Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeTwo
We have also used automotive USB power converters to power USB and other 5V devices on both our competition and non-competition robots (e.g. t-shirt cannon); you can get these at almost any local convenience store. ( Example). It is usually a simple matter to remove the power port connectors and expose the wires to provide the 12V input. There are also units with wire pigtails or spade connectors for inputs, designed for installing in a dash board; a bit more effort to locate, but neater-looking.
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I would suggest against a USB converter because you're really only guaranteed 500 mA. Odds are it can actually do more than that, but something to watch out for, especially if you're doing anything computationally intensive on the Pi. I'd also watch out for some of the cheaper automotive USB converters. The power is often really ugly (lot of switching noise), which is generally fine for charging your phone, but for a Pi, it may be a little more sensitive to switching noise.