Hardware: powering an esp8266 and LEDs from LiPo batteries
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 12:28 pmHi,
I'm looking at controlling some lights in my garden via WiFi. They're currently running from 3x AA NiMH rechargeables, so I reckon they're going to be happy with a 4.5v supply.
I'd like to run it from a large LiPo battery (~20000mAH) in a waterproof enclosure, and I already have a Sparkfun ESP8266 Thing (WRL-13231), which I thought might simplify the build slightly, because LiPos can be scary.
I'm not at all experienced with voltage regulators, but from reading I think I can take the LiPo battery output into both the JST connector on the Thing, and use it to supply Vin of something like an LP5907 4.5v LDO regulator which will power the LEDs, so both the Thing and the regulator are powered by the same LiPo.
I would then use a pin from the ESP8266 to send Ven high on the regulator to switch the LEDs on, and I'm hoping that by connecting a solar-powered USB supply to the Thing it would then charge the LiPo as normal.
Does this make sense? Is it a plausible and sensible way to achieve this? I do have a few ESP8266 boards lying about, so I'm not totally tied to using the Thing.
Thanks
I'm looking at controlling some lights in my garden via WiFi. They're currently running from 3x AA NiMH rechargeables, so I reckon they're going to be happy with a 4.5v supply.
I'd like to run it from a large LiPo battery (~20000mAH) in a waterproof enclosure, and I already have a Sparkfun ESP8266 Thing (WRL-13231), which I thought might simplify the build slightly, because LiPos can be scary.
I'm not at all experienced with voltage regulators, but from reading I think I can take the LiPo battery output into both the JST connector on the Thing, and use it to supply Vin of something like an LP5907 4.5v LDO regulator which will power the LEDs, so both the Thing and the regulator are powered by the same LiPo.
I would then use a pin from the ESP8266 to send Ven high on the regulator to switch the LEDs on, and I'm hoping that by connecting a solar-powered USB supply to the Thing it would then charge the LiPo as normal.
Does this make sense? Is it a plausible and sensible way to achieve this? I do have a few ESP8266 boards lying about, so I'm not totally tied to using the Thing.
Thanks