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.

30 customer reviews

3 years ago
Works a treat. I'm now using old lithium batteries I scavenged from a vacuum cleaner to power my raspberry pi 4, save in the knowledge that the shim will keep my pi safe!
by Graeme about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
Great little device. Fits perfectly on the Pi and works as advertised. The low voltage pin allows the pi to shut down safely before the Shim turns the power off totally. Really handy for lipo use with its low quiescence current once the shin shuts down.
by Neil about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
I got this as a shim for the Raspberry Pi Pico. Whilst this has solder points for the pinouts on a standard Raspberry Pi, these don't match the pins on the Pico, but this is not a problem, as it comes with everything you need to use jumpers instead. The low battery GPIO is a nice touch too.
by Ed about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io
5 years ago
A great lightweight solution to put my Raspberry PI zero into a rocket and get some great photos from above.
by Philip about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io
5 years ago
The perfect power source for your Raspberry Pi Zero W HQ Camera combo! https://github.com/PaulZC/Pi_Zero_HQ_Camera_Adapter
by Paul about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io
5 years ago
It is a practically necessary piece of kit all things considered. I strongly recomment using it coupled with the stacking headers, so that you can still take advantage of the pins which aren't used by the shim
by Savvas about LiPo SHIM for Raspberry Pi via REVIEWS.io

3 user photos