Power supply
A stable power supply is essential for SD Migrator to copy your footage safely. If the power supply is too weak, the camera or SSD may be switched off in the middle of copying.
Why the power supply matters so much
The Raspberry Pi 5 only supplies a combined 1.6 A to its USB ports if the power supply offers 5 V / 5 A via USB-PD. Otherwise, only 600 mA is available for all USB devices combined.
The wattage printed on the power supply is of little help. Many power supplies, power banks and vehicle sockets rated at 60–100 W only deliver 3 A at 5 V. So look for the rating 5 V / 5 A.
Caution: Even a charging camera and a SATA SSD connected directly to the device can cause the USB ports to shut down repeatedly due to overcurrent. This also disconnects the SSD.
Recommended power supply
At home
Use the official Raspberry Pi 27 W power supply (5.1 V / 5 A, PD).
On the road with the motorcycle
Use a power bank with USB-PD, for example the Anker 20K/87 W (pass-through tested), connected to your motorcycle’s USB-C socket. Connect everything as follows:
- Connect the power bank to the motorcycle’s USB-C socket.
- Connect the device (Raspberry Pi) to the power bank’s USB-C cable.
- Connect a powered USB 3 hub (for example the official Raspberry Pi hub) to the power bank’s USB-A output.
- Connect the camera and SSD to the hub, not directly to the device.
This way, all devices stay powered by the power bank even when the ignition is off.
Secure connections
Use mechanically secured connectors so that no cable comes loose while you are riding.
Caution: SD Migrator cannot prevent data loss caused by a voltage drop. However, system monitoring warns you of undervoltage and overcurrent.
Tip: If an undervoltage or overcurrent warning appears, check the power supply, cables and connectors, and connect the camera and SSD via the powered hub.