Submitted 9 months ago by gazter@aussie.zone to askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de
I’ve got a few projects on the list which will be battery powered. I’m thinking of using 18650s just because of how ubiquitous they are, but I know there’s other options out there. Are they worth it?
I have too many lithium polymer batteries in my spares drawer to justify buying. I think they are easier to design into 3d prints and make more sleek projects with. The cylindrical cell and holder creates a size constraint for your projects. That constraint is not super convenient when used with circuit boards. If you get something like an ESP32 board that includes a batman chip, it is quite easy to find a lipo that fits in the same form factor and is very compact in my experience. I tend to make things over engineered to the point I don’t finish a lot of them though, so perhaps a cylindrical cell in a larger enclosure would get more projects completed.
Yeah, I get you!
What I’ve done in the past is just buy a few charging boards with an integrated holder. USB/12v input, 3.3/5v regulated output. You can even get ones with solar. Then my circuitry can be independent of the power system.
And you can get UPS battery boards for $3 USD often and in various output voltages. Definitely outsource your power supplies and battery managers.
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 9 months ago
Yes, they are still good to use. There are also a number of other sizes of cylindrical lithium ion cells available if an 18650 won’t fit.