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DC Power Supply in the Raspberry Pi Simulator: Setup

Use the simulator's adjustable DC Power Supply as a separate power source for motors, drivers and modules, and check its voltage with the Digital Multimeter.

Note: the DC Power Supply is a VIP-tier component in the simulator — you’ll need a VIP plan to use it there.

Try this directly in the free Raspberry Pi 4B simulator — no hardware or signup required. New to the GPIO header? Start with the interactive pinout guide.

What you’ll need

  • Raspberry Pi 4B
  • DC Power Supply
  • Digital Multimeter (Free)

Step by step

The Raspberry Pi's 3.3 V and 5 V pins are too weak for a motor or a module with its own supply. Real projects use a separate supply. The DC Power Supply is the simulator's stand-in: two pins, + and −, and one setting, the output voltage.

  1. Drag a Raspberry Pi 4B, a DC Power Supply and a Digital Multimeter onto the Canvas.
  2. Click the DC Power Supply to select it. In its settings, set Output voltage to 9. The default is 12, and you can set any value above 0 up to 24. You can only change it while the simulation is stopped.
  3. Click the Digital Multimeter and check that its Mode is Voltage.
  4. Wire the meter: Probe (+) → the DC Power Supply +. Probe (− / COM) → the DC Power Supply −.
  5. Click Start. You do not need to write a script for this test.

To use the supply in a real circuit, wire its + to the power pin of the part (for example the 12V pin of an L298N) and its − to that part's GND. Also connect the − side to a Pi GND pin, so the Pi and the part share a ground.

What “working correctly” looks like

  • How to test it: the Multimeter's on-canvas screen reads 9.000 V while the simulation runs. Change Output voltage to 5, click Start again, and it reads 5.000 V.
  • The supply is an ideal source: it always outputs the voltage you set. The simulator does not model a current limit or the supply running out.

If something’s wrong

  • The Multimeter reads 0.000 V → click Start. Voltages only exist while the simulation is running.
  • The Multimeter shows a dash and says Floating → one of its probes is not connected to the supply. Check both wires.
  • The Output voltage box is greyed out → stop the simulation first. Settings are locked while it runs.
  • The voltage snaps back to the old value → the box accepts numbers above 0 and up to 24 only; anything else is ignored.

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