USB Powered

Question

Is there a way to use two USB ports to draw 10V to power something greater than 5V? The current raspberry pi build I'm working on uses a cheap LCD backup camera which draws between 7.5V - 12V. I would like to run the entire build off of a USB powered hub. If so how?.. and what precautions should I take?.. and if not could I install an inline booster on the USB to increase the Voltage enough to run the LCD?

Thank you for your time

michaelkellett · Answer

There is no way to combine USB ports to make 10V (without additional electronic stuff). The 4.5- 5V you can get form a USB host can be stepped up with a suitable DC-DC convertor to almost any voltage but the power is limited. How much power or current does your camera draw ? The maximum power you can reliably expect from a USB host port is 2W (4.5V @ 500mA less a bit for losses) but not all hubs will actually do this. If your camera needs 12V the maximum current a USB port and DC-DC converter could provide would be 2/12 = 0.167A. Tell us the spec of you camera an post a sketch of the connections you plan - it would be easier to advise you with more information. MK

sqkybeaver · Answer

have you looked into powered USB interface cards? they can provide 12or 24 volt dc and at higher currents than USB 2.0. commonly used in POS systems.