It seems evident that the Raspberry Pi and its clones have filled an enormous hidden need. The digital performance of such micro-computers is exceptional as long as they are used without any special dependence on power requirements, that is to say near an electrical outlet with power! Faced with the vagaries of the analog world, these tiny cards that fit in the palm of your hand are not as beefy as that. Their dependence on their power supply has highlighted a new need, well identified by the manufacturer JOY-iT. StromPi, their adaptable uninterruptable power supply (UPS) mini card lets you use a Raspberry Pi under conditions of unusual or unstable power, without taking up much space, and without risk of data loss in case of a power cut.

Two working modes are offered:
  • UPS (uninterruptible power supply), i.e. no break power
  • WIDE, which allows an extended range of input voltage

with the following characteristics
  • wide range of DC input voltage, from 6 V to 61 V in WIDE mode
  • 5 V power input on microUSB connector
  • maximum USB output current of 3 A
  • very low standby current
    • (in UPS mode): 20 to 80 μA (that’s between 175 mAh and 700 mAh per year)
    • (in WIDE mode): 3 to 7 mA


elektor
StromPi 2 is compatible with
current RPi versions.
In the case of loss of power, the StromPi backup power card not only starts the process of data backup before the Pi is switched off, but it can also guarantee startup once the power is restored (this function may be deactivated with a jumper strap).

When that happens, you can even select to be informed by an email sent by the Raspberry Pi program (which you can download).