Power
Compare wall adapters, buck regulators, buck-boost boards, USB-C PD barrel adapters and passive cables before treating them as interchangeable power supplies.
Can I swap these?
Pick the board you have - we'll show what we know about swapping it.
Known swap options (1)
General board checks (9)
- Confirm the exact output voltage first: 3.3 V, 5 V, 9 V and 12 V are different rails.
- Check whether the part is a wall adapter, buck, boost, buck-boost, charger/power-path board, USB-C PD trigger or passive cable.
- For adjustable modules, set and measure the output before connecting the load.
- Match continuous and peak current with margin, then check heat, airflow, wiring and connector rating.
- Check polarity and connector size before plugging in a barrel adapter or wall supply.
- For USB-C PD or LiPo charger boards, verify the upstream charger, cable, battery and firmware or jumper settings.
- Check watts as well as amps: output voltage × load current, plus converter losses, must be supported by the upstream source.
- Buck converters need input headroom above the output, boost converters cannot step down, and buck-boost modules are for inputs that may cross the output rail.
- Measure adjustable converter output before connection and again under the expected load.
