Helpdesk

Hi there, when and where can I buy the new StromPi3? I am very interested in buying it. What are the updates compared to the Strompi2?  Many thanks!

Dear jolles,
the StromPi3 should be available in about 1-2 months.
The main differences are the additional possibility to hook up the LifePo4 Battery Pack on top of the StromPi3 which would be charged trough the Mainboard and can be used as a third voltage source (for powerbackup) and other than in the V2 there is now a more intelligent circuit included, with a programmable MCU.
With it you can use it as a RTC-ClockSource for a Raspberry Pi without Internet and you can program time-events for shutdown and booting of the Raspberry Pi. For Example you can boot up the Raspberry Pi in the morning and shutdown it at the evening for a shop advertisment/digital signage solution.
The programing of the StromPi3 can be made through the serial interface with a Terminal program in a dedicated programing mode.
Best Regards,
Jarek

Thanks. I look much forward to it. Would it be possible to control an external 12v power source connected to LED strips and via some scripts on the rpi thereby turn on and off the lights?
Thanks

Dear Jolles,
yes, you should use a relay controlled through the GPIOs of the Raspberry Pi to turn on/off the LED Stripe. The 12V voltage source would also power up the Raspberry pi through the StromPi 3
Best Regards,
Jarek