ggrp000
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:52 am

power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:56 am

Hi guys I a planning to purchase 4 or more b+ models and use it simultaneously for my project. With that I am wondering if I could power all using the externally powered USB hub. From the spec and he b+ is 1.5A.
So i f I use 4 of them maximum amperage can be as much as 6 A? So when I am hunting for a hub us this something I she consider? Thx

User avatar
mahjongg
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator
Posts: 13100
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:19 am
Location: South Holland, The Netherlands

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:13 am

a B+ isn't "using" 1.5A, (its more like 0.4A), but is is capable of feeding external USB devices that amount of current (providing your PSU is up-to the task. It can also be set (in software) to a 2.1A limit.

W. H. Heydt
Posts: 12654
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:36 pm
Location: Vallejo, CA (US)

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:50 am

mahjongg wrote:a B+ isn't "using" 1.5A, (its more like 0.4A), but is is capable of feeding external USB devices that amount of current (providing your PSU is up-to the task. It can also be set (in software) to a 2.1A limit.
Don't you mean 1.2A?

fruitoftheloom
Posts: 23337
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:40 pm
Location: Delightful Dorset

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:09 am

ggrp000 wrote:Hi guys I a planning to purchase 4 or more b+ models and use it simultaneously for my project. With that I am wondering if I could power all using the externally powered USB hub. From the spec and he b+ is 1.5A.
So i f I use 4 of them maximum amperage can be as much as 6 A? So when I am hunting for a hub us this something I she consider? Thx
http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 62&t=85550
Rather than negativity think outside the box !
RPi 4B 4GB (SSD Boot)..
Asus ChromeBox 3 Celeron is my other computer...

User avatar
pluggy
Posts: 3635
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: Barnoldswick, Lancashire,UK
Contact: Website

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 9:26 am

A headless B+ that isn't using the GPU typically uses less than 300 mA. The B with its linear voltage regulators about 100 mA more. Despite the mission creep with power supplies (the current thinking on here seems to be if you can't arc weld with the PSU it won't run a Pi) an old school B (the greediest Pi) will happily run itself, a plain keyboaad, mouse and ethernet on the original spec 700mA power supply. People using crappy PSUs with wildly optimistic labels, hair thin USB cables and misinformation have spawned this subculture of "at least 2 Amps, but prepared to be disappointed".
Don't judge Linux by the Pi.......
I must not tread on too many sacred cows......

jdb
Raspberry Pi Engineer & Forum Moderator
Raspberry Pi Engineer & Forum Moderator
Posts: 2393
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:37 pm

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 9:49 am

pluggy wrote:A headless B+ that isn't using the GPU typically uses less than 300 mA. The B with its linear voltage regulators about 100 mA more. Despite the mission creep with power supplies (the current thinking on here seems to be if you can't arc weld with the PSU it won't run a Pi) an old school B (the greediest Pi) will happily run itself, a plain keyboaad, mouse and ethernet on the original spec 700mA power supply. People using crappy PSUs with wildly optimistic labels, hair thin USB cables and misinformation have spawned this subculture of "at least 2 Amps, but prepared to be disappointed".
At Pi Towers, I power my Pi from a dual-channel adjustable bench power supply that weighs 10kg and costs upward of £250.

No blinking red lights here.

At home I use the bog standard 1.2A RS power supply with 2x externally powered HDD caddies and a wifi dongle. No blinking red lights there, either.
Rockets are loud.
https://astro-pi.org

User avatar
pluggy
Posts: 3635
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: Barnoldswick, Lancashire,UK
Contact: Website

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:36 pm

I don't get blinking red lights from a repurposed Samsung phone charger rated at 700mA either.
Don't judge Linux by the Pi.......
I must not tread on too many sacred cows......

W. H. Heydt
Posts: 12654
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:36 pm
Location: Vallejo, CA (US)

Re: power requirement quesion

Sun Sep 14, 2014 3:46 pm

For Model B, my preferred power supply is the Adafruit 1A, 5.25v unit. That works fine for a B+ as well for everything I've tried with one.

I do have a NewIT 2A 5v for the B+ should I enable the high power option for USB (which I might do some time as a test to see if it will directly power a USB CD/DVD writer, rather than using a USB hub as an intermediate).

What I originally got the 2A supplies for is Cubieboards which spec for 2A because they allocate 1A for the power connector that goes with their SATA port.

Return to “Beginners”