The PiJuice Zero - Portable Power Platform for Raspberry Pi Zero

Building projects and creating brand new toys, tools and systems can be really fun, and can sometimes even benefit you by making your life easier, more comfortable or more convenient in some regard. However, far too often these awesome projects we build are homebound, unable to see and experience the outside world – and of course unable to show people just what they are capable of. This is no longer an issue, however, with The PiJuice Zero – The Portable Power Platform for Raspberry Pi Zero.

The PiJuice Zero has been designed with the same basic idea as the original PiJuice Power HAT from PiSupply, but has been a greatly reduced form factor so as to accommodate the tiny Raspberry Pi Zero W and other Zero-based boards. This allows you (and us) to take projects out into the world, showing them off to anyone and everyone, and giving others the chance to experience the excitement that Electronics and robotics have to offer.

Because of the small size of the PiJuice Zero, we’ve found that smaller LiPo Batteries are the perfect fit for this HAT, but fortunately, the Zero-based Raspberry Pi Boards is also far less power-hungry than it’s bigger siblings. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use whatever batteries you want, but if you’re looking for a beefier power platform to handle larger power throughput and more demanding boards, we recommend taking a look at the Full-Sized Pisupply PiJuice HAT, which is designed for the larger series of boards and comes equipped with a battery preinstalled and ready to go.

Please Note: The PiJuice Zero has been designed with the "BYOB" or Bring Your Own Battery style, since the wide range of applications for Pi Zero boards range from extremely lightweight nodes up to entire Pi-Top computers. This also carries the extra benefit of lowering the cost, and reducing any potential for supplying batteries that are not going to be used. Just remember, however, that it's a good idea to get yourself a battery that is equipped with an NTC temperature sensor (The batteries with three wires), so that your PiJuice Zero HAT can keep the battery safe and in good health throughout its lifespan. If you’re unsure of which batteries to get, you can also choose from our PiSupply LiPo Batteries, which have all been stocked to be perfectly compatible with both of the PiSupply HATs we stock.

Typical Applications for The PiJuice Zero Portable Power Platform:

Whether you’re trying to escape the typical hassles of load-shedding, are eager to take your Pi project out on adventures with you, or like to move your Pi between your office, home or college, the PiJuice Zero is an easy and effective solution that is perfect the way it is, but can even be upgraded with a larger Lithium Battery if necessary. With that in mind, it would be impossible to exhaust the list of potential projects that this could be used for, and so we’re just going to talk about our personal favourites, to give you some examples of what you could do with your own PiJuice Zero:

• Turning boring old home-projects into portable powerhouses that travel the globe with you, providing your favourite functionality throughout the journey.
• Building an off-grid computer to handle larger projects or systems that are in remote locations or places too expensive to supply power for, such as a cabin in the mountains, a barn on the far side of the farm, or even just a granny flat in an odd location – with Solar Panels to keep it charged and ready for usage whenever you need it.
• Providing your favourite Pi Projects with a reliable Uninterruptible Power Supply solution, so as to avoid unnecessary frustration, data corruption, or possibly even loss of income from problems relating to load-shedding, power cuts or even just power-trips from unexpected causes.

The PiJuice HAT Portable Power Platform for Pi is an awesome solution if you’ve been eager to free your Pi from the Power Grid, offering up to 6 hours of full functionality even when operating at maximum power consumption. Additionally, and this is the cherry on top of an already-awesome sundae, the PiJuice HAT is also quite versatile in the way that you can install larger or smaller batteries if necessary, and you can even keep spare batteries with you to swap them out as each one runs low.

Additional Resources:

• This is the Original PiSupply Site, which contains a fantastic amount of information and insights into all of the fine details behind this beautiful product. Be sure to check it out if you need any further info’.
• This is a PiJuice Zero Getting Started Guide, to help you get your new HAT installed and operating in full power, with a helpful FAQ to answer some common questions too.
• The Official PiSupply GitHub Repository, with documentation, technical specifications and insights into the code and components that make it all work.
• This is an awesome PiJuice Lifespan Calculator, in which you can choose the battery capacity, the board you’re using, as well as the mode of operation (idling/Load LXDE/Watching Video) to find out precisely how long the battery will last before running out of power.

Pi Supply is a fantastic brand that truly personifies the open-source movement. Having been founded by a single individual with a passion for electronics and audio, and growing into a world-recognised brand that now supplies specialised expansion boards to a global community, the humble hobbyist beginnings of Pi Supply began with the simple need for a convenient power-switch for a Raspberry Pi board stored under a bed.

Since their humble beginnings, Pi Supply have grown to be a full team of passionate Makers who truly live up to the name of “The Maker Emporium”, with over 7 different product ranges launched over Kickstarter, and a growing catalogue of over 800 items now available – all with fantastic after-sales support, which is something that we consider to be extremely valuable.