Solar Power Manager - For 9V/12V/18V Panels

When designing low-power projects, one of the most frustrating aspects to have to deal with is power management. Firstly, you have to decide how you are going to deliver power to the system (which can be really tricky if situated in a hard to reach place) and then how are you going to ensure that this power gets delivered, maintained or otherwise restored to the system with as little work from you as possible. Fortunately, these types of scenarios are where Solar Power “shine” with benefits, and this especially so for modules designed for low-power delivery, like this Solar Power Manager V1.0 for 9V/12V/18V Panels, which is natively compatible with the 9V Solar Panels that we stock.

This solar management module is an incredibly diverse board that offers multiple power input and output options at variable voltage ranges, capable of between 7V to 30V input from solar panels, 3.7V input from Li-Po or Li-Ion Batteries, as well as 5V input from USB Micro. For power output, the module also offers between 3.3V and 12V output, which can be controlled via onboard DIP switches, as well as 5V out via USB and battery-charging capabilities to single cell 3.7V Lithium Batteries. Additionally, this board also offers MPPT, or Maximum Power Point Tracking, allowing you to select precise power levels to deliver to the batteries or other Electronics Modules, components or systems that the power management module is connected to.

Note: If you like this solar module, but are looking for a version for lead-acid batteries, take a look at our Solar Power Manager for 12V Lead-Acid Battery.

Typical Applications for Solar Power Manager V1.0 - For 9V/12V/18V Panels:

The amazing features of this board all work together to allow a range of different functions, allowing you to power projects via Solar Panels or USB IN, power projects directly from the connected batteries, or simply buck a high voltage down to a stable 5V, 3.3V, 9V or 12V output. It can also be used as a simple buck type DC-DC Lithium Battery Charger by disabling the MPPT function, which allows you to resort to simple battery charging on rainy and cloudy days. Just remember that this board can only accept a maximum 20W input from solar panels, although it has been tested with monocrystal, polycrystal and thin film panels, with good results as long as the open circuit voltage is within 7V and 30V.

Additional Resources:

• An in-depth overview of the board layout, components, onboard settings and more on the DFRobot Official Wiki

As self-proclaimed “Robo-holics”, DFRobot is a company comprised of over 100 staff members, of which 30% are engineers who love to build robots. It was started in 2008 with the goal of embracing and promoting open-source hardware, with a core focus on Arduino, Raspberry Pi and their very own LattePanda development boards. Since then, DFRobot have manufactured over 1300 unique modules, sensors and components that all work together and complement each other, allowing users like us to enjoy a full spectrum of cutting edge robotics and electronics without having to pay premium prices.

With the primary goal of developing and manufacturing great quality products, while making them accessible to as many people as possible, DFRobot are rapidly becoming one of the most common-place brands in the world of open-source robotics and electronics. With more than 1300 products developed in-house, and an impressive range of different categories and specialisations, there are few brands in the world who can compete in terms of quality, accessibility and genuine innovation.