Pixy2 Quick Links
Basics
Connecting Pixy2 to…
Pixy2 Modes / Programs
Software and Support
Basics
Connecting Pixy2 to…
Pixy2 Modes / Programs
Software and Support
You have some choices when powering Pixy2… always good to have choices! We expect that most Pixy2 users will either power Pixy2 through the USB cable/connector or though the Arduino cable (I/O connector). These two choices are the simplest, but here are all available power options:
Note: you can have both the Arduino cable and the USB cable plugged into Pixy2 simultaneously without any bad things happening. In fact, this is very useful when you want to do a quick check to see what Pixy2 sees through PixyMon, while Pixy2 is connected to your Arduino (in situ, so to speak).
For reference, Pixy2's typical power consumption is 140mA at 5V.
When you plug Pixy2 into your computer via USB cable, Pixy2 is powered through the regulated 5V provided by the USB port. It is also possible to power small RC servos through the USB cable (like the ones in the pan-tilt mechanism) as long as the USB cable is kept somewhat short (less than 4ft is best). The USB cable that came with your Pixy2 is recommended – it's higher-quality than most!
The I/O connector is marked “J2” on Pixy2's PCB. Pin 2 of the I/O connector can accept 5V for powering Pixy2. This is convenient when you want to power Pixy2 through the Arduino cable (ie, by hooking up the Arduino cable, your Arduino is powering Pixy2, assuming your Arduino is suitably powered.) Or you can make your own I/O cable for Pixy2 communication/power, but be careful! Pin 2 and the ground pin (pin 6) are not reverse-polarity protected. Get the power backwards and Pixy2 is a goner. For good!
The power connector is marked “JP1” on Pixy's PCB. Although we totally expect that 90% of Pixy users to use the first two choices (above), we've included a third choice – an unregulated power input. Because we love it when we feel taken care of, and we've taken care of you, unregulated Pixy power person.
It is recommended that you use this option if you plan on using the pan/tilt unit with Pixy and an Arduino (and no USB cable). In this case, Pixy is sourcing the power and powering the Arduino through the Arduino cable, and that's perfectly fine, because Pixy can source up to 1.5A of current, which is plenty for itself, the servos and the Arduino. If you attempt to have the Arduino source the power and power Pixy and the pan/tilt through the Arduino cable, either the Arduino's power regulator will be overwhelmed, or you'll lose a lot of power through the cable, both of which will mean the servos won't function (they'll probably move to one end of their limits and buzz).
OK, here are the pinouts and polarity of the power connector:
The power connector is reverse-polarity protected, so nothing bad will happen if you get things backwards. The mating connector is a polarized connector from Molex that comes in two parts:
It is safe to connect Pixy to a computer via USB while powered using this method.