Mopower UPS designed for the Raspberry Pi



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 MoPower UPSs shipping as of July 2017 include a new 5v output polyfuse rated at 2.0A (vs 1.1A on the older version). The battery input polyfuse has also been upgraded to 1.5A (24v limit). Documentation will be updated shortly. See FAQ below for more information.

The MoPower UPS is more then just a full featured UPS for the Raspberry Pi. A highly flexible design and power options make it suitable for many projects, including scientific, automotive, solar and entertainment projects.

Current features include:

  • Up to 6 hours of backup time using common NIMH AA batteries (6 cells), greater backup time is available by using larger batteries or more cells.
  • "Wake On Event" feature allows startup or shutdown of your Pi based on any various inputs, such as input voltage levels or digital inputs. This is perfect for automotive computers and can be set to power on and off your Raspberry Pi based on engine running state with only one power input! Also useful in solar applications.
  • Built in efficient 5v switch mode power supply for powering the Pi
  • Wide input voltage range, 12v to a possible 30v input(when TVS removed), using common regulated or non regulated adapters
  • Full two way communications between UPS and Pi, including reporting of Vin and Vbatt levels.
  • Four 10-bit ADC INPUTS! And numerous other input and output pins user configurable
  • Watchdog timer! Auto reboots the Pi if it crashes!
  • Onboard button for easy shutdown/reboot, external buttons can be added easily.
  • Onboard RTC with timer based (Wake On Timer) power on/off capability, great for remote battery powered applications to conserve power.

    • Files
    MoPower UPSs now include a new 5v output polyfuse rated at 2.0A.
    The battery input polyfuse has also been upgraded to 1.5A (24v limit).
    Documentation will be updated shortly. See FAQ below for more information.
    MoPower UPS - User and Assembly Manual v1.01-03-20-2017.pdf
    Stable firmware v0.92 build 05-23-2016-203202 Release notes TAR FILE download
    Stable client software v0.91 build 02-07-2016 TAR FILE download
    Pi 3 & Jessie setup ADDENDUM instructions for client software v0.91 Text file
    BETA FIRMWARE AND CLIENT SOFTWARE
    BETA firmware v0.93 build 11-22-2016-001411, includes prior stable firmware files Release notes TAR FILE download
    BETA client software v0.93 BETA2 build 03-06-2017 Release notes TAR FILE download 
    Download and installation quick start for newer versions of Raspbian Jessie > 2017-02-16:
# wget desired client software (make sure you are in /home/pi/ directory)
	$ wget http://www.allspectrum.com/mopower/mopower-ups-v0.93-BETA2-build-03-06-2017.tar
# UNTAR FILE
	$ tar -xf mopower-ups-v0.93-BETA2-build-03-06-2017.tar
# You will now have a mopower directory, cd to it and run the install program, reboot when asked..
	$ cd mopower
	$ sudo ./INSTALL-Raspbian-Jessie.sh
# A manual install can be done by following instructions in INSTALL-Raspbian-Jessie.txt
# If using an OS other then Jessie 2017-02-16 or newer the installation procedures may need 
# modification per the requirements of your operating system.

    FAQs and Notes

    Q: Do you have a description of available UPS variables?
    A: A 'show all' command will print out system variables. Descriptions are available for v0.93B HERE

    Q: How do I read ADC values?
    A: ADC values can be read individually using the four ADC_xx variables (ADC_10, ADC_12, ADC_14 and ADC_16).
    You can use the mopower-command.sh command in the new BETA firmware for this purpose.
    Note that the values will only be populated if the ADC is turned on by setting the corresponding config bit to 1 (ADC_CONFIG_10, etc..).
    ADC values are also printed in the 18th to 21st position in the raw data output (when -v flag is set in mopower-ups.py, default) of the mopower logs.
    SHOW_DATA_OUTPUT=0.92 3 14 2017 1 19 51 3 42911 1 1 0 0 1 13.13 10.95 2.18 ADC_10 ADC_12 ADC_14 ADC_16 300 6 0 32 2 0 15 1

    Q: Do you have details on the 2.0A Polyfuse upgrade?
    A: All MoPower UPSs shipping June 2017 and on will include a 2.0 amp polyfuse on the 5v power output to the Pi.
    The battery input polyfuse has also been changed to a higher 1.5A version (24v battery limit). This is a change from the previous 1.1A version for both fuses.
    The higher output current will make it more suitable for higher power usage, such as in the Pi 3.
    The original parts selection was made before the Pi 3 was announced and this is why the original 1.1A fuse was selected.
    Full 2A output will coincide with an approximate 60C temperature rise at the switching regulator in still air.
    Heatsinks and/or forced air cooling will reduce this temperature rise and is recommended for continuous use at higher output and/or high ambient temperatures.
    A minimum 12v input should be provided at higher loads along with a higher voltage backup battery pack.
    8 x AA cell NIMH pack is recommended for high output power usage. Remember to observe the 24v limit on the battery pack voltage.

    Q: What are the new markings and locations for the new polyfuse upgrade?
    A: The 5v output polyfuse is marked "200" "16" and is located at F3 on the PCB.
    The battery input polyfuse is marked "150" "24" and is located at F2 on the PCB. Do note that battery input is now limited to 24v.
    The original power input polyfuse remains the same and is marked "110" and "33" at F1 on the PCB.

    Real Time Clock (RTC) Details
    A real time clock is maintained on the UPS as long as sufficient power is available, either input power or battery power.
    Client software version 0.93 BETA and later features a facility to make use of the RTC to set host operating system time.
    The last 20 or so lines in the main mopower-ups.py script contain the RTC code. The RTC code currently does the following:
    - It sets the UPS RTC time when NTP reports a sucessful time sync of the HOST system time.
    - It sets the HOST system time if UPS RTC time is valid, if date was not set before, and then about every 10 minutes thereafter.
    The code can be reviewed for details and adjustments made if needed. All RTC variables (DAY, MONTH, YEAR, HOUR, MIN, SEC) are
    available as regular variables in the UPS and can be read and written (using see mopower-command.sh for example).

    Kit includes M2.5 Mounting hardware to easily stack on top of 7" Foundation Display
    Power to the display can run from the P2 header (not included) on the UPS, note that the display shows no seperate GND pin but running a seperate GND is recommeded

    Newer runtime tests on Pi 2 with 8xAA Batteries 12 hours 25 minutes!
    and almost 10 hours on 6 x AA batteries!


    Small 1.2AH SLA Battery with Pi 2 and 7" Foundation display 1 hour 41 minutes!

    7.0AH SLA Battery with Pi 2 and 7" Foundation display a minute shy of 19 hours


    06/11/2014 UPDATE: AA NIMH Battery runtime test results

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