Dear Sparkfun Team,
I am interested in using the Energy Harvester Breakout for storing energy in a LiPo battery and then through the battery to power the microcontroller. Could you please advise me if this is possible? If positive how could I integrate it with the LiPo charger and the microcontroller?
In addition I noticed that it could take up to two piezo-electric elements. Is there any piezoelectric element to suggest in order to get the maximum energy?
Best,
George
Hi George.
You can only use a single piezo element with the Energy Harvester Breakout. There’s two pads to connect the two wires from your piezo to the board.
If you’re planning on using a battery with the breakout, you’d use that in place of a piezo element and the breakout would become a low power voltage regulator for your microcontroller. The breakout really is not going to work as a battery charger and you would need a very large piezo element to generate even enough power to light a LED briefly. Connecting a lipo charger would be as simple as connecting it directly to your battery.
Thanks Chris!
Best,
George