We will supply power to the Mango Pi via usb. Find the two USB-C ports along the edge of the Mango Pi board. The port that is closer to the corner is labeled OTG.
USB On-The-Go (OTG) is a USB sub-specification that allows devices to switch between the roles of host and device. Connecting a 5V power source to either usb port will power up the Pi, but we connect to the OTG port because it additionally suppports the communication protocol used by the xfel bootloader we will be using to load and execute programs on the Pi.
In your parts kit, find the small OTG adaptor (male USB-A to male USB-C). Plug the USB-C end into the Mango Pi OTG port and the USB-A end into the USB hub. Connect the USB hub to your laptop. The green power LED turns on when the Pi is receiving power. The power LED on past boards was blindingly bright, but latest rev (Dec 2025) uses a higher ohm resistor for a more muted glow. Thank you, Mango Pi!
The Pi does not need much power. We can measure how much power it requires by using an inline power meter. The usb specification says that a usb port should supply 5V, and up to 500 mA of current. Our experiment shows that when the Pi is plugged it, the usb port has a voltage of 5.12V and is supplying 80 mA of current. The total power being consumed is 0.41 W. That is not a lot of power! The power used may go up if the Pi is driving LEDs and other peripherals.
To reset the Pi, simply interrupt its power supply. One way to do this is by briefly unplugging and re-plugging the usb cable.
The latest (Dec 2025) rev of the Mango Pi board includes a reset button. Look for the tiny push button on the edge of the board between hdmi and USB ports. Whenever you need to reset the Pi, simply click this button, yeah! 🔥