Tapping into 5v power

Question

I will be using a high-amp 5v power supply feeding the Raspberry Pi 2 via microusb. (Similar to this http://www.dx.com/p/dc-6v-24v-to-usb-dc-5v-3a-regulated-power-supply-module-black-314056 one)

I would like to "siphon" off a 5v source before the RPi's poly fuse to power other external devices.

The surface mount solder points for the microusb jack look to be too fine for my soldering skills to be effective there.

Most USB cables don't seem to have heavy enough wires to easily work with. Other than splicing into the usb cable, is there somewhere that I could tap into?

Or is there an easier way to get 5v into the RPi's microusb and simultaneously to other devices? Maybe something with USB breakout boards.

Answer 1

Use one of these cables: http://www.amazon.com/iFlash-MicroUSB-Splitter-Charge-Cable/dp/B0087OTZ52. Then either tap into the second plug using an adapter, or remove the plug and use the bare wires.

Answer 2

One off the easiest off-the-shelf option would be to use a USB hub - they genrally come in two varitites, with some feature crossover:

• Non-powered - you could plug this into the USB power supply and power the hub from that. You may not be able to connect a data connection from the Pi to other devices connected to it - the input connection may also may not be able to take much more than 1 Amp. Example (probably)

• Powered - these often rely on a external DC power supply, which by default can come from a AC to DC adapter, but with some you should be able to use another suitable DC source instead. You can then power the devices and the Pi from it - many adapters should also have a data connection in, so the Pi can contact other devices connected to it. You can find a list of ones known to work (or not) here. Example: