I want to power my GoPiGo from an external power supply, but the information on the GoPiGo site is a bit confusing - on the Get Started -> Power Up page it says minimum 12v 2A, but on the Docs -> Technical Specs page it seems to say somewhere between 300-800 mA.
I’ve had a dig through my “old computer stuff” box and found an old Canon scanner power supply with output of 12v, 1.25A.
Will this be OK to power the GoPiGo, or do I risk “blowing it up”?! I’ve already noted the warning about getting the polarity right
Hey,
The GoPiGo runs on 9-12V and takes between 300-800mA depending on the speed but there might be current spikes upto 2A when you suddenly change the direction. I think a 12V 1.25A power supply should be good enough but wired power supplies are a bit restrictive for the GoPiGo and batteries usually are the best power source for it.
Thanks for the advice. I’m happy to say I’ve now got an externally powered GoPiGo, and I haven’t blown it up
External power is handy for playing with code without having the pressure of it running on expensive AA battery power. It’s nice to have the motors running etc so I can get immediate feedback if my code is working or not.
