Choosing the right power source depends on your project’s components and functionality.
For example: a component like a stepper motor won’t work with a 9V battery (it needs more power).
On the other hand, if you want your project to be mobile (like a kickass robot), you can’t use a wall power adapter that will limit your mobility.
Circuito.io currently offers 4 power supply options:
- 12v wall power adaptor
- USB cable A to B
- 9V alkaline battery
- 4 X AA battery holder
In many cases, it is up to you to choose which power source to use.
However, there are a few components that require a relatively high voltage such as Stepper and solenoid valve. In these cases, circuito.io will notify you that the combination is not possible, and will select an alternative power source.
In other cases, for example when using Arduino micro and ESP8266 (IoT) we will need to use a voltage regulator to convert the voltage from 5V to 3.3V. This is a component that the app will automatically add for you, however, it’s important to be aware of these type of things when planning your circuit. If you click on the small “i” icon next to the component, you will see all this information and more about the specific component.