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Backup Power for USB device -- does it exist?

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Deozaan:
I have a USB device that I need to keep powered. It is connected to a Raspberry Pi type device that itself is connected to a UPS, but it seems when the RPi reboots, it shuts off power to the USB ports momentarily, which resets the USB device.

I need something that will keep a steady supply of power to the USB device, but still allow a data connection to the RPi.

Does such a thing exist? Would an ordinary USB Y-cable (such as for external hard drives) do this? Or is there some kind of special Y-cable (or anything) that will provide power but still allow data to be sent/received to/from another device?

Ath:
Some USB devices with the requirement of stable power have an extra powerplug mounted, I assume yours doesn't?

Maybe you can 'sabotage' a Y-cable, by cutting the + power wire on the RPi side, and providing stable power on the other end, besides the data wires, common ground is also a requirement.

Shades:
You could also consider adding a power plug to the device and use an external power supply with it.

From your description I gather that (at least) the power lines on each USB port are interrupted during reboot. Splitting up cables might not be as stable as a separate power supply. If you can stomach the extra power cable that is.

If you know how long the power interruption lasts, you could also add an extra condensator (parallel) between the power lines of the USB connection in the USB device. That should add a tiny buffer that should be able to cope with short power interruptions. This requires more knowledge about electronics and the innards of your USB device, though. Something like this would be visually the "cleanest" option. And perhaps there are already existing USB power buffer devices available on Amazon, Ebay, NewEgg, etc.

Even a powered USB hub might be sufficient to help you out.

KodeZwerg:
Maybe you can 'sabotage' a Y-cable, by cutting the + power wire on the RPi side, and providing stable power on the other end, besides the data wires, common ground is also a requirement.-Ath (September 25, 2018, 03:23 PM)
--- End quote ---
You even could consider to buy such, like shown here
What i meant to say, sabotage works. :Thmbsup:

Ps: To get buyable results near your place, use google and type "usb data and power splitter" as search term.
PPs: YouTube offers DYI tutorials with that search term.



Regards,

KodeZwerg

mwb1100:
Would a powered hub do the trick?

    - RPi <--> powered hub <--> device

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