Elecrow 4-port USB hub for Pi Zero: specs
A 4-port USB hub for the Raspberry Pi Zero that mounts back-to-back on the Zero and connects to its test pads PP1, PP6, PP22 and PP23 with four spring pins, so no soldering is needed. It has a battery connection and its own micro-USB power input.
Specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USB ports | 4 USB extension ports, compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 | source Features |
| Power mode | Bus-powered or self-powered | source Features (Power Mode) |
| Working voltage | 5 V DC | source Features |
| Connection to the Pi Zero | 4 pogo pins on the back contact test pads PP1, PP6, PP22 and PP23 of the Raspberry Pi Zero; no soldering | source Introduction |
| Power input | The Pi Zero and the hub are both powered when a supply is connected to either micro-USB port of the Zero; a rechargeable battery can also power the Zero through the hub | source Introduction; Usage |
| Operating temperature | 0 C to 70 C; storage -20 C to 80 C; humidity 0 to 80 % RH, non-condensing | source Features |
| Dimensions | 65.5 (L) x 31.5 (W) x 14.5 (H) mm; model CEF02096C | source Introduction; Features |
Power
| Value | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | 5 V DC, from the Pi Zero (bus power) or self-powered; the hub also has a battery connection | source Features; no current limit is published |
Pinout
We don't publish a pin table for this part: no official source we could verify gives one. Check the labels printed on your module, and see the notes below.
Elecrow's wiki shows the interface in a picture only and publishes no pin or port table; the only named signals are the Pi Zero test pads PP1, PP6, PP22 and PP23.
Build with it
Project ideas for the Elecrow 4-port USB hub for Pi Zero. Each link opens Soldr with the prompt filled in; Soldr assigns the pins, checks power and shows how to wire every part.
- USB camera station: The camera is rated 5 V at 500 mA and the hub publishes no current limit, so test with the camera alone first. If people can be in view, tell them and get consent. Learning project. Elecrow's wiki gives the hub and the Zero each a micro-USB power input; check which one the 5 V brick should go on before powering.
- Wireless Zero node: This idea uses the original Raspberry Pi Zero, the model Elecrow's wiki names. The USB Wi-Fi dongle on the hub provides the wireless link and leaves ports free. Check the dongle's driver support for your Raspberry Pi OS release.
- Pocket data logger: The hub turns the Zero's single USB port into four, so a card reader can hold logs while the OS stays on its own card. Check that the card reader's plug fits a hub port. The hub's current limit is not published; test with one card reader first and use the power input the wiki describes.
Common mistakes
- Mounting the hub the wrong way round: the four pogo pins must land on the Pi Zero's test pads, so fit it back-to-back in the right direction with the plastic standoffs and screws (source: link, Usage).
- Assuming a current limit for bus-power mode: Elecrow lists bus-power and self-power modes but publishes no current figure, so power-hungry USB devices need testing (source: link, Features).
- Using it on a Pi Zero variant the wiki does not name: the wiki names the Raspberry Pi Zero and its test pads PP1, PP6, PP22 and PP23, not the Zero W or Zero 2 W, so check pad positions on your board first (source: link, Introduction).
Not covered by the official source
- No maximum output current, port protection or battery connector type is published by Elecrow for this hub.
- Third-party retailers quote a current figure, but Elecrow's own wiki does not, so none is given.
- The wiki names the original Raspberry Pi Zero; compatibility with the Zero W and Zero 2 W is not stated.
Sources
- link (Elecrow wiki, USB Hub&Powermanager for RPI Zero v1.0)