LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi

by Pimoroni

The tiny little LiPo/LiIon power supply shim for all versions of the Raspberry Pi!

We love mobile projects but having a discrete, slick, and tidy power supply solution is always tricky. LiPo SHIM (formerly known as Zero LiPo) aims to give you the most compact Raspberry Pi power supply possible.

You can either solder the 0.8mm thick PCB directly onto the GPIO pins on your Pi for a permanent solution, or solder on the provided 2x6 0.1" female header which will allow you to remove your Zero LiPo at any time (but will block the GPIO pins).

We use the TPS61232 step-up boost converter from Texas Instruments that offers up to 96% efficiency. The board includes power on and battery low indicator LEDs. During shutdown (due to under-voltage or external selection) the quiescent current is just 15uA sip.

The MagPi described LiPo SHIM as "a slick bit of kit" and "a great option for providing safe power for a portable project" in their four star review.

Need a battery? Check out our range of LiPo and LiIon batteries!

Features

  • 0.8mm thick PCB
  • Shaped to sit as low as possible on the Raspberry Pi
  • 2-pole JST connector ideal for most LiPo/LiIon batteries
  • Power and low battery LED indicators
  • Supplies up to 1.5A continuous current (15uA quiescent current)
  • Low battery warning at 3.4V (asserts GPIO #4 low)
  • Automatic shutdown at 3.0V to protect your battery
  • VBAT+, GND, and EN pins available to break out
  • 2x6 0.1" female header (optional, for non permanent installation)
  • Includes rubber foot to space LiPo SHIM away from your Raspberry Pi
  • LiPo SHIM pinout
  • Compatible with all 40-pin header Raspberry Pi computers
  • Requires soldering
  • Battery not included

Software

We've put together a one-line installer that will initiate a clean shutdown when the low battery warning is triggered and GPIO #4 is pulled low. More details are available here in the GitHub repository.

Notes

This is not a charger. You will need a separate charger to keep your LiPo/LiIon batteries topped up! We recommend the Adafruit Micro Lipo or PowerBoost 1000 Charger.

The VBAT+ and GND pins that are broken out can be used as alternative way to inject power, for instance if you wanted to solder on your own JST connector with wires to make it stretch a bit further.

The EN pin can be pulled to ground to cut the power output from LiPo SHIM.