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I'm trying to connect 2x 2.5" external HD using a USB to SATA converted. I found out the maximum current the Pi can provide is 1.2A for all usb ports, however I need 2A

I'm wondering if I can use the GPIO 5V output to power one of the drives, I have both a 5V 3A and a 5V 5A power source.

Specs

  • Raspberry Pi 4
  • +5VDC 1.0A (Seagate Barracuda 2TB)
Miguel Stevens
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    Drawing 1A from the GPIO 5V pin should work (given the main power supply has at least 3A), but if you have an external supply, why don't you wire that directly? Also, the USB to SATA adapters I know of have an external power input. – PMF Dec 10 '20 at 09:52
  • Oh, and are you sure the Seagate Barracuda is drawing 1.0A at 5V? I'd rather assume it would be 1.0A at 12V. – PMF Dec 10 '20 at 09:53
  • @PMF It's the green one, and it says 5V on the disk. Maybe the green one is less power consuming? I saw some converters with external power input, but this one doesn't. Thanks for your answer – Miguel Stevens Dec 10 '20 at 10:00
  • @PMF I read something about the disks drawing a lot of current during startup, can this cause issue's with the Pi? – Miguel Stevens Dec 10 '20 at 10:08
  • I fear that could be a problem, yes. I'm not sure whether it would fry the Pi, but it could prevent it from booting properly due to too low voltage during startup. – PMF Dec 10 '20 at 10:15
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    Does this answer your question? Can the Pi 4 power 2 external USB 3 HDDs? Essentially, your options are either to power the drive separately (typically though a powered hub), or bypass the USB current limitation of the Pi. Powering through the 5V pin is exactly that bypass. – Dmitry Grigoryev Dec 17 '20 at 11:51
  • Thanks @Dmitry is there any downside to the bypass? Because it seems like a great solution if there’s no risk of damage to the pi or the HD’s. – Miguel Stevens Dec 17 '20 at 20:30

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