Wide Input SHIM

by Pimoroni

Power your Pi with a wide range of (DC) input voltages from 3 to 16V!

Wide Input SHIM lets you use a range of different DC power supplies with your Pi, including the ubiquitous 12V barrel jack power supplies. It's super-skinny, so you can solder it straight to your Pi's pins and still use HATs and pHATs on top.

The barrel jack connector on Wide Input SHIM is a 3.5mm outer diameter (OD), 1.3mm inner diameter one, and there's a short male to female adapter cable included to allow you to use the common 5.5mm OD barrel jacks too.

There's also a short cable included with a 3.5mm OD barrel jack on one end and tinned wires on the other, in case you want to attach it directly to something like a bench power supply or to solder it into a project.

If you need a longer power cable, then there's a 1.5m long 3.5mm OD male to tinned wires cable available separately.

Kit includes

  • Wide Input SHIM
  • 2x6 female header (requires soldering)
  • 3.5mm OD male to 5.5mm OD female adapter cable (15cm long)
  • 3.5mm OD male to tinned wires cable (15cm long)

Features

  • Super-small SHIM-format board
  • 0.8mm thick PCB
  • Can be used with HATs and pHATs
  • 3.5mm outer diameter barrel jack connector (centre positive)
  • Adapter cables included
  • TPS630701 buck-boost converter chip (data sheet)
  • 5V / up to 2A output
  • 3-16V input (DC)
  • Reverse voltage protection
  • EN (enable) pin to switch off output voltage (pull to ground)
  • Requires soldering

Usage

You can supply a range of DC input voltages to Wide Input SHIM, either through the centre positive 3.5mm outer diameter barrel jack connector, or through the two broken-out + and - pins on the SHIM.

The board will provide 5V/2A output (through the GPIO to the Pi) at input voltages of 5V to 16V. Current drops to 1.5A at 4V, and 1A at 3V.

Pulling the EN (enable) pin to ground will cut the 5V voltage output, although it should be noted that you should shut your Pi down cleanly before doing this!

Notes

  • Dimensions: 45x17x6mm (LxBxH)
  • Using both micro-USB power and Wide Input SHIM power at the same time is not recommended with Pi Zero / W where there is no protection against back-powering

20 customer reviews

10 months ago
I've bought a few of these over the years, they are a great little module. I use them for running Raspberry Pi's off a solar charged lead acid battery. Very stable under fluctuating voltage. I've also used one for a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W that runs Pi Hole ad blocker - it's powered from the 12 volt supply that runs the router.
by Anonymous about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
3 years ago
It's worth repeating that it does require some soldering skills, but if (like me) you have a long cable run, a 12v supply can be used to give enough power and reduce voltage drop. I have bought another one since.
by Nick about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
3 years ago
The micro-USB power supply on the Pi3 is really fiddly, and for my home server I needed more reliability. The Wide Input Shim does the job. It fits inside the Pi case and provides a much more robust connection. The price was reasonable, and the shipping time to Australia of 9 days was good.
by Ben about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
Great idea, well executed, but some more information would help. Why are there no mechanical drawings to enable a person to see if it will fit in the project box along with other HAT's? I had to wait until I had my shim before I could be certain it was going to fit with the other parts of my project, something that could be avoided with some mechanical drawings like those available for the Pi.
by Troughton about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
https://youtu.be/nEBbV-M2kOw Above is a project I did using this component. My apologies if "pHAT" isn't pronounced "phat"/fat (late 90s term). I always feel uneasy buying parts overseas, but Pimoroni has proven to be a reliable and affordable source for Raspberry Pi components. Thanks!
by Thomas about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
I have put this inside a project box to keep a look out at the main door. This works nicely. Running 24x7 with no issue.
by Bhathiya about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
Great little board that I've soldered on the bottom of a Pi Zero to allow connection in the caravan at 12v. Works really well; no more freezing pipes.
by Nick about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
5 years ago
I've used several of these now, and they are awesome. Simple to power the pi from 9V or 12V battery, making them ideal for use with car batteries, etc.
by Kim about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io
6 years ago
Excellent little SHIM. Allows me to use my media server, and my little camera trap, from 3s Lipo pack, or from the car 12v socket.
by Rick about Wide Input SHIM via REVIEWS.io