3

I'm trying to build a portable PC with the Orange Pi 5 16GB RAM model with a touch screen and powered by a solar power bank.

I saw that the Orange Pi 5 requires 5 V/4 A to be powered, but I can't find solar power banks with 5 V/4 A, only some with a max. of 5 V/3 A. Can I use that power bank to power the Orange Pi 5?

The Orange Pi 5 will be connected to a touch screen, keyboard, and mouse only, since the other functions I want to apply are software mostly.

ocrdu
  • 8,705
  • 21
  • 30
  • 42
Thiago2104
  • 33
  • 3
  • 1
    [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/OrangePI/comments/111zuj6/orange_pi_5_5v_4a_is_outside_usbc_spec/) says the 4A number includes a lot of load from the add-on ports (like USB) and 2A is enough if you aren't using lots of power from those ports – user253751 Apr 27 '23 at 22:55
  • 1
    maybe, there is some margin in specs, but you can't really count on it, and most pros around here would _never_ design around margins. 20W is a lot from a small power bank. You might be better off finding one with a 30 or 45W usb-c output, then use a 12v usbc trigger to feed a SMPS buck converter outputting 5v; the 12v output only need to be about 1.5-2A. – dandavis Apr 27 '23 at 22:56
  • Thanks for the replies, for the moment I think I'll go ahead first with a raspberry pi 4 which can be powered with the power bank of 5V 3A, this because I see that the orange pi 5 is very new and the features I want to include are not stable or unofficial in Orange pi 5. So when the features become stable, then I change to Orange pi 5 and follow the recommendations you are giving. – Thiago2104 Apr 28 '23 at 02:19
  • What are the specs of your touch screen in terms of power draw? Depending on size, brightness, and how this is connected this may draw more power than the Orange Pi 5. – jcaron May 26 '23 at 20:34
  • The touch screen is connected via HDMI, 10.1 inch, 1280*800, brightness 300cd / m² and power supply DC 5V-2A – Thiago2104 May 27 '23 at 02:16

1 Answers1

5

Reddit says the 4A number includes a lot of load from the add-on ports (like USB) and 2A is enough if you aren't using lots of power from those ports.

This review concurs that the Orange Pi 5 by itself only uses up to 10W (2A).

USB-C tops out at 5V 3A, or 9V 3A, or 15V 3A, or 20V 5A if you have a high-quality cable. 5V 4A is not a standard configuration which is why you have a hard time finding a charger that says it can do it. It carries a risk of overloading normal USB-C cables.

user253751
  • 11,998
  • 2
  • 21
  • 37
  • OP has a (touch) screen on addition to the Orange Pi 5. The LEDs in there will probably drew a fair amount. – jcaron May 26 '23 at 20:32