DeskPi DC-PDU Lite: What You Actually Need to Know Before Buying

When Documentation Falls Short: The DeskPi DC-PDU Mystery

I spent a while trying to figure out how to power my Raspberry Pi 5 cluster inside a 10″ rack. The DeskPi DC-PDU Lite kept showing up, but the documentation barely clarified anything on how it should be used with a raspberry pi 5.

If “rack-mounted Pi power” sounds like exactly what you want but you’re not sure what this thing actually does, here’s the breakdown I wish I had.

What the DeskPi DC-PDU Lite Actually Is

The DeskPi DC-PDU Lite is a 0.5U rack-mountable power distribution unit that:

• Takes a single DC input
• Splits it into seven DC outputs (front-facing)
• Does not convert voltage — input voltage equals output voltage
• Uses barrel jacks (DC5521), not USB or USB-C

This is not a USB power hub. It’s not smart. It’s just clean power distribution with basic protection.

Details They Don’t Tell You (But Should)

1. All ports are DC5521 barrel jacks (5.5mm × 2.1mm)
2. No voltage conversion — feed it 12V, it gives 12V. Feed it 5V, you get 5V.
3. Raspberry Pi 5 requires 5V input — and needs USB-C adapter cables.

Key Specs

• Input Voltage Range: 5V to 24V
• Max Input Current: 8A
• Max Output Current per Channel: 3A
• Fuse Trip Current: Over 5A
• Outputs: Mirrored from the input voltage

Using It with Raspberry Pi 5

This thing was clearly not designed with the Pi 5 in mind, but you can make it work with the right gear:

What You’ll Need

• A 5V DC power adapter with a DC5521 plug (not included)
• One DC5521 to USB-C cable per Pi (also not included)

Setup Flow

flowchart TD
    A[Wall Power] --> B[5V Power Adapter]
    B --> C[DC-PDU Input]
    C --> D[DC5521 Output]
    D --> E[DC5521 to USB-C Adapter]
    E --> F[Raspberry Pi 5]

Keep it simple: 5V in, USB-C out. No funny business with higher voltages unless you like replacing burnt Pis.

What You Get (and What You Don’t)

Included in the Box

• The PDU unit itself
• 3 short barrel-to-barrel cables
• 3 long barrel-to-barrel cables

Not Included (But Required)

• 5V power supply (DC5521 barrel tip)
• DC5521 to USB-C adapter cables

Is It Worth It?

Depends. If you want your rack to look tidy and centralized, it’s solid. If you’re hoping for a plug-and-play Pi hub, this isn’t that.

Pros

• Clean rack-mount solution
• Keeps cables and power organized
• Built-in overcurrent protection
• Looks better than a mess of wall warts

Cons

• Needs barrel-to-USB-C adapters
• No onboard voltage regulation
• Poor documentation
• Easy to damage devices if you feed it the wrong voltage

Other Options to Consider

• PoE splitters (USB-C output) if you already have a PoE switch or PoE Hats
• Multi-port USB-C power bricks (less rack-friendly but cleaner for desktop setups)

Final Word

If you’re clear on what it is—and more importantly, what it isn’t—the DeskPi DC-PDU Lite is a nice utility for a specific use case. Just remember:

Feed it 5V. Use USB-C adapter cables. Double-check everything.

If you skip any of that, your Pis will let you know the hard way.