Power Sources & Storage
Batteries, cells, supplies — the juice
Battery (primary - alkaline/coin)
Battery
Single-use non-rechargeable batteries that store chemical energy and convert it to electrical energy. Common in portable devices.
Battery (Li-ion / LiPo / LiFePO4)
Battery
A rechargeable lithium cell with high energy density. Powers phones, tools and packs - but needs protection and correct charging to stay safe.
Battery (lead-acid / NiMH)
Battery
The old reliables of rechargeable storage. Lead-acid: cheap, heavy, delivers huge cranking currents, hates deep discharge. NiMH: benign chemistry in AA form, tolerant of abuse, self-discharges faster.
Battery Management System (BMS)
Power
The guardian circuit for lithium packs: stops over-charge, over-discharge, over-current and shorts, and balances cells so one weak cell doesn't wreck the pack. Never build a lithium pack without one.
SMPS / Power Supply
Power
A circuit that converts power efficiently using switching regulators. Provides stable DC voltage from AC mains or other sources.
DC-DC Converter (buck/boost module)
Power
A circuit that converts one DC voltage level to another, either stepping down (buck) or stepping up (boost) the input voltage.
Inverter / UPS
Power
Turns DC (battery/solar) into AC mains power. A UPS is an inverter with a charger and a fast transfer switch. Waveform quality is the split: pure sine runs everything; modified sine annoys motors and some electronics.