How to power the 1.5" TFT, please?

[terenceg]

http://www.adafruit.com/products/910?&m ... cts_id=910

I've got all of these parts, but am still wildly unclear on how to power this darned thing.
Do I just get a 12VDC adapter and call it good? Or, can I power it off a USB source with the right cable?

Explain as you would a child, please. It's clear to me I have a lot to learn. Thanks!

[adafruit_support_mike]

Do I just get a 12VDC adapter and call it good?

Pretty much, yeah. This female barrel jack to terminal adapter will make it a bit easier: https://www.adafruit.com/products/368

Or, can I power it off a USB source with the right cable?

USB doesn't have quite enough voltage. That's 5v and the display wants 6v-15v.

It's clear to me I have a lot to learn. Thanks!

No worries.. the learning never ends. The important part is that you've started. ;-)

[terenceg]

Thanks. What's the desired amperage for the adapter, please? I've got one at 1.25ma. Will that cut it?

[adafruit_support_mike]

The power consumption is 0.6W, so divide that by the voltage to get the current load: at 12v you'd need 50mA, and at 5v you'd need 120mA.

Most power adapters can deliver at least 500mA, so honestly you'd have a hard time finding an adapter that can't power the screen.

[terenceg]

Ah ok! That's the part I was most unclear on - that is, can I use a power source that's rated for more amps than the desired amount. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[adafruit_support_mike]

Yep, a power supply's rated values are the upper limits on what it can deliver. If you have a 5v @ 500mA supply, its output will be limited by the "5v" part as long as you're drawing less than 500mA from it. If you try to draw more than 500mA from it, that limit will take over, and the voltage will fall.

In general, you want to keep a power supply in the range where it's limited by its voltage level. There are some devices that want a current supply (lasers, for instance), but they're less common.