MT3608 Youth - Getting Up to 27 Volts From Your USB Charger

Hello fellas!

In this article, we’ll dive into DC-DC Step-Up converters based on the popular MT3608 chip, a highly valued among electronics enthusiasts. We’ll run a few tests, measure current using the ACS712 Youth sensor, and display the results in the Serial Port via the ESP32-S3 Youth board.

The MT3608 is perfect for powering devices that don’t need high current but require a higher voltage than what you have available—for example, LED strips.

A quick look at the specs:

1. 6 unique Anime designs
2. Step-Up Boost MT3608 Converter
3. Input voltage: 3V to 24V
4. Output voltage: Up to 28V (adjustable)
5. Max current: Up to 2A
6. Operating frequency: 1.2 MHz

Enough talk—let’s get to work.

All of used boards you can find on my Tindie store:

MT3608 Youth:

1. MT3608 Youth - Full kit
2. MT3608 Youth - Engineer
3. MT3608 Youth - Scientist
4. MT3608 Youth - IT specialist
5. MT3608 Youth - Mechanic
6. MT3608 Youth - Electrician
7. MT3608 Youth - Constructor

ESP32-S3 Youth:

1. ESP32-S3 Youth - Full Kit
2. ESP32-S3 Youth - Amy
3. ESP32-S3 Youth - Natalia
4. ESP32-S3 Youth - Vika

AСS712 5A Youth:

1. ACS712 Youth - Full kit
2. ACS712 Youth - USA
3. ACS712 Youth - Japan
4. ACS712 Youth - Siberia
5. ACS712 Youth - France
6. ACS712 Youth - Poland
7. ACS712 Youth - Wakanda
8. ACS712 Youth - Roman Empire
9. ACS712 Youth - Greece

The module includes several key components you'll interact with: input terminals, a USB-C port, a potentiometer for adjusting voltage, and output terminals.

You can supply input voltage ranging from 3V to 24V (some sources say the MT3608 can handle 25V, but to be safe, keep it under 24V). The output voltage can be adjusted between 4V and 28V. Keep in mind, this is a step-up converter—it can’t lower the voltage. For example, you can’t input 12V and expect 5V on the output.

The blue voltage regulator is a multi-turn variable resistor (100 kOhm) from BOCHEN. These resistors often need 7-12 full turns before they start reacting, so don’t worry if nothing changes at first. Keep turning, and if nothing happens, try turning it in the opposite direction.

Now let’s see the board in action. We’ll assemble the following circuit:

1. Supply 5V to the input of the converter via USB-C, using a generic China phone charger.
2. Connect three resistors in series (totaling 17 Ohms) to the output using alligator clips. This will serve as the power circuit (outlined in the photo above).
3. Attach a digital multimeter to the output to measure voltage.
4. Include an ACS712 5A Youth current sensor paired with an ESP32-S3 Youth to measure current. The ESP32-S3 Youth is connected to computer via USB to display the current readings. Code and how to upload it you can find in this article.

The Results (see photo):

Before connecting the load, the input voltage was 5V, and the output was 12V. After connecting the load, the input voltage dropped to 4V, and the output fell to 10V, with a current of 0.95A. With lower current 27V is possible value.

In university lab conditions with a high-quality power supply, the converter achieved its stated parameters. However, this guide focuses on real-world, home-use scenarios, so the results reflect that setup.

In my opinion, the project turned out to be a solid clone of the popular blue MT3608-based converter. It’s a reliable choice for your future projects and will definitely make them stand out from the other developers.

Thank you for reading this article! If you have any questions or if something doesn’t work, feel free to ask in the comments section.

By the way - don't forget to check all Collection in my Tindie shop :)