UPS PIco HV3.0A/B/B+ - Pi Modules Community

Last firmware and scripts for UPS PIco HV3.0A/B/B+

piro — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 09:04:10 +0000

I recently replaced the 450 mAh LiPO battery that came with my UPS PIco with Li-Ion batteries in the 18650 battery holder. The firmware (e3) and boorloader (50) that is running on my UPS PIco does not support setting the battery type to Li-Ion. I tried to install the newer firmware version 0x21 from https://pimodules.com/common-updates but the status script I have throws errors. In addition, even though I could set the battery type to Li-Ion with the new firmware, the status script did not recognize the Li-Ion setting. I reverted back to firmware e3 now.

The user in this forum topic (https://pimodules.com/community/main-forum/ups-goes-stops-working-ups-led-off-after-5-mins-even-if-on-power) seems to have an even newer firmware (firmware 29 / bootloader 53).

Can you please send me the latest version of the firmware and the daemons/status script for HV3.0 ?

I also wonder if the newer firmware for HV4.0 (available from https://pimodules.com/firmware-updates) also works on HV3.0 ?

Thanks in advance.

UPS Pico HV3 with lifepo4 or supercaps on rpi4 for always in vehicle raspberry pi

oddone — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 02:08:04 +0000

Could I use this for a rp4?

In theory, yes, but you will need to use cables to connect them with RUN, PEN pins

I am looking to use super capacitors to provide enough power to the pi so it can shutdown safely. If this board would work for that, do you have super caps available that would work with this board?

Yes, but only the 4000F @ 4V2 V connected to the battery socket.

If super caps won't work, could I supply power with 4 (or more) AA alkaline batteries as the power necessary for a safe shutdown?

Try, it should work, use 3 batteries, so the voltage will be 4 x 1V2 = 4V8. It is too high, so please use them discharged, and charger will keep them undercharged, probably. Logically should be working.

I am having trouble finding the pinout for the HV3, how do I run cables from the rpi4 to the run and pen pins of the HV3? I am guessing since you mentioned that, I can't just put the HV3 on top of the 4 with the gpio connector on top of the gpio pins of the rpi4.

Can a diagram be provided on how to connect the run and pen pins on the UPS and where they go on the rpi4?

After I connect the run and pen correctly, I just need the 4000F @ 4v2 v with the proper (JST XHP-2?) connection to plug in. Do the scripts that detect power off then shutdown and power on need any modification?

Also, I have read up on lifepo4 batteries, and they seem to able to do what I need, stay in vehicle without danger of exploding or off gassing, and the HV3 can accept them.
Could I just buy this battery

https://pimodules.com/product/pico-lifepo4-battery-4000-mah-2c-with-mounting-plastic-base, plug it in the HV3, connect the HV3 properly, and be good?
Alternatively, could I buy this board,

https://pimodules.com/product/pico-single-lp-lf-li-ion-18650-battery-holder, connect it to the HV3, get a lifepo4 battery and be good?

It looks like the 4000F is the simplest option. Just plug it into the battery slot, no soldering needed , it that correct?

The price of the 4000f is just a little bit more than the 4000mAh lifepo4 battery. I am only looking for the ups to provide enough power so the rpi4 safely shuts down. Either one would seem to work, and the cap last longer and seems to be safer,

High Safety And Reliability

Nail Penetration Test: No Explosion, No Fire
Vibration Test: No Explosion, No Fire
Drop Test: No Explosion, No Fire
Crush Test: No Explosion, No Fire
Overcharge Test: No Explosion, No Fire
Over Discharge Test: No Explosion, No Fire

If you have an option/knowledge on theses ideas and are able to share them, I would welcome your thoughts.

Can we have a sticky post with links to latest resources?

Guff666 — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 15:16:49 +0000

I'm still trying to get my 3.0A working reliably. I want to update the pico_status.py script to display the features in the latest firmware, but I'm not sure which is the correct reference to the registers. The one on github https://github.com/modmypi/PiModules/wiki/UPS-PIco-Programmers-Registers hasn't been updated since 2017.

UPS Goes stops working (UPS LED OFF) after 5 mins even if on Power

Guff666 — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:05:14 +0000

This is really a follow-on to https://github.com/modmypi/PiModules/issues/60.

System is Pi 3B running Ioannis' image downloaded from Google Drive.
Firmware is `UPS_PIco_HV3.0_main_29_120721_GPIO_USED.hex` as supplied on the above image.
No settings have been changed.

System starts OK and seems to be running: UPS LED is ON, all others are OFF

$ python pico_status.py

***********************************
UPS PIco HV3.0A Status
***********************************

UPS PIco Firmware.......: 29
UPS PIco Bootloader.....: 53
UPS PIco PCB Version....: 41
UPS PIco BAT Version....: LiPO (ASCII: S)
UPS PIco BAT Runtime....: 2 MIN
UPS PIco STA Time Left..: 127 SEC
UPS PIco r232 State.....: OFF

Powering Mode...........: RPi POWERED
BAT Percentage..........: 93.3333333333 %
BAT Voltage.............: 4.1 V
RPi Voltage.............: 5.4 V
NTC1 Temperature........: 33 C
TO-92 Temperature.......: 00 C
Extended Voltage........: 14.3 V
A/D2 Voltage............: 0.0 V

PIco FAN Mode...........: AUTOMATIC
PIco FAN State..........: OFF / AUTO
PIco FAN Speed..........: 50 %
Pico FAN Temp Threshhold: 50 C

***********************************
Powered by PiCo
***********************************
$ systemctl status picofssd
● picofssd.service - LSB: PiModules(R) UPS PIco file-safe shutdown daemon
Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/picofssd; generated)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2021-09-13 17:29:09 BST; 9min ago
Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
Tasks: 2 (limit: 871)
CGroup: /system.slice/picofssd.service
└─776 /usr/bin/python /usr/local/bin/picofssd --log-level debug --pid-file /var/run/picofssd.pid --xml-config /etc/pimodule

Sep 13 17:29:07 raspberrypi systemd: Starting LSB: PiModules(R) UPS PIco file-safe shutdown daemon...
Sep 13 17:29:09 raspberrypi systemd: Started LSB: PiModules(R) UPS PIco file-safe shutdown daemon.
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : Started
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : False
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : None
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : None
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : None
Sep 13 17:29:24 raspberrypi picofssd: : None

However, two things:
If I remove power, I then get:
UPS LED stays ON, and BAT LED stays OFF. And

$ python pico_status.py

***********************************
UPS PIco HV3.0A Status
***********************************

UPS PIco Firmware.......: 29
UPS PIco Bootloader.....: 53
UPS PIco PCB Version....: 41
UPS PIco BAT Version....: LiPO (ASCII: S)
UPS PIco BAT Runtime....: 2 MIN
UPS PIco STA Time Left..: 127 SEC
UPS PIco r232 State.....: OFF

Powering Mode...........: ERROR
BAT Percentage..........: 80.0 %
BAT Voltage.............: 4.0 V
RPi Voltage.............: 5.2 V
NTC1 Temperature........: 32 C
TO-92 Temperature.......: 00 C
Extended Voltage........: 13.9 V
A/D2 Voltage............: 0.0 V

PIco FAN Mode...........: AUTOMATIC
PIco FAN State..........: OFF / AUTO
PIco FAN Speed..........: 50 %
Pico FAN Temp Threshhold: 50 C

***********************************
Powered by PiCo
***********************************

(NB I enabled loglevel=debug)

and, after 5 minutes, the UPS LED goes OFF and stops operating.

$ python pico_status.py

***********************************
UPS PIco HV3.0A Status
***********************************

UPS PIco Firmware.......:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "pico_status.py", line 206, in 
print " ","UPS PIco Firmware.......:",fw_version()
File "pico_status.py", line 27, in fw_version
data = i2c.read_byte_data(0x69, 0x26)
IOError:  Remote I/O error

Pressing `IR` causes UPS to restart for another 5 mins.

I have a video, but not sure where to upload it.