Powering Atom Lite and LEDs from same power supply

Hi everyone,

I recently got my hands on an Atom Lite and a couple of the HEX RGB LED boards. Searching around the forum and from the schematic of the Lite it seems that powering more than one of these from the Atom itself is not a good idea since the Neopixel LEDs quickly add up to a lot of current.

Since my project has space constraints though, I'm planning to power the LED matrices and the Atom from one external 5V supply which would also mean powering the Lite through either the Grove connector or 5V pin.

My question is essentially whether there's anything I have to be careful about (apart from connecting all pieces to a common ground)? If I hook up a 5V 4A or 8A power supply will that cause any issues for the Atom?

Thanks!

felmue

Hello @mo

powering the M5Atom Lite through its 5 V pin is what M5Stack is doing in the Atom PoE as well.

Thanks
Felix

ajb2k3

@mo The grove connector is for power out only. but you can provide power in via the connections on the back.
However I have made a guide on modding a USB cable to fit a grove connector to provide power to to LEDs while powering atom via usb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDBk7ZcKED0

@felmue ah okay, perfect! Thanks!

@ajb2k3 thanks for the tip but unfortunately I can't access the USB port in my setup, so I'll have to go through the pins anyway.