I just finished a project involving a portable device featuring a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W that drives a 60-LED NeoPixel light strip and a speaker via a MAX98357A amplifier. The Pi draws negligible current and could be powered by a PowerBoost 1000 and a LiPo battery, but the NeoPixel strip and the speaker both increase the load, so I connected them to a USB-C power bank via a USB-C PD trigger board. That option works great for power, but I'm now dealing with a nasty bug that I also encountered in a previous project: when the electronics are powered down and draw negligible current for an extended period, the power bank tends to shut down the USB-C port entirely, and the only option for reactivating the electronics is to physically disconnect and reconnect the USB-C connection. Very annoying.
Since I've dealt with this problem a few times now, I'd like to solicit the community for general advice on power sources for Raspberry-Pi-based portable projects that exceed a typical LiPo battery. The power source needs to be:
1) Capable of providing at least 15W, especially for Raspberry Pi 5 projects, and ideally 25W or more if the project involves a lot of LEDs or any kind of motor;
2) Reliable (i.e., not subject to shutting down USB ports); and
3) A reasonable balance of energy storage capacity (20 amp-hours or more), weight/size, and cost.
USB-C power banks seem like a good option in general - good power delivery, capacity, and steadily increasing power storage capacity and density with steadily decreasing costs. Bonus - integrated recharging. I've had good experience combining a PD trigger board to negotiate a primary voltage and drive the entire set of components with a secondary power regulator solely for the RPi. Unfortunately, the idle-shutdown issue seems to be common with these devices. I ran across a recommendation to look for a "continuous power delivery" type of USB-C power bank, but I haven't found one. As a secondary problem, the outer plastic shell of any USB-C power bank adds a lot of bulk if you want to integrate them into another device, and I'm really not willing to experiment with removing it to embed only the internals.
Any insights are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
(edit) Also noting that I am aware of "trickle charge mode" that causes a power bank to keep a port active even for a small current draw. Unfortunately, that feature seems to be for USB-A, not USB-C, and of course USB-A is not capable of delivering sufficient power for these projects.
Since I've dealt with this problem a few times now, I'd like to solicit the community for general advice on power sources for Raspberry-Pi-based portable projects that exceed a typical LiPo battery. The power source needs to be:
1) Capable of providing at least 15W, especially for Raspberry Pi 5 projects, and ideally 25W or more if the project involves a lot of LEDs or any kind of motor;
2) Reliable (i.e., not subject to shutting down USB ports); and
3) A reasonable balance of energy storage capacity (20 amp-hours or more), weight/size, and cost.
USB-C power banks seem like a good option in general - good power delivery, capacity, and steadily increasing power storage capacity and density with steadily decreasing costs. Bonus - integrated recharging. I've had good experience combining a PD trigger board to negotiate a primary voltage and drive the entire set of components with a secondary power regulator solely for the RPi. Unfortunately, the idle-shutdown issue seems to be common with these devices. I ran across a recommendation to look for a "continuous power delivery" type of USB-C power bank, but I haven't found one. As a secondary problem, the outer plastic shell of any USB-C power bank adds a lot of bulk if you want to integrate them into another device, and I'm really not willing to experiment with removing it to embed only the internals.
Any insights are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
(edit) Also noting that I am aware of "trickle charge mode" that causes a power bank to keep a port active even for a small current draw. Unfortunately, that feature seems to be for USB-A, not USB-C, and of course USB-A is not capable of delivering sufficient power for these projects.
Statistics: Posted by sfsdfd — Wed Oct 29, 2025 1:29 pm