{"id":47761,"date":"2017-11-30T12:39:53","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T12:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/?p=47761"},"modified":"2019-04-02T10:23:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-02T10:23:26","slug":"esp8266-voltage-regulator-lipo-and-li-ion-batteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/esp8266-voltage-regulator-lipo-and-li-ion-batteries\/","title":{"rendered":"ESP8266 Voltage Regulator (LiPo and Li-ion Batteries)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ifp\">In this guide, you\u2019re going to build a voltage regulator for the ESP8266 that can be used with LiPo and Li-ion batteries.<!--more--><span id=\"more-44608\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Watch the video version<\/h2>\n<p><em>This guide is available in video format (watch below) and in written format (continue reading this page).<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><iframe width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z-36HflHotU?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>ESP8266 power consumption<\/h2>\n<p>The ESP8266 is well known for being power hungry when performing Wi-Fi tasks. It can consume from <strong>50mA<\/strong> to <strong>170mA<\/strong>. So, for a lot of applications it\u2019s not ideal to use a battery with it.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/esp8266.jpg?resize=600%2C436&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/esp8266.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/esp8266.jpg?resize=300%2C218&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It is better to use a power adapter connected to mains voltage, so that you don\u2019t have to worry about power consumption or charging batteries.<\/p>\n<h2>ESP8266 with LiPo\/Li-ion batteries<\/h2>\n<p>However, for some <a href=\"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/esp8266-deep-sleep-with-arduino-ide\/\">ESP8266 projects that use Deep Sleep<\/a> or don\u2019t require constant Wi-Fi connection, using the ESP8266 with rechargeable LiPo batteries is a great solution.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47772\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/lipo-battery.jpg?resize=600%2C456&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/lipo-battery.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/lipo-battery.jpg?resize=300%2C228&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For battery powered applications the ESP-01 version is the recommended board, because it has few on board components.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47766\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/battery-esp-01.png?resize=650%2C428&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/battery-esp-01.png?w=650&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/battery-esp-01.png?resize=300%2C198&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Boards like the ESP-12 NodeMCU use more power, because they have extra components like resistors, capacitors, chips, etc..<\/p>\n<p>Since LiPo batteries are so easily available, I\u2019ll show you how to power the ESP8266 using those types of batteries.<\/p>\n<p>This guide is not about different types of batteries and I won\u2019t explain how LiPo batteries work. I\u2019ll just give you the relevant information to complete the circuit presented\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>LiPo\/Li-ion batteries fully charged<\/h2>\n<p>LiPo\/Li-ion batteries are rechargeable with the appropriate charger and they output approximately 4.2V when are fully charged.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47765\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/4.2v.jpg?resize=600%2C445&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/4.2v.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/4.2v.jpg?resize=300%2C223&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>However, as the battery keeps discharging the voltage starts to drop:<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47776\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/power-consumption-batteries.jpg?resize=600%2C369&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/power-consumption-batteries.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/power-consumption-batteries.jpg?resize=300%2C185&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>The ESP recommended operating voltage is 3.3V<\/strong>, but it can operate with voltages between 3V and 3.6V. So you can\u2019t plug the LiPo battery directly to an ESP8266, you\u2019ll need a voltage regulator.<\/p>\n<h2>Typical Linear Voltage Regulator<\/h2>\n<p>Using a typical linear voltage regulator to drop the voltage from 4.2V to 3.3V isn\u2019t a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>For example: if the battery discharges to 3.7V, your voltage regulator would stop working, because it has a high cutoff voltage.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-47777\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?resize=299%2C299&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?resize=80%2C80&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 80w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-typica-regulator.jpg?resize=220%2C220&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Low-dropout or LDO Regulator<\/h2>\n<p>To drop the voltage efficiently with batteries, you need to use low-dropout regulator or also known as LDO regulator that can regulate the output voltage.<\/p>\n<p>Having a low dropout voltage means that even if the battery is only outputting 3.4V it would still work. Keep in mind that you should never empty the LiPo battery completely, because it will damage the battery or decrease its lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>After researching LDOs, I found a couple of good alternatives. One of the best LDOs I\u2019ve found was the <a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/low-dropout-ldo-regulator-mcp1700-3320e\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>MCP1700-3302E<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-47778\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MCP1700-3320E.jpg?resize=334%2C232&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"334\" height=\"232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MCP1700-3320E.jpg?w=444&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 444w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MCP1700-3320E.jpg?resize=300%2C208&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fairly small and It looks like a transistor.<\/p>\n<p>There is also a good alternative like the <strong>HT7333-A<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47779\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/HT73333.jpg?resize=550%2C254&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/HT73333.jpg?w=550&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 550w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/HT73333.jpg?resize=300%2C139&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Any LDO that has similar specifications to the ones shown on the datasheet below are also good alternatives. Your LDO should have similar specs when it comes to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Output voltage (3.3V)<\/li>\n<li>Quiescent current (~1.6uA)<\/li>\n<li>Output current (~250mA)<\/li>\n<li>Low-dropout voltage (~178mV)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47769\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/datasheet.jpg?resize=900%2C629&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/datasheet.jpg?w=900&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/datasheet.jpg?resize=300%2C210&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/datasheet.jpg?resize=768%2C537&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>MCP1700-3302E Pinout<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the MCP1700-3302E pinout. It has GND, Vin and Vout:<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47780\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pinout.png?resize=186%2C223&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"223\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Other LDOs should have the same pinout, but you should always search for your LDO\u2019s datasheet to verify its pinout.<\/p>\n<h2>ESP8266 Circuit with LDO and Li-ion Battery<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the parts required to design the voltage regulator for the ESP-01:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>LiPo battery or <a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/rechargeable-li-ion-batteries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Li-ion batter + battery holder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/low-dropout-ldo-regulator-mcp1700-3320e\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Low-dropout or LDO regulator (MCP1700-3302E)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/electrolytic-capacitors-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1000uF electrolytic capacitor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/ceramic-capacitors-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">100nF ceramic capacitor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/pushbuttons-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pushbutton<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/resistors-kits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10k Ohm resistor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/esp-01-wi-fi-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ESP-01<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 read\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/best-esp8266-wi-fi-development-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Best ESP8266 Wi-Fi Development Boards<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/mb-102-solderless-breadboard-830-points\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Breadboard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/jumper-wires-kit-120-pieces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jumper wires<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can use the preceding links or go directly to <a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/?utm_source=rnt&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=post\" target=\"_blank\">MakerAdvisor.com\/tools<\/a> to find all the parts for your projects at the best price!<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/makeradvisor.com\/tools\/?utm_source=rnt&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=post\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/header-200.png?w=1200&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Take a look at the diagram below to design your own voltage regulator circuit.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47762\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic.jpg?resize=546%2C711&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"546\" height=\"711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic.jpg?w=546&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 546w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic.jpg?resize=230%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 230w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Or you can take a look at the Fritzing diagram (the ceramic capacitor and electrolytic capacitor are in parallel with GND and Vout of the LDO):<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47763\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic-fritzing.jpg?resize=522%2C456&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"522\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic-fritzing.jpg?w=522&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 522w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ESP8266-LiPo-Li-ion-Batteries-circuit-schematic-fritzing.jpg?resize=300%2C262&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The pushbutton is connected to the RESET pin of the ESP-01, for this particular guide it\u2019s not necessary, but it will be useful in a future guide.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s the final circuit:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47783\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/final-circuit-breadboard-esp-01.jpg?resize=700%2C599&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/final-circuit-breadboard-esp-01.jpg?w=700&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/final-circuit-breadboard-esp-01.jpg?resize=300%2C257&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>About the capacitors<\/h2>\n<p>The LDOs should have a ceramic capacitor and an electrolytic capacitor connected in parallel to GND and Vout to smooth the voltages peaks. The capacitors prevent unexpected resets or unstable behaviour for your ESP8266.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47767\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/circuit.jpg?resize=950%2C575&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"950\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/circuit.jpg?w=950&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/circuit.jpg?resize=300%2C182&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/circuit.jpg?resize=768%2C465&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Testing<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s power the circuit and test it. Having the multimeter measuring the Vin voltage of the LiPo battery, you can see it outputs approximately 4.2V, because the battery is currently fully charged.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47764\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/3.3v.jpg?resize=600%2C335&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/3.3v.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/3.3v.jpg?resize=300%2C168&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s place the multimeter probe on Vout. Now, the multimeter is measuring approximately 3.3V which is the recommended voltage to power the ESP8266.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47773\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/multimeter-3.3V.jpg?resize=600%2C337&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/multimeter-3.3V.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/multimeter-3.3V.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Voltage regulator<\/h2>\n<p>A popular voltage regulator design for the ESP8266 looks like this:<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47774\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-regulator.jpg?resize=600%2C179&#038;quality=100&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-regulator.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-regulator.jpg?resize=300%2C90&amp;quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You solder the capacitors to the LDO, so in the end you have a voltage regulator in a small form factor that can be easily used in your projects.<\/p>\n<p>I hope this guide was useful. This concept will be very helpful to power future projects.<\/p>\n<p><em>This is an excerpt<\/em>\u00a0from my\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/home-automation-using-esp8266\/\">Home Automation using ESP8266 eBook<\/a>. If you like ESP8266 and you want to learn more about it. I recommend downloading my course:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/home-automation-using-esp8266\/\">Home Automation using ESP8266<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I hope this guide was useful. Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this guide, you\u2019re going to build a voltage regulator for the ESP8266 that can be used with LiPo and Li-ion batteries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[214,265,300,240,269,264],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-esp8266","category-esp8266-project","category-0-esp8266","category-esp8266-projects","category-guide-project","category-project"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/voltage-regulator-featured-image-Copy.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}