Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
holes comprise an
ICSP connector
for easy reprogramming for
advanced users.
FLORA Power
After loading your program onto the FLORA, you'll want to
unplug the USB cable and go portable with battery power! When
connected, your computer powers the board continuously
through the USB connection, but battery power (through the
JST connector) can be turned on and off with FLORA's onboard
switch (near the “ON” text on the board). We recommend the
Adafruit 3xAAA holder (see
Figure 3-4
) for beginners, which
conveniently plugs into FLORA's JST port and has a protective
diode for use with external battery packs from 3.5V to 16V DC
in. FLORA can be used with LiIon/LiPoly, LiFE, alkaline, or
rechargeable NiMH/NiCad batteries of any size.
Figure 3-4.
Alkaline battery power
FLORA runs at 3.3V with an onboard regulator to keep the volt-
age steady. You can only power FLORA through its onboard JST
port (or USB), not by connecting to any of the pads around the
edges of the board.
We find 3xAA (or AAA) batteries ideal. More advanced users
may wish to use a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPoly, shown
in
Figure 3-5
) battery for their smaller size and longer duration.
However, these batteries pose added risk if abused, shorted,
