The POWERplate is a multipurpose power management solution for your
Pi-Plate stack that provides a combination of must-have features for the
Raspberry Pi that includes:
- four different input connectors that allow you to use the power supply of your choice.
- an RPi compatible, battery backed, Real Time Clock
- a 45mm cooling fan
- a power switch with bicolor status LED
- a low power microcontroller to handle scheduled tasks
- 5VDC power output connectors to drive additional peripherals in your system
- Included with the POWERplate is a set of heatsinks for the hot components on your RPi and the backup battery for the RTC
Data shows that the combination of chip mounted heatsinks and a fan
provide the best cooling performance for the quad core CPU on the
Raspberry Pi4; see attached chart.
Unlike other PiPlate products, only a single POWERplate is required for your
Pi-Plate stack and it should be placed directly above the the Raspberry
Pi for maximum cooling. Also. it uses plug-able terminal blocks to
eliminate the hassle of having to disassemble a stack of plates to add
or remove cables. See below for detailed features for the POWERplate.
Power Management
- Provides four different connectors for 5VDC input:
- USB-C
- USB microB
- 5.5mm barrel
- 5mm pluggable terminal block
- Five “always on” 3.5mm pluggable terminal blocks to provide 5VDC for your setup
- Onboard A/D converter allows monitoring of both input voltage and current
- Smart customizable power switch
- Power up scheduler for remote battery operated applications
- Software shutdown
- Bicolor LED provides programmable power status at a glance
Cooling
- Onboard 45mm fan cools RPi
- Each POWERplate includes a set of heat sinks for the hot components on the RPi
- Fan can be controlled manually for custom cooling solutions or to
minimize quiescent power consumption for battery based power solutions.
Real Time Clock
- RPi compatible PCF8523T RTC chip
- Ultra low power
- Included CR1220 battery keeps clock running when no power is available
General
- Uses SPI signals, CE1 and two dedicated GPIO pins (16 & 22)1
- All features accessible via rich Python command set
- Compatible with all 40-pin versions of Raspberry Pi
- Uses less than 5mA of DC current during standby2
- Conforms to ROHS, FCC Part 15 Class A, and CE standards
- Designed in the USA.
- Each POWERplate is 100% tested and calibrated
- Detailed Online Users Guide with Examples
- Dimensions: 100mm long x 75mm wide X 25mm high
Compatibility
- DAQCplate
- DAQC2plate
- RELAYplate
- MOTORplate
- THERMOplate
- CASEplate
- DINplate
