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Chargers or power supplies -- which ones to use?
(lemmy.world)
Community about the single-board computers, micro-controllers and related projects.
Other RaspberryPi communities on Lemmy
Not all USB power supplies are rated for the current the rpi requires (i forget the number off hand). Anecdotally I had nothing but trouble using a name brand charger supposedly rated for the correct current, which disappeared the instant I switched to a $15 power supply specifically sold for rpi.
For the minor cost and potential headaches of brownouts and unexpected shutdowns, and given that you are asking the question, I would absolutely go with one made for an rpi.
The general difference is, a charger will try to keep the current constant and therefore slightly vary the voltage which may harm the equipment when used as a power supply. A dedicated power supply will try to keep the voltage constant, i.e. independent of the current the hardware is taking.