3.7V 200mAh LiPo Battery (501530) - Compact Lithium Polymer Cell with Protection PCB

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What does "501530" mean? It indicates the rough physical dimensions of the internal raw cell (approx 5mm x 15mm x 30mm). With the added protection board, the actual footprint of this specific unit is 32x14x5mm.

2. What is the nominal voltage of this battery? The nominal (average) operating voltage is 3.7V.

3. What is the voltage when it is fully charged? A fully charged 1S LiPo battery will read exactly 4.2V.

4. Does this battery have built-in protection? Yes, a miniature protection PCB is hidden under the yellow tape at the top of the cell.

5. What does the protection circuit do? It protects the lithium chemistry from catching fire due to overcharging, prevents permanent chemical damage from over-discharging, and cuts power if the wires short-circuit.

6. Are the wires open-ended or do they have a plug? This battery ships with ~50mm open-ended (bare) wire leads.

7. Which wire is positive? The red wire is Positive (+), and the black wire is Negative (-).

8. What does "discharge at 0.2C" mean? "C" is the total capacity of the battery. 0.2C means 20% of 200mAh, which is 40 milliamps (40mA). Drawing roughly 40mA continuously will ensure you get the absolute best efficiency and lifespan out of this cell.

9. Will it break if my project draws more than 40mA? No, the battery can handle higher bursts of current (like a small motor turning on), but pulling heavy current continuously will cause the voltage to sag and drain the battery much faster than the rated 200mAh limit.

10. Can I charge this with a standard TP4056 module? Yes, BUT you should modify it. Standard TP4056 modules push 1000mA (1A) of charge current, which is far too high for a 200mAh battery. You should change the programming resistor on the TP4056 to output around 100mA to 200mA (0.5C to 1C charge rate).

11. Can I wire this directly to a 5V USB cable to charge it? NO. Applying raw 5V directly to a LiPo battery will cause it to swell, catch fire, or explode. You must use a dedicated Lithium-Ion charger IC.

12. Can I power a 5V Arduino Uno with this? A standard Arduino Uno expects 5V. This battery only outputs 3.7V. You would need a separate "Boost Converter" module to step the 3.7V up to 5V.

13. What microcontrollers work best with this? Low-power 3.3V logic boards like the ESP32, ESP8266, Raspberry Pi Pico, and specific Seeed Studio XIAO boards are perfect companions.

14. How long are the wires? The flexible wire leads are approximately 50mm (about 2 inches) long.

15. Can I cut the wires to make them shorter? Yes. CRITICAL WARNING: Always cut the wires one at a time. Cutting both the red and black wires simultaneously with metal snips will instantly short-circuit the battery!

16. Can I wire two of these in series to get 7.4V? It is highly discouraged to wire individual, internally protected LiPo cells in series. The independent protection boards can conflict and cause charging failures.

17. Can I wire two in parallel to get 400mAh? Yes, but only if both batteries are measured with a multimeter and are at the exact same voltage (e.g., both at 3.8V) before connecting them together.

18. Is this battery waterproof? No. The silver foil pouch is sealed, but the top circuit board and the wire connections are exposed to the elements.

19. Why does my battery look puffy or swollen? LiPo batteries puff up when damaged, old, or severely over-discharged. If your battery swells, stop using it immediately and safely recycle it.

20. How should I store this battery if I am not using it for a while? Never store LiPo batteries fully charged (4.2V) or fully dead (3.0V). Store them at a "storage charge" of roughly 3.8V in a cool, fire-safe location.