How many continuous hours will it last my mini pc if connected to the LiitoKala battery pack that I've found for a cheap price ?

[ziomario]

Hello.

Finally I found a very easy to use battery pack to power on my mini-pc / tablet based on the RockPro RK3366 chipset and one USB 8 inches display.

Its easy to use because I connect one side of it to the RockPro and the other side will be used to recharge the battery pack.

How many continuous hours will it last? Will last more this battery pack :



or..... this power bank :

https://www.amazon.it/Nitecore-NB10000-Batteria-esterna-10-000/dp/B08C78HSZG

will last longer (given for granted the same amount of running time iand the same number of peripherals connected) ?

 

[S-TKUC]

LiitoKala : 12.6V * 3Ah = 37.8Wh
NB10000 : As shown in the product photo, it has 38.5Wh.

"Wh" represents the power that can be output if the battery is emptied in one hour.
The larger the battery capacity, the larger the battery capacity and the longer the battery life.

You should be able to calculate the battery life by measuring the average power consumption of your mini PC.

For example, if you use a LiitoKala battery with an average power consumption of 3.78W, you can expect it to run for 10 hours.

If the lower limit of the input power supply voltage of the mini PC is 10.8V or higher, please note that the battery life will be shortened.

 

[wolf]

What does the power pack for the Mini PC say it supplies? that will be peak, but it should allow for the match to calculate your worst case battery life.

 

[S-TKUC]

As far as I've checked past threads, I think it's safer to use the NB10000 power bank.

NB10000 has protection circuit and voltage adjustment function.
If you use it as is, the mini PC will not be able to measure the remaining battery power, but it is safe to use it until it is empty.

When using a LiitoKala battery, you can make a more advanced battery status check on your mini PC by creating your own peripheral circuits for protection functions and remaining power measurement.
However, without a protection circuit, there is nothing to measure the voltage or remaining power, so there is a good chance that it could be dangerously discharged and damaged.

It is much easier and safer to use such a cable in combination with the NB10000.
DSD TECH MagicConn SH-CP12B Cavo di Alimentazione USB tipo C da PD a CC-12V

As far as I'm concerned, you need to use a special short connector and flat cable. In that case, Type-C trigger cable is not suitable.
You will need to combine a conversion adapter like the one below with a flat cable.
Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V


I checked the specifications of "LiitoKala" model number "Dii-12V3000" battery from AliExpress.

If what is written is true, I think it is safe for charging and discharging since it has a basic protection circuit.

However, the output voltage remains 12.6V when fully charged and 10.8V when discharge is complete.

If you know the input power specifications of the mini PC, it may be possible to estimate how long it can operate compared to the battery voltage.
If the mini PC can operate in a voltage range wider than battery voltage 10.8-12.6V, you can calculate it just by the mini PC's power consumption and battery capacity "Wh".

If the total power with the LCD monitor is 8W, you can expect a working time of 4.73h.
37.8Wh / 8W ⁼ 4.73h

For example, if the mini PC operates in the voltage range of 11.5 to 13V, the operating time will be shortened to around 3 hours.



You haven't revealed the details of the mini PC so I can't judge.
You can't tell what kind of board it is just by looking at the SoC model number.
What is important is the model number of the board and mini PC product.

Regarding the LCD, as far as I can tell, the power consumption is unknown, so it is impossible to calculate the operating time without experimenting.
Model number "8HP-CAPLCD Monitor"

*Aside from the fact that if you want to calculate it in advance, you should do it before purchasing...

If you already have all the parts, I think it's easiest to actually measure the battery life.

It is possible to measure electricity on a small budget by using a power source such as a Type-C PD compatible charger from a wall outlet.
Type-C power measurement components

 

[ziomario]

You will need to combine a conversion adapter like the one below with a flat cable.
Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V

Is the cable below good to connect the USB-C female port of the display to the USB-C female port of the "chenyang CY Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Tipo C Femmina a DC 5.5x2.1MM Adattatore Spina 12V Emulatore PD Trigger" ?

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B0DKNF6XDK/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2WTIVYQX6STXX&psc=1

 

[S-TKUC]

Is the cable below good to connect the USB-C female port of the display to the USB-C female port of the "chenyang CY Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Tipo C Femmina a DC 5.5x2.1MM Adattatore Spina 12V Emulatore PD Trigger" ?

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B0DKNF6XDK/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2WTIVYQX6STXX&psc=1

I don't understand the connection configuration of the entire design.

"Power Bank Type-C OUT" => PD12V Trigger Adapter => "MiniPC DC IN"
"Power bank USB A OUT" => "LCD display Type-C DC IN"
or
"LiitoKala Battery DC OUT" => "MiniPC DC IN"
"MiniPC USB A" => "LCD display Type-C DC IN"

I thought it was the above configuration.

The display requires 5V input, so you should be able to power it from the power bank's USB A or MiniPC's USB A.

The display does not require USB PD and 12V trigger cables.
You should be able to use an inexpensive USB A to Type-C cable.

 

[ziomario]

On the picture below you see the entire design :

The yellow line is the cable that connects the board and its peripherals to the Nitecore 10.000 mah powerbank. The red lline is the LiitioKala battery pack that I would like to use to power on the display. You see that it ends with a male barrel jack. What I want to do is to connect the male barrel jack to the "chenyang CY Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Tipo C Femmina a DC 5.5x2.1MM Adattatore Spina 12V Emulatore PD Trigger" and on the other side,the "aceyoon Cavo USB C Corto 10cm, 240W USB C a USB C Cavo 5A PD Cavo Di Ricarica Veloce USB C Angolo 90 Gradi con Chip E-Maker per iPhone 16 15 Pro Max, per MacBook, per iPad, per Galaxy, per Huawei" cable that willl be connected to the USB-C female attached to the display.

Please see :

8HP-CAPLCD Monitor - Waveshare Wiki

www.waveshare.com

it seems that it typically uses 800 mA, which the USB ports on the RP64 can deliver. Actually,I should use it with the USB 3.0 port. Please note the folowing, quoted from the WaveShare wiki article:

"If the power supply via the USB interface is insufficient, the LCD will flicker. After connecting the external 5V 1A power adapter to the LCD's Power port, it can be restored to normal use."

there's also power button: https://www.waveshare.com/w/upload/9/94/8HP-CAPLCD_Monitor02.png

which means that the display probably can be turned on and off on its own, using the power button.

 

[S-TKUC]

I'm confused.

The PD trigger adapter is a one-way product.

Only "Type-C => DC 12V" connection is allowed.

I explained the PD trigger adapter on the assumption that it would be used to connect the power bank to the mini PC.


The direction of the arrow on the yellow line is written in the opposite direction to the relationship between power supply and power consumption, right?


*The LED of the unplugged AC adapter is lit.
This indicates backflow from the charging barrel connector of the "LiitioKala battery" and is worrying...

 

[ziomario]

I explained the PD trigger adapter on the assumption that it would be used to connect the power bank to the mini PC.

Nope. I already have the cable that connects the Nitecore power bank to the board and it works. This is the one indicated by the yellow line.

I would like to connect the LiitioKala battery pack (not the power back) to the display,so that it can get the power from the battery pack and not from the power bank and in this way I want to increase the running time of the overall system (display and board).

The yellow line should be the power that comes from the power bank and goes to the barrel jack of the board. And I think the direction on the picture is wrong.

The red line should be the power that comes from the battery pack and goes to the display. But in this case the direction is good.

The "chenyang CY Adattatore da USB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Tipo C Femmina a DC 5.5x2.1MM Adattatore Spina 12V Emulatore PD Trigger" does not match with one side of the cable connected to the LiitioKala battery pack :

The other cable connected to the battery pack should be used to connect it to the charger :

PS : I think I need this :

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BZMXTMX6

 

[S-TKUC]

Only "Type-C => DC 12V" connection is allowed.

Do not "DC 12V => Type-C" connection.

The cheapest and easiest way to power a USB from 12V DC is to use a car charger.
Car charger
This is the method I use to charge my laptop from an ATX power supply.

However, I don't think a car charger will fit in your case.


But I don't understand why you are choosing such a complicated connection.

"Power bank USB A OUT" => "LCD display Type-C DC IN"
and
"LiitoKala Battery DC OUT" => "MiniPC DC IN"
or
"Power Bank Type-C OUT" => PD12V Trigger Adapter => "MiniPC DC IN"

This should be fine.

 

[ziomario]

Just for the sake of my curiosity. What happens if I do something like this ? (To understand why it will not work will help me to understand a lot)

LiitoKala Battery DC OUT (that ends with a male Barrel Jack) => SHANFEILU DC 5,5 mm x 2,1 mm female-female => chenyang CY AdapterUSB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Type C Female PD Trigger => Aceyoon USB C Cable => USB C port of the Display

Can you guess ?

 

[S-TKUC]

Either "chenyang CY AdapterUSB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Tipo C Female PD Trigger" will be damaged, or if you are lucky, nothing will happen.

 

[ziomario]

Ok but why ? I mean. Why I can't power on the display using the LiitioKala battery pack instead of the NiteCore power bank ? I only want that the powerbank will last more,this is the reason why I want to power the screen independently from it,using a different kind of source.

 

[S-TKUC]

Also, the display's Type-C port only accepts 5V.

If 12V were connected here, it would be bad.

 

[ziomario]

Also, the display's Type-C port only accepts 5V.

If 12V were connected here, it would be bad.

This is the reason why you have suggested to buy the "chenyang CY AdapterUSB C a DC 12V, USB 3.1 Type C Female PD Trigger" ? to convert 12V to 5V ? this is what I want to do and I thought that the conversion could be done using that PD trigger.

 

[S-TKUC]

The power bank provides power to the display
The battery pack only needs to supply power to the mini PC.

I don't see any reason to do the opposite.

However, unlike battery packs, power banks may turn off automatically for a certain period of time or under low load conditions.

 

[ziomario]

What's the right cable or adapter or board that I can use to convert 12V to 5V without make soldering ?

 

[S-TKUC]

PD trigger can only convert specified DC voltage to Type-C.

The inside of the PD trigger consists of the following functions.
・Converts the voltage input from DC to a small power of 5V.
・Communicate PD with the Type-C connection partner and inform the other party of the voltage that can be supplied.
・If the following three conditions match: ``voltage that can be supplied to the other party,'' ``DC input voltage,'' and ``voltage preset to the product,'' DC input voltage will be supplied from Type-C.


The other way around is to use a car charger like the one I mentioned earlier.

What's the right cable or adapter or board that I can use to convert 12V to 5V without make soldering ?

Found it right away.
I don't know if it can be used or not.
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0B58T2YY8/

 

[ziomario]

If the risk of damaging the display is low,I could buy it and try. I know,I like to experiment. But I don't like to take risks.

 

[S-TKUC]

The quality of such cheap conversion boards cannot be said to be good.
I have purchased several in the past, but it is rare to find a product that can provide the functionality described in the product description.

I recommend that you thoroughly measure and evaluate your product using the correct measuring equipment and in an environment that allows soldering.
I do that too.

If you want to reduce the risk, you should measure the voltage with a multimeter or connect something that can be damaged instead of a display as a USB 5V.

Something like a USB fan.

 

[ziomario]

The quality of such cheap conversion boards cannot be said to be good.
I have purchased several in the past, but it is rare to find a product that can provide the functionality described in the product description.

I recommend that you thoroughly measure and evaluate your product using the correct measuring equipment and in an environment that allows soldering.
I do that too.

If you want to reduce the risk, you should measure the voltage with a multimeter or connect something that can be damaged instead of a display as a USB 5V.

Something like a USB fan.

I like the patience you have and the quality of your competence.

 

[S-TKUC]

I would use a power bank to power the display.
Judging from the failure example you wrote in another thread, I think the function can be achieved by combining it with the cable below.

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B09531T9X5/

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0952ZL31L/

*Obtain the appropriate cable according to the direction of the power bank's USB A.

NFHK's USB flat cable is common and can be replaced.

Now you can make a thin USB A to Type-C cable.

 

[ziomario]

FLAT cables like the ones you suggested don't work in my case. I've already tested that. I've asked directly to the developers of the board (RockPro RK3399) what could be the reasons on Telegram. You will like the discussion we have had.

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:07:41]
<dsimic> in general, using such flat cables for USB 2.0 can lead to issues

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:08:16]
I tried also that cable to pass the signal between the HDMI ports,...still does not work

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:09:11]
<dsimic> in general, flat cables should be used only where is no other option

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:09:18]
<dsimic> which isn't the case here, AFAICT

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:09:26]

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07SLQWTVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:09:36]
ok.

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:09:57]
I didn't know that

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:10:12]
what's the reason ?

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:10:19]
what's missing with that kind of cable

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:10:49]
<dsimic> it's much more susceptible to electromagnetic noise

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:11:23]
<dsimic> also the impedance is different

Mariuccio, [20 Feb 2025 13:23:24]
what do you mean ? I used the FLAT cable because it is less bulky and flexible than the plastic one

Pine64 Protocol Bot, [20 Feb 2025 13:23:55]
<dsimic> I mean it's worse

 

[S-TKUC]

The support person mentions the signal impedance of USB differential communication.

The purpose of this application is power supply, and impedance and signal quality are not relevant.

The Type-C to Type-C cable you used probably did not have a 5.1kΩ pull-down resistor to the CC terminal, so the battery side assumed that it was not connected and no power was supplied.

If there is a pull-down on the CC terminal, Type-C will behave like just a USB 2.0 A connector and will only output 5V.

The Type-C standard is very complex, so there are many difficulties.

Since it is difficult to find an English source, this is a Japanese source.
https://voltechno.com/blog/type-c-current/

Oh, you connected HDMI instead of power with a flat cable.

In that case, the image may not be displayed due to the influence of signal impedance, noise, and cable bending.

High-speed communication in such usage should be done carefully.
I have had some trouble with a system that has a connection between a Jetson board and a camera.

 

[ziomario]

--> Oh, you connected HDMI instead of power with a flat cable.

Not only I tried HDMI to HDMI,but also USB-C to USB-A to power on the display. Didn't work. Also tried to do USB-C to USB-A of my PC.

So,I'm planning to try the "EPLZON DC 6V 9V 12V 24V to DC 5V 5A Buck Converter Module V-36V Step Down to DC 5V-5.3V 5.2V 3.5-6A Transformer Dual Output Voltage Regulator Power Module" without FLAT cables,but plastic ones.