Inkplate 10 unresponsive with reversed JST battery connected

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Inkplate
1

Customer:

I recently purchased an Inkplate 10 and tried to install a battery. When I connected a 3.7V LiPo (3700mAh) battery via the JST connector, I noticed several issues:

  • The board no longer woke on hitting the power switch (with battery alone or with USB and battery)
  • The 5-pin IC near the CHRG LED became very hot to the touch
  • There was a slight electronic smell

Removing the battery reverted the board to normal behaviour. The battery was connected via JST connector so I don’t believe it was cross-wired. I’m wondering if the issue is that the battery is completely flat and the board is working overtime to charge it at 500mA. Should I be concerned by the temperature of the IC near CHRG?

Originally submitted via email support on 1 November 2021. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.

2

Customer:

After some research, it seems the battery supplier has a habit of connecting the JST connector backwards. I’m concerned the board may have been damaged by the ~30s it spent plugged in with reversed polarity. Looking at the schematic, should D8 and R24 protect against this error?

3

Customer:

It turns out the battery was cross-wired. The board appears to be functional after removing it.

4

Soldered Support:

When using a battery, check the polarity carefully as JST battery connectors have differences depending on the manufacturer. Glad to hear the board is working after you disconnected the reversed battery.