Customer:
I received my Inkplate 6PLUS and it works great on power. However, it won’t boot when connected to battery. I’ve connected a 3.7 volt lithium-ion battery and added a CR2032 battery. The device initially came with a dead battery, but after the Inkplate charged it, the multimeter now shows 3.7 volts. I’ve checked the connections and the JST connector appears to be working as expected. What troubleshooting steps can I try?
Also, what does the switch labeled LED do? I can’t find documentation on it.
Originally submitted via email support on 9 January 2022. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.
Soldered Support:
Check the battery polarity first. On the Inkplate board, there’s a mark near the JST battery connector showing which is the + and - wire. An incorrectly polarized battery is a common issue. Once you’ve verified the polarity is correct, measure the voltage on the 3V3 pin and the VIN pin.
The switch labeled LED controls whether the power LED is enabled or disabled. In low power applications, the LED draws a few milliamperes which is too much for a battery-powered device. You can turn the LED on with the switch to see when the Inkplate is powered ON/OFF, but for battery operation, switch the LED off to reduce power consumption.