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Glyph ESP32-C3 Power Management

Power Management for Glyph ESP32-C3​

Battery + USB Power​

We wanted to make our Glyph boards easy to power both when connected to a computer as well as via battery for portability!

There's two ways to power a Glyph:

  1. USB Power: You can connect with a USB cable (just plug into the TYPE C Port) and the Glyph will regulate the 5V USB down to 3.3V and power the entire board and peripherals (if any connected).
  2. Battery Power: You can also connect a 4.2/3.7V Lithium Polymer (LiPo/lipo) or Lithium Ion (LiIon) battery to Battery Pads. This will let the Glyph run on a rechargeable battery.

When the USB power is powered, it will automatically switch over to USB for power, as well as start charging the battery (if attached). This happens 'hot-swap' style so you can always keep the lipo connected as a 'backup' power that will only get used when USB power is lost.

danger

Install the LiPo / Li-ion batteries based on the polarity. Using wrong polarity batteries can destroy your Glyph.

Power Supplies​

The Glyph ESP32-c3 offers multiple power supply options:

  • BAT Pin: Connected to the battery pads (behind the board)
  • USB Pin: Provides +5V from USB if connected.
  • 3V Pin: Provides output from the 3.3V regulator with a 600mA peak output.

Measuring Battery Voltage​

To monitor battery voltage, short the MSR pads behind the board.

Alternative Power Options​

For powering the Glyph ESP32-c3:

  • USB powered: Use a 5V 1A USB wall adapter to plug in a USB cable for reliable power.
  • Portable Use Without LiPo: Use a USB battery pack(Power Bank).
  • Higher Voltage Power Supply: Use a 5V buck converter and wire it to a USB cable's 5V and GND input.
danger

What You Cannot Do

  • Do not use alkaline or NiMH batteries and connect to the battery port, as it will destroy the LiPo charger.
  • Do not use anything >4.2v LiPo batteries on the battery port, as it will destroy the board.

External Power Supplies​

The Glyph ESP32-c3 is not designed for external power supplies. If you must:

  • Connect an external 3.3V power supply to the 3V and GND pins
  • Connect an external 5V power supply to the USB and GND pins.