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Adafruit TPL5110 Power Timer Breakout
Created by lady ada
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-tpl5110-power-timer-breakout
Last updated on 2021-11-15 06:53:17 PM EST
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Table of Contents
Overview
Pinouts
• Power Pins
• Control Pins
Assembly
• Prepare the header strip:
• Add the breakout board and Solder!
Usage
• Notes on the Delay Pin
• ESP8266 Feather Example
• Video Example
• Handy Accessories
Downloads
• Files
• Schematic and Fabrication Print
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Overview
With some development boards, low power usage is an afterthought. Especially when
price and usability is the main selling point. So what should you do when it's time to
turn around and make that project of yours run on a battery or solar? Sure you could
try to hot-air that regulator off, or you could jerry-rig a relay. Or, use a 555? Ugh, the
options aren't that great.
The Adafruit TPL5110 Power Timer is a stand-alone breakout that will turn any
electronics into low-power electronics! It will take care of turning your project on/off
using a built in timer that can vary from once-every 100ms up to once every two
hours. Basically, the TPL will turn on periodically, adjustable by potentiometer or
resistor, and turn on your project's power. It will then wait until a signal is received
from the project to tell the TPL that it can safely turn off the power. If the TPL does not
receive a signal by the set time-out, it will reset the device like a watchdog timer.
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Usage is easy. First, disconnect from power and set your desired delay by adjusting
the on-board trim pot: all the way to the left is once-per-100ms an all the way to the
right is once-every-2-hours. Then, connect VDD up to your 3-5V power supply and
then your project's power-in to the Drive pin. Finally, select a signal pin from your
project to the Done pin. In your project's code or design, just make sure that it sets
the Done pin high once it is completed with its task. That's it!
While the TPL5110 is running (but the remainder of the project is de-powered) the
current draw is about 20uA (according to our Monsoon Power Meter)
If you want to turn the device on by hand, you can also activate the TPL by pressing
the onboard tactile switch (or wire your own switch to the Delay pin) See? Your power
problems just got solved!
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Comes as a fully assembled breakout board with a TPL5110 chip, all components on-
board, and some header. A little light soldering is required to put it together for
breadboard use.
Pinouts
There's a lot going on with this compact breakout, and many ways to do one thing so
reviewing the pinouts is a really good idea!
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Power Pins
VDD - this is the power input pin for both the TPL5110 chip and the device you
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want to control. Make sure this is always connected and powered. This has to be
3-5VDC so don't give it 12VDC power.
GND - this is shared ground for power and signal.
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Control Pins
Delay - this is the delay control pin. By adjusting the resistance (not voltage!)
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connected to this pin through to ground, you can change the delay between
powerings. By default this is connected to the onboard trim potentiometer.
However, you can cut the trace on the back and then connect your own resistor
between Delay andGND.Also, if this pin is connected directly to VDD (say
through a switch) it will activate the output instantly.
Note this pin is not continuously sampled. You need to remove and re-apply
power once you change the resistance!
DRV - this is the Drive output pin, the TPL5110 will power this pin with the same
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voltage as from VDD when the timer activates
Done - This is the signal pin from the driven electronics back to the TPL5110 to
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let it know that it is 'done' with whatever it had to do, and the TPL5110 can turn it
off
There is also an 'active' LED in the top right. This will let you know when the DRV pin
is powered. It does draw some current so if you need ultra-low current draw, cut the
trace behind the PCB!
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Assembly
This page shows the TPL5110 but the TPL5111 procedure is identical!
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Prepare the header strip:
Cut the strip to length if necessary. It will
be easier to solder if you insert it into a
breadboard - long pins down
Add the breakout board and Solder!
Place the breakout board over the pins
so that the short pins poke through the
breakout pads
Be sure to solder all 5 pins for reliable
electrical contact.
(For tips on soldering, be sure to check
out our Guide to Excellent
Soldering(https://adafru.it/aTk)).
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Usage
You're done! Check your solder joints
visually and continue onto the next steps
Using the TPL5110 isn't too hard but there's a few things to watch out for. First up, do
not give it 9V power, use 3-5V only!
Make sure to provide the power to the VDD and GND pins. Then connect your project
to the DRV and GND pin. Use a DONE pin from your microcontroller to signal when
the TPL can disable power: when the DONE pin goes from low to high, that will turn
off the TPL's power transistor.
In this project I'm using A3 as the DONE signal pin. You can use any pin you like as
long as the wiring matches your sketch. The pin is lightly pulled down so just set to an
Output and High when you're done!
If the TPL doesn't get a DONE signal, it will reset the board with a short ENABLE
toggle when the timeout is reached (e.g. before the next cycle)
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Notes on the Delay Pin
The delay pin is a little more complicated than you may first think!
First, do not connect a voltage here, instead it uses a resistor to determine the
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delay timing.
Second, it does not continuously sample the resistor, it only does it once when
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power is applied. So set the delay you want, then power up the breakout.
Third, you can instantly turn on the project by connecting Delay to VDD. By
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default we have a pushbutton on board, you can connect your own button if you
like
Fourth, the resistance is not linear with the time delay, rather there is a complex
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algorithm to set the time based on resistance. You can check the datasheet for
the precise calculation, or use this rough table:
1 Seconds 5.2 KΩ
2 Seconds 6.79 kΩ
3 Seconds 7.64 kΩ
4 Seconds 8.3 kΩ
5 Seconds 8.85 kΩ
6 Seconds 9.26 kΩ
7 Seconds 9.71 kΩ
8 Seconds 10.18 kΩ
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9 Seconds 10.68 kΩ
10 Seconds 11.2 kΩ
20 Seconds 14.41 kΩ
30 Seconds 16.78 kΩ
40 Seconds 18.75 kΩ
50 Seconds 20.047 kΩ
1 Minute 22.02 kΩ
2 Minutes 29.35 kΩ
3 Minutes 34.73 kΩ
4 Minutes 39.11 kΩ
5 Minutes 42.90 kΩ
6 Minutes 46.29 kΩ
7 Minutes 49.38 kΩ
8 Minutes 52.24 kΩ
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9 Minutes 54.92 kΩ
10 Minutes 57.44 kΩ
20 Minutes 77.57 kΩ
30 Minutes 92.43 kΩ
40 Minutes 104.67 kΩ
50 Minutes 115.33 kΩ
1 Hour 124.91 kΩ
1 Hour 30 Minutes 149.39 kΩ
2 Hours 170 kΩ
Given that we put a 200 kΩ trimpot on the board, you may find it difficult to get
precise timing if you need short delays. In that case, you can use any resistor you
want. First, cut the trace on the back of the PCB
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Then install your desired resistor:
Don't forget to hard-reset the full setup!
ESP8266 Feather Example
ESP8266's are a little finicky and may need some tweaks to get working. Note that
some pins have special purpose so are not suitable for a DONE pin. Here's a demo of
an ESP8266 Feather with a NeoPixel ring. We power from a microUSB cable through
a breakout adapter. The USB power goes through the TPL5110 to the power rail. We
added a 47uF capacitor to stabilize the power rail.
For the code, we toggle the DONE pin high and low forever to make sure it gets
'caught' by the TPL (it may not be necessary but it doesn't hurt!)
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While we've used this breakout with Huzzah ESP8266 Feather successfully -
other people have said it doesn't work for them. So use with ESP8266 is not
guaranteed.
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#if defined(ESP8266)
#define NEOPIX 4
#define DONEPIN 5
#else
#include <Adafruit_SleepyDog.h>
#define NEOPIX 13
#define DONEPIN 12
#endif
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(12, NEOPIX, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
void setup() {
pinMode(DONEPIN, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(DONEPIN, LOW);
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.println("Light up NeoPixels!");
strip.begin();
strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
strip.setBrightness(20);
}
void loop() {
rainbowCycle(5);
Serial.println("NeoPixels done, sleeping");
// toggle DONE so TPL knows to cut power!
while (1) {
digitalWrite(DONEPIN, HIGH);
delay(1);
digitalWrite(DONEPIN, LOW);
delay(1);
}
Serial.println("Awake!");
}
// Slightly different, this makes the rainbow equally distributed throughout
void rainbowCycle(uint8_t wait) {
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uint16_t i, j;
for(j=0; j<256*1; j++) { // 5 cycles of all colors on wheel
for(i=0; i< strip.numPixels(); i++) {
strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel(((i * 256 / strip.numPixels()) + j) & 255));
}
strip.show();
delay(wait);
}
}
// Input a value 0 to 255 to get a color value.
// The colours are a transition r - g - b - back to r.
uint32_t Wheel(byte WheelPos) {
WheelPos = 255 - WheelPos;
if(WheelPos < 85) {
return strip.Color(255 - WheelPos * 3, 0, WheelPos * 3);
}
if(WheelPos < 170) {
WheelPos -= 85;
return strip.Color(0, WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3);
}
WheelPos -= 170;
return strip.Color(WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3, 0);
}
Video Example
You can also watch me put together a project using a prototype of this board (the
shipping version has a pulldown resistor on DONE which i had to manually install in
the video)
Handy Accessories
Here's some items you may find useful!
20mm Coin Cell Breakout Board (CR2032)
Simple but effective - this sewable
breakout board has a CR2032 coin cell
battery holder soldered on and 0.1" pitch
breakout pins for easy connecting. Great
for powering very...
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1870
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JST-PH 2-Pin SMT Right Angle Breakout
Board
A simple 2-pin connector soldered onto a
breadboard-friendly breakout. This is
compatible with the "JST PH 2-pin"
connector. Mates perfectly with all our 1-
cell
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1862
USB Micro-B Breakout Board
Simple but effective - this breakout board
has a USB Micro-B connector, with all 5
pins broken out. Great for pairing with a
microcontroller with USB support, or
adding USB 5V power to...
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1833
Downloads
Files
Fritzing object in Adafruit Fritzing library(https://adafru.it/aP3)
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Breadboard-friendly 2.1mm DC barrel jack
This power jack is designed to fit 2.1mm
power plugs snugly and securely. Perfect
for adding a power connector to your
project. We went for the more expensive
"thin pin" type...
https://www.adafruit.com/product/373
EagleCAD PCB files on GitHub(https://adafru.it/uFz)
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tpl5110 Datasheet pdf
https://adafru.it/uFA
Schematic and Fabrication Print
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