5V Pin or VIN only ?



  • The pinout diagrams of the WiPy and the LoPy indicates a 5V pin and a 3,3V pin, however for the 5V it is written Vin on the expansion board pinout. Moreover on the devices specsheets, it is written that there's only an output of 3.3V.

    My question is: Could this 5V pin be used as an output pin when for instance a sensor requires more than 3.3V? If so what is the max current that can be drawn ?



  • Just tried to power my sensor as you said and it is indeed working, are there any risks of doing so ?



  • I power the PPD42NS sensor exactly this way. Just be sure to add a voltage divider if the sensor output is more than 3.3V as @robert-hh mentioned.



  • That is what i was thinking, thank you for the information.



  • @bnjroos The 5V pin is input only. You may supply between 3.6 and 6 V for driving the WiPy. The 3.3V Pin may be used as an output to supply external devices, 1.2 A max. If a sensor requires more than 3.3 V, you may supply it from the same source as the WiPy. You have however to be careful that the output levels from that sensor to your xyzPy never exceed 3.3 V.



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