Powering Vizy

Powering Vizy is typically done by plugging in the AC-DC power adapter that comes with Vizy into Vizy's power input connector. The power adapter supplies 12V at 2.5A.

Alternately, the PoE adapter is a popular way to power Vizy. But Vizy can be powered by other means as well.

• Vizy's power input connector can accept between 7.5V and 18V.
• The input voltage dictates the voltage available at the 12V output.
• It is recommended that Vizy's power supply not be rated for less than 15W of power.
• Vizy's internal 5V switching power supply can supply up to 6A and operates at 90% efficiency. The 5V supply is used to power the Raspberry Pi, the 5V output, and the USB ports. The sum of all these currents should not exceed 6A.
• The power input connector is reverse-polarity protected.
• The power input connector is compatible with a 3.5mm outer diameter barrel connector with 1.1mm inner diameter

You can power Vizy with a 5V supply through the USB-C connector. This is useful if you want to use a portable charger to power Vizy via battery. (Portable chargers output 5V through a USB port and typically have a large battery capacity.)

• The 5V supply should be at least 4.8V and not exceed 5.25V.
• The USB-C cable should have a high current capacity.
• When using a 5V supply, the 12V output won't be available and should not be used.
• The button will no longer control power to Vizy. Vizy will power on as soon as you plug in the 5V supply.
• You can still do a safe shut-down of Vizy by holding the button until the Raspberry Pi shuts down, indicated by the beep. You can then unplug the 5V supply from the USB-C port.
• All other aspects of Vizy will function normally.

You can also power Vizy through the I/O connector, which can be convenient since the I/O connector terminal blocks are easy to use. The disadvantage is that you lose the 12V output for the time being (the 12V output is designed to also be a power input.) To power Vizy through the I/O connector, hook the negative side of the supply to one of the Ground pins (pin 1 or 8) and the positive side to the 12V output (pin 2). The same conditions apply to this method as for powering Vizy through the power input connector, including reverse-polarity protection.

For example, if you have a 12V battery or power source, you can easily wire it into Vizy's I/O connector and be up and running quickly.