5 Different Ways to Power a Raspberry Pi
Depending on your Pi model and what you’re using it for, you may need a different type of power supply. Whether you’re using your Raspberry Pi in the home or in a remote location, such as for a weather station or wildlife camera, it will need a reliable electricity supply to work.
If you have a Raspberry Pi model and you’re not quite sure how to power it for your project, read on to find out about the different ways you can supply electricity to these credit-card-sized computers.
Raspberry Pi Power Options
All Raspberry Pi computers since inception require 5V power, but the recommended amperage varies between models. Older (and also the smaller Zero) models require 2.5A or less while newer full-size models such as the Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 400 need as much as 3A, especially if you’re attaching extra peripherals or performing heavy tasks.
The table below shows the power requirements for each Raspberry Pi model.
| Raspberry Pi Model | Voltage | Recommended PSU Current Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4B, 400 | 5V | 3A |
| Raspberry Pi 3B+/3B/3A+ | 5V | 2.5A |
| Raspberry Pi 2B/1B+ | 5V | 1.8A |
| Raspberry Pi 1B | 5V | 1.2A |
| Raspberry Pi 1 A / A+ | 5V | 700A |
| Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero W | 5V | 1.2A |
| Raspberry Pi Zero 2W | 5V | 2A |
| Raspberry Pi Pico (microcontroller) | 1.8A–5.5V | 1.2A |
Using a power supply that doesn’t deliver enough current or meet the requirements otherwise will cause a low voltage warning to show at the top of the screen. Older models may show rainbow-colored squares or a flashing lightning icon instead.
Undervoltage can lead to issues such as SD card corruption, CPU throttling, problems with connected peripherals, and random crashes. Generally, undervoltage will not cause permanent damage to the Raspberry Pi.
Read More: 5 Different Ways to Power a Raspberry Pi – MakeUseOf
