XIAO PowerBread - A Breadboard Power Supply with Real-Time Monitoring

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XIAO PowerBread is an open-source hardware project designed to offer a reliable and efficient power solution for breadboard prototyping. Featuring built-in sensors, real-time monitoring, and the RP2040 microcontroller, PowerBread makes powering and developing electronics projects easier than ever.

Easy installation and compact design

Direct power and monitoring you breadboard projects

Key Features

Real-Time Monitoring: View essential power metrics at a glance—no multimeter needed. The built-in display shows real-time voltage, current, and power data.
High-Current Output: Deliver up to 1.5A of 3.3V power, ideal for most breadboard-based electronics projects.
Built-in LCD Display: Stay informed with real-time feedback—critical power data is displayed clearly on the integrated LCD.
Plug-and-Play Design: Compatible with standard breadboards, simply plug in, power up, and start prototyping without extra setup.
Open-Source and RP2040 Powered: Powered by the RP2040, this open-source design provides flexibility for future extensions like USB-serial communication and PWM control.
Dual-Channel Voltage and Current Sensing: Equipped with the INA3221 sensor for dual-channel voltage and current monitoring—know what’s happening with every aspect of your power supply.
Compact Powerhouse: This compact design delivers both 3.3V and 5V outputs, optimizing your breadboard space without compromising on power.
Multiple UI functions: The UI can be switched between data monitoring, line chart, and statistic mode.

Multiple UI functions

Long press the dial to switch channels in chart and statistic mode

Rotate the dial to adjust the UI for different viewing angles

Hardware Specifications

Input Voltage: Powered via USB-C through the XIAO.
Output Voltages: Provides 5V and 3.3V outputs, with a maximum current of 1.5A for the 3.3V rail.
Current Sensing: The built-in INA3221 sensor measures voltage, current, and power for real-time display.
Microcontroller: Driven by the RP2040, handling sensor data, display control, and enabling future features like USB-serial communication and PWM generation.
Display: LCD screen for real-time power monitoring.
PCB Dimensions: Designed for seamless integration with standard breadboards while minimizing space usage.

Getting Started

Hardware

XIAO Board: The XIAO RP2040 is recommended, also you can use: XIAO RP2350, XIAO ESP32-C3, XIAO ESP32-S3, XIAO ESP32-C6. (Make sure to flash the firmware compatible with your board type)
XIAO PowerBread Board: Clone or remix the design from this repository. Also you can get the hardware from Tindie.
Breadboard: Fits standard breadboards for easy prototyping.
Power Supply: Use a standard USB power source.

Software

Remix the project: Modify or remix the project using the provided Arduino source code.
Directly use compiled firmware:
- For XIAO ESP32 series, it is recommended to use web based flash tool: https://powerbread-flasher.ioatlas.com/， check this tutorial for more details: Flash Firmware for XIAO - ESP32 series
- For XIAO RP2040/RP2350, it is recommended to use UF2 method to upload the firmware.

UF2 upload method:

Download the compiled firmware file from Release page

Connect XIAO to PC/MAC via USB (Make sure it is a 4 pin USB cable)

press the B(Boot) button on XIAO and holding it, then press the R(Reset) button on XIAO at the same time. Then release all buttons

You should able to see a USB drive Name:RPI-RP2 on you PC/MAC.

Drag and drop the firmware file(*.uf2) to the RPI-RP2 drive, the file will be uploaded to XIAO.

After a few seconds, the XIAO will reset and boot into the firmware.

Planned Software Features

Real-time current sensor data displayed on the LCD.
Dial wheel to adjust the UI for different viewing angles.
Line chart mode to visualize power usage for each channel.
Count mode to count average(second, minute, all time) and peak current consumption for each channel.
Allow to save settings data to EEPROM.
USB-Serial mode as a debug tool.
PWM output on IO0 and IO1.
ADC reading from IO0 and IO1.

Firmware Releases

Version	Stable	Development	Features added	Link
0.9.0	Yes	Yes	Real-time current sensor data displayed on the LCD.	-
1.0.0	Yes	Yes	Dial wheel to adjust the UI for different viewing angles.	Release page
1.1.0	No	Yes	Line chart mode to visualize power usage for each channel.	Release page
1.1.1	Yes	Yes	support Data-Dashboard, Line-chart, current-Statistic，Setting	Release page
1.1.2	Yes	Yes	Introduces LED blink functionality for debugging purposes	Release page
1.1.3	Yes👍	Yes	Add fixed-scale and auto-scale support for line-chart	Release page
1.1.4	Yes👍	Yes	Add support for XIAO RP2350, XIAO ESP32-C3, XIAO ESP32-S3, XIAO ESP32-C6	Release page

Documentation

System Config Explanation
- Default mode setting
- Shunt resistor setting (20mOhm, 50mOhm)
- Serial output setting (Human readable mode, Arduino plotter mode)
- Line chart setting (Chart refresh rate)

Troubleshooting

The display is not responding
- Pls make sure you are using the latest firmware, the latest firmware have some bug fix for the stability.
- Try to reset the XIAO by pressing the reset button on the XIAO board.
The display is not working
- Please check the I2C and SPI pin connections, and ensure the XIAO is properly soldered the pins.
The current value is not correct
- Pls check the shunt resistor value, and set it correctly in the sysConfig. (e.g. 20 for 20mOhm, 50 for 50mOhm) -> System Config Explanation
Both of the Volatage shows on display is 0V
- Pls check the power-on switch, it should be on the down side. (UP side is OFF, DOWN side is ON)

Libraries Used

Included a modified version of Adafruit_ST7735 library since v1.1.2 to fit the lcd module used on this project.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome to improve the XIAO PowerBread project! Whether you want to submit a pull request, propose new features, or report a bug, feel free to use the issue tracker.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

meilily/XIAO-PowerBread