should run off 4 x AA rechargeable cells, but there may be stability issues as the batteries lose their charge. Using 4 x AA Alkaline cells will result in 6v and it is therefore recommended to use a voltage regulator.

You could use this example too, that power with 3V3 and use a batteries.

AndrejaKo
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answered Sep 25, 2013 at 13:54
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  • \$\begingroup\$ In the setup I've described, how would I ensure 5V at 1A? Also where would I actually connect this cable to? Can I connect it using the GPIO pins? buyraspberrypi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/GPIO.jpeg \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Ger The best thing that you could do to connect is making a MicroUSB cable from your circuit, and power normally the Raspi. About to ensure the tension you should use a Regulator like a LM7805 to ensure 5V and 1A. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ You can power the pi from batteries, but it is not designed for that and is missing most of the features you'd expect from a battery powered system - most obviously but not only the lack of either power saving modes or an expectation of being turned on and off frequently. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Ger take a look at the example that I added. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for this, I might look into a simpler approach, maybe a separate rechargeable USB pack of some sort to power the RPi via the micro USB. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 15:03

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