The 52Pi UPS Gen 6 is another UPS solution for the Raspberry Pi 5 that supports external battery packs for long-duration projects, and uses I²C plus PikaPython scripting to manage power settings and safe shutdowns.
Designed for the Raspberry Pi 5 and 4B, the module mounts on the bottom of the board and delivers power via pogo pins. It also includes an aluminum heatsink with an automatic fan for cooling. It runs on two 18650 batteries, which can be mounted to the Pi with spacers, and there is an option to add three more battery packs in parallel if you need longer runtime. The board also features a physical power button for manual control, a 12V power interface for SATA hard drives, and switching hardware (bumpless power transfer) that instantly falls back to battery power so the system stays on during a power outage.
52Pi UPS Gen 6 specifications:
- Main MCU – STM32F411CEU6
- Compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4B; other Raspberry Pi-compatible SBCs (pin-compatible, but mechanical fit may vary)
- Expansion – FPC multi-function expansion header (power output only)
- Misc
- On-board temperature sensor
- Single power button for manual on/off (not recommended for forced power-off due to filesystem risk)
- Fan connector
- Multi-function button
- Aluminum heatsink with a temperature-controlled fan
- LEDs for power, status, I2C activity, charge/discharge, fault, and OK state
- Power
- Power Input – 5V – 12V via USB Type-C port with PD (Power Delivery), QC (Quick Charge), FCP (Fast Charge Protocol) support
- Battery Input
- Support up to 4x external 8.4V lithium battery packs in parallel via ZH2.0 connector (2x 18650 in series per pack)
- Battery voltage – 7.4V minimum, 8.4V maximum
- Output
- 5V regulated output (monitored via output_voltage register, unit: mV) via pogo pins
- Max current specification is not mentioned.
- 5V via USB Type-A ports
- HDD power
- 12V/5V “Hard Disk Power Supply Interface” for 3.5″/2.5″ HDD/SSD
- Requires PD external power + battery connected for proper 12V HDD output
- Battery cutoff – Programmable battery protection (default 7,400 mV), low-battery loop protection
- Charging – battery charging specification is not mentioned
- Dimensions – 87 x 60 mm
The HAT can be controlled and monitored through the I2C port and Python scripts. 52Pi provides a public GitHub repository (upsv6_pub) that provides Python tools and scripts for I²C register access, power and battery monitoring, and firmware updates. The scripts run on Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit (Bookworm) using smbus2, and include examples for calculating input/output power, plotting real-time power data with matplotlib or pygame, and can also expose all telemetry to Home Assistant via MQTT. Firmware can be updated over DFU/OTA by switching the UPS from I²C address 0x17 to 0x18, and advanced users can further extend the functionality of the Raspberry Pi 4/5 UPS board through PikaPython scripting and configurable control/status registers. More information and examples are available on the wiki.
We have written about various types of UPS HATs for the Raspberry Pi over the years, including the AQEX qUPS-P-BC-2.0, which supports large-capacity multi-chemistry battery packs (Li-ion, LiFePO₄, and sodium-ion), the Waveshare UPS HAT (E) that accepts 21700 lithium cells and features USB PD 3.0 input, the SupTronics Raspberry Pi 5 UPS HAT, a higher-power option that uses four 18650 batteries to deliver up to 25 W, and others. So there are plenty of choices, each with its own advantages and limitations.
The 52Pi UPS Gen 6 is available on AliExpress for $51.51 on Amazon for $59.99 under the GeeekPi brand, and on the 52Pi store for $49.99. In the package, you will get the UPS V6 board, a 2-cell 18650 battery case, a connector cable, a metal base frame, mounting hardware, an aluminum heatsink with a fan, and a user manual.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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