Hi folks!

So I'm looking into the following, but having a very hard time finding any (remotely) definitive answers.

For my smart home, I'm looking to integrate more and more sensors that can relay all sorts of information. Most of these sensors I create myself using ESP32's and the like (probably also the Raspberry Pico W released today) and that's all working fine. What would really help for flexibility though, is to get rid of the dependency on wall power.

What I'd like is a battery solution for these microcontrollers that I can charge every month or so over either USB-C or micro-USB.

Problem is, wherever I look, solution seem mostly focused on "whatever you're doing, you're probably doing wrong, because batteries and charging circuits are HARD".

Therefore I'm turning to the true experts, you!

So, the actual question is, what would I need in order to power an ESP32 (or anything using 3.3V) from rechargeable batteries, that I can also continue to use while charging?

At this point I'd almost prefer an off the shelve solution that I can just solder onto the microprocessor, but I'm actually also interested in which components I'd need to find, the caveats in wiring/usage/etc. I've seen 18650 batteries mentioned as a good option, but I've also seen people advocating for LiPo batteries and truth be told, I'm just extremely lost at this point

Thanks in advance for your time!

 

This video, and Adreas' channel in general will be very helpful. Check it out.

 

That was good indeed! Really good starting point to start digging deeper and covers some of the caveats (voltage range within which the ESP32 operates and such). Will continue reading. Still not a 100% how to use a battery pack without the risk of burning my house down (since that's what most tutorials seemed to warn for ).

Thanks!

 

That was good indeed! Really good starting point to start digging deeper and covers some of the caveats (voltage range within which the ESP32 operates and such). Will continue reading. Still not a 100% how to use a battery pack without the risk of burning my house down (since that's what most tutorials seemed to warn for ).

Thanks!

Andreas is a great resource and he does exactly what you want to do: remote sensors based on ESP32/8266 boards with battery power. He is also a great resource for very low power operation (deep sleep, etc.).

 

Yeah, that was definitely a really good fit, thanks for pointing out his channel! I have a feeling I already know how my weekend will be spent