0

I have a variable power source(5V, 6V, 9V, 12V, etc...) with a usb plug which I had powering my pi 3B a few months ago, but one day (a few months ago) I accidently had the power source set on 6V(it might have been 6.5V, I forget). The pi was running normally, but I noticed it was running extra hot. Probably about twenty minutes later, I noticed my mistake, immediately shut the pi down and set the power source back to 5V. Since then, the pi has worked perfectly(as far as I can tell), without any noticeable problems. My question is,

1.) Would this have reduced the longevity and lifespan of my pi?, and

2.) What overvoltage protection parts(if any) does the pi have? Does it have an onboard voltage regulator/monitor?

Benjamin Ashbaugh
  • 1,077
  • 7
  • 17

2 Answers2

1

The parts are given a voltage rating by the manufacturer that will work with all of that particular processor, they also have a guard band to insure that. The process used to make the processors have variations so the actual max voltages will vary from lot to lot and be equal or exceed the specification. Testing is go-nogo to insure they meet the spec with the guardband. No promises what they will do when the manufacturers specified voltage is is violated. Most of them will be OK depending on the overvoltage but that is not guaranteed. The manufacturer warrants millions of devices and cannot afford failures, can you?

Gil
  • 1,228
  • 4
  • 5
0

WARNING Do NOT do this.
The PMIC on modern Pi rating Input voltage range: 4.0V to 5.5V

Absolutely nothing to worry about with 6v. I have been using a switching PSU at 6v 3A for days on the Pi 4 4Gb rev. 1.1 as it was giving a low voltage warning when set at 5V.

Long story short, do not fall for all the crybabies online claiming to not go above 5.2V these are all trolls that have not tested anything beyond their theories.

Milliways
  • 59,890
  • 31
  • 101
  • 209
Genuine Music Experience
  • 1
  • wow, such venom from someone who clearly has poor quality cables on their power supply – Jaromanda X Jan 07 '24 at 05:27
  • As with all electronics, powering an RPi with a voltage beyond its specifications is a gamble. You might have been lucky your RPi was not damaged, but someone else might not be. – StarCat Jan 07 '24 at 07:41