Essentially, the MH-CD42 ensures that the LiPo battery is used safely and efficiently, providing a stable and protected power source for all the components within the Espresso Robot. Its primary functionality is to safely charge the LiPo battery, protect it from over-discharge, over-current, and short-circuit conditions, and provide a stable 5V power supply.
The MH-CD42 does not provide direct 3.3V power. A separate 3.3V regulator is wired to the 5V output of the MH-CD42 to step down the voltage for components like the ESP32, OLED displays, and VL53L0X1 sensor, which operate at 3.3V.