SparkFun Launches USB Type-C 5-20V 5A Power Delivery Board with Qwiic Connector
Designed to operate entirely standalone once configured, the SparkFun USB PD offers a quick and easy way to power multiple projects.
SparkFun has announced a new way to power your projects, taking advantage of the flexibility of the USB Power Delivery Standard: a standalone USB Type-C power board with three configurable power delivery profiles.
"Traditional power adapters can provide a wide range of current but the voltage stays fixed at 5V," SparkFun's Xtopher explains. "With the SparkFun Power Delivery Board's USB-C connection it has the ability to achieve higher voltages, typically 5-20V and up to 100W of power. The Power Delivery Board uses a standalone controller to negotiate with the power adapters and have them switch to a higher voltage other than just 5V. This uses the same power adapter for different projects rather than relying on multiple power adapters to provide different output voltages."
The board is based on an STMicroelectronics STUSB4500 USB Power Delivery controller, which allows for the negotiation of power delivery without an external microcontroller — though, SparkFun warns, a microcontroller is still required for configuration, with settings being then stored into a non-volatile storage space on the controller itself.
The controller board includes input and output voltage ranges of 5-20V with output current up to 5A across three user-configurable power delivery profiles. It's fully certified to USB Type-C Rev. 1.2 and USB Power Delivery Rev. 2.0, and includes integrated VBUS voltage monitoring and PMOS switch gate drivers. As well as solderable pin headers, there's a singular Qwiic connector for solder-free connection into SparkFun's quick-connect I2C ecosystem.
The Power Delivery Board is now being sold for $24.95 before volume pricing on the SparkFun webshop, with a hook-up guide available on the company's learning platform.