Pi Supply’s PiJuice Zero Is a Portable UPS Board with Smart Capabilities

Pi Supply has released an updated version of its PiJuice uninterruptable power supply (UPS) designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero. According to Pi Supply, “The PiJuice Zero is a complete wireless off-grid power solution for your Raspberry Pi Zero. Packed with powerful features PiJuice Zero can help you shrink your portable Raspberry Pi projects like never before.” With that in mind, the board offers an intelligent power management system that can be programmed to wake when interrupted or triggered through a calendar event, making the board an excellent option for portable projects.

Under the hood, the PiJuice is outfitted with an STM32F030CCT6 microcontroller with Arm Cortex-M0, as well as a TI BQ24160RGET lithium-ion/polymer charger IC, an On Semiconductor battery fuel gauge (BFG) LSI, and an NCP380LMUAJAATBG fixed/adjustable current limiting power distribution switch. The board also packs a pair of programmable RGB LEDs and switches, an on/off switch, screw terminal, J2 header, and micro USB input.

On the software end, the PiJuice is plug-and-play right out of the box and uses Pi Supply’s custom software package with intuitive GUI, which offers low-level integration with the Raspberry Pi OS. The software suite lets users program the system switch, wake-up alarm, system task, system events, and input user scripts. It also features a desktop system tray icon that provides battery percentage and power source/charging information.

Pi Supply is currently crowdfunding the PiJuice UPS on Crowd Supply, which comes in either Zero or HAT form (specs are the same for both), with pledges starting at $45 with no battery, and $50 and up with battery. The company is also offering various add-ons, including cases, solar panels, and even a gaming kit that transforms the Raspberry Pi into a portable game console.