DEV-13626 Datasheet, PDF (1/13 Pages) SparkFun Electronics – Photon Battery Shield Hookup Guide

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Photon Battery Shield Hookup Guide
Introduction
Free your Photon from its USB cable by powering it through the Photon
Battery Shield. The Battery Shield has everything your Photon needs to run
off, charge, and monitor a LiPo battery.
The Shield features two unique IC’s: an MCP73831 charge controller and a
MAX17043 LiPo fuel gauge. With them, you’ll be able to charge your
battery through USB and monitor its voltage and state-of-charge.
Please Note: All SparkFun shields for the Photon are also compatible
with the Core from Particle. The WKP, DAC and VBT pins on the
Photon will be labeled A7, A6 and 3V3*, respectively, on the Core, but
will not alter the functionality of any of the Shields.
Covered In This Tutorial
The purpose of this hookup guide is to familiarize you with the hardware
and software of the Photon Battery Shield. It’s split into the following
sections:
• Battery Shield Overview – A quick overview of the components and
features of the Photon Battery Shield.
• Using and Charging a LiPo Battery – Some tips and tricks for running
off, and charging a LiPo battery with the Shield.
• Using the MAX17043 LiPo Fuel Gauge – Example code – including a
Particle library – demonstrating how to read the voltage and state-of-
charge outputs, plus other features of the MAX17043 IC.
Required Materials