DC-DC Boost Converter Module, 1.5-4.2V Input to 5V Output

A single AA, AAA, or small lithium cell delivers a voltage well below the 5V most microcontroller and USB-powered electronics expect - this boost converter module solves exactly that mismatch, stepping a low input voltage anywhere from 1.5V up to 4.2V (covering single alkaline cells through a single lithium cell's typical charged voltage) up to a stable 5V output.

Output current capability scales meaningfully with input voltage: around 40-100mA at a 1-1.5V input, rising to 100-150mA at 1.5-2V, 150-380mA at 2-3V, and reaching 380-480mA once input climbs above 3V - a genuinely useful spread covering everything from a single depleted AA cell providing modest current up to a fresher lithium cell supporting higher-draw 5V loads. Starting voltage is rated as low as 0.8V, letting the converter still produce some usable 5V output (around 7mA) even from a significantly depleted source cell.

Efficiency is rated at 85%, switching frequency at 150kHz, reasonable performance for a converter this small and inexpensive. The module itself is genuinely tiny at just 11 x 7.5 x 10.5mm and 1 gram, easy to tuck into even the most space-constrained battery-powered project enclosure.

Builders powering a 5V microcontroller or USB-interface project from a single AA, AAA, or lithium cell rather than requiring multiple cells in series to reach 5V directly, or building a battery-voltage-step-up circuit for any low-voltage power source, will find this boost converter a compact, inexpensive way to bridge that voltage gap.