Run 5V electronics from a single AA cell
This tiny step-up module does something that surprises people the first time they see it: it takes an input as low as 0.9V — a single, nearly-flat AA battery — and lifts it to a steady 5V on a standard USB-A socket. Plug in your phone, a microcontroller, an LED strip or any USB gadget and it runs, from a battery that has nowhere near 5V of its own.
It uses a PFM step-up controller, reaches up to about 96% conversion efficiency, and measures just 34 × 15.2 mm, so it disappears inside a project box. An on-board LED shows when it is running.
Specifications
- Input voltage: DC 0.9V – 5V
- Output voltage: 5V DC, on a standard USB-A female socket
- Output current: up to 600mA
- Control: PFM step-up (boost) controller
- Efficiency: up to approximately 96%
- Board size: 34 × 15.2 mm
- Operating temperature: −40°C to +85°C
- Indicator: on-board power LED
How much current will you actually get?
Output current depends on what you feed it, and it is worth being clear about this before you buy:
- One AA cell (1.5V): roughly 200–300mA out
- Two AA cells (3V): roughly 500–600mA out
That is plenty for an Arduino, an ESP8266 on light duty, sensors, small LED strips or trickle-charging a phone. It is not a fast phone charger, and it will not run a motor or a hungry ESP32 transmitting at full power — for that you want a higher-current boost module such as the MT3608 or XL6009, which we also stock.
What people build with it
- DIY power banks from 18650 or AA cells
- Portable Arduino and ESP projects that need a clean 5V rail
- Solar-cell and single-cell battery power supplies
- Emergency phone chargers for load-shedding and travel
- Squeezing the last usable energy out of partly-discharged batteries
Why buy it from Arduino Corner
We stock the whole boost family — this little USB one for low-power jobs, and MT3608 and XL6009 modules when you need real current — so you can pick the right one instead of returning the wrong one. Ask us what your project draws and we will point you at the correct module.
Visit us: Smart Home | Arduino Corner, Shaheen Market, DAV College Road, Rawalpindi. Same-day delivery across Rawalpindi and Islamabad, cash on delivery all over Pakistan.
