The Raspberry Pi 3 is powered by a 5.1V micro USB supply. Exactly how much current (mA) the Raspberry Pi requires is dependent on what you connect to it. We have...
The Raspberry Pi 3 is powered by a 5.1V micro USB supply. Exactly how much current (mA) the Raspberry Pi requires is dependent on what you connect to it. We have found that purchasing a 2.5A power supply from a reputable retailer will provide you with ample power to run your Raspberry Pi.
Typically, the model B uses between 700-1000mA depending on what peripherals are connected; model A can use as little as 500mA with no peripherals attached. The maximum power the Raspberry Pi can use is 1 Amp. If you need to connect a USB device that will take the power requirements above 1 Amp, then you must connect it to an externally powered USB hub.
The power requirements of the Raspberry Pi increase as you make use of the various interfaces on the Raspberry Pi. The GPIO pins can draw 50mA safely, distributed across all the pins; an individual GPIO pin can only safely draw 16mA. The HDMI port uses 50mA, the camera module requires 250mA, and keyboards and mice can take as little as 100mA or over 1000mA! Check the power rating of the devices you plan to connect to the Pi and purchase a power supply accordingly.
Backpowering occurs when USB hubs do not provide a diode to stop the hub from powering against the host computer. Other hubs will provide as much power as you want out each port. Please also be aware that some hubs will back feed the Raspberry Pi. This means that the hubs will power the Raspberry Pi through its USB cable input cable, without the need for a separate micro-USB power cable, and bypass the voltage protection. If you are using a hub that back feeds to the Raspberry Pi and the hub experiences a power surge, your Raspberry Pi could potentially be damaged.
