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  3. Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter

Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter

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  • Nca78N Offline
    Nca78N Offline
    Nca78
    Hardware Contributor
    wrote on last edited by
    #7

    Wow, that looks nice, I'm stucked with my multimeter and couldn't find the parts avaiable for delivery here to build a µcurrent gold.
    Please publish the build instructions !
    (Maybe if you could give use the BOM first, then you'll have plenty of time to publish build instruction before we get delivered ;))

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • D DavidZH

      Awsome!

      I'd like to compare your impressive array of measurement devices against my Agilent U1273A. Actually to decide if I need a µCurrent.... Maybe in an upcoming meetup in NL or BE this summer?

      AWIA Offline
      AWIA Offline
      AWI
      Hero Member
      wrote on last edited by
      #8

      @DavidZH Impressive only by numbers ;-) I am prepared to trade my µCurrent for the Agilent :blush:
      A meetup sounds good..any specific plans yet?

      D 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • AWIA Offline
        AWIA Offline
        AWI
        Hero Member
        wrote on last edited by
        #9

        There it is Micro (nano) ampere meter (double). I need to add a schematic drawing. Any suggestions/ questions are welcome.

        1 Reply Last reply
        2
        • gohanG Offline
          gohanG Offline
          gohan
          Mod
          wrote on last edited by
          #10

          Why all those headers are needed?

          AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • korttomaK Offline
            korttomaK Offline
            korttoma
            Hero Member
            wrote on last edited by
            #11

            Parts ordered :D

            • Tomas
            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • gohanG gohan

              Why all those headers are needed?

              AWIA Offline
              AWIA Offline
              AWI
              Hero Member
              wrote on last edited by
              #12

              @gohan As mentioned in the description: I use it as a "patch panel" to distribute the power and ground to different devices. Wiring tends to get messy on my workbench...
              0_1493190896839_upload-a61c084d-a4db-4964-957e-b3c442ec570e
              Not mine but similar ;-)

              sundberg84S 1 Reply Last reply
              2
              • gohanG Offline
                gohanG Offline
                gohan
                Mod
                wrote on last edited by
                #13

                Oh ok, you use it like an integrated breadboard 😀

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • AWIA AWI

                  @gohan As mentioned in the description: I use it as a "patch panel" to distribute the power and ground to different devices. Wiring tends to get messy on my workbench...
                  0_1493190896839_upload-a61c084d-a4db-4964-957e-b3c442ec570e
                  Not mine but similar ;-)

                  sundberg84S Offline
                  sundberg84S Offline
                  sundberg84
                  Hardware Contributor
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #14

                  @AWI - did you steal my image on my workbench ;) j/k.
                  We need to revive the old workbench topic again!

                  Controller: Proxmox VM - Home Assistant
                  MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - W5100 Ethernet, Gw Shield Nrf24l01+ 2,4Ghz
                  MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - Gw Shield RFM69, 433mhz
                  RFLink GW - Arduino Mega + RFLink Shield, 433mhz

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • gohanG Offline
                    gohanG Offline
                    gohan
                    Mod
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #15

                    Are resistor needed with a tight tolerance or else?

                    AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • gohanG gohan

                      Are resistor needed with a tight tolerance or else?

                      AWIA Offline
                      AWIA Offline
                      AWI
                      Hero Member
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #16

                      @gohan No special tolerance resistors needed. The only reason for choosing metal film resistors is that their temperature coefficient is better than carbon types (typical 50ppm/°C compared to 200-500ppm/°C).
                      As you will be calibrating the circuit you can choose from a large range (0.1 Ohm - 100 Ohm) for the shunt. This will only influence the burden voltage / sensitivity and range (Ohm's laws).

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • AWIA AWI

                        @DavidZH Impressive only by numbers ;-) I am prepared to trade my µCurrent for the Agilent :blush:
                        A meetup sounds good..any specific plans yet?

                        D Offline
                        D Offline
                        DavidZH
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #17

                        @AWI Lemme think about that..... Uuuuuhm. no... 😈

                        I have no plans for a meetup. Lacking a proper venue for such a thing. Unfortunately.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • AWIA AWI

                          A very low current (double) stand alone uA meter to tune MySensors battery nodes..
                          0_1493111992919_upload-0091f8f7-8b1a-4d26-8c5d-f66cffe3408c
                          I de' MySensor'ized this project because it is more usefull on the workbench for measuring the very low currents of MySensors battery nodes. I own several Ampere meters including the famous µCurrent. Many of these are not accurate enough or need a lot of wiring and additional equipment (µCurrent). I just wanted something simple and stand alone
                          Using the low cost HX711 weight scale 24 bit AD converter a sub 10€ cost double µA meter was born. Some characteristics to fit MySensors projects:

                          • range channel A: ± 20mA 5½-6½ digit µA
                          • range channel B: ±40mA 5½-6½ digit µA
                          • burden voltage 1µV/1µA (internal resistance 1Ω)
                          • 'patch panel' on the connectors.
                          • easy calibration.

                          In comparison with the µCurrent and a standard multimeter in uA range
                          0_1493113275783_upload-2a33c4be-759a-46c6-af8f-57862ecf4e3c

                          The internals:
                          0_1493113146906_upload-9152b445-76e8-44e6-8625-530f33a80d20

                          Although it cannot compare in accuracy with the µCurrent (in combination with a good multimeter) it is more than useable and accurate to do some serious MySensors tuning.

                          If there is some interest I will try to publish a decent built instruction on Openhardware.io.

                          NeverDieN Offline
                          NeverDieN Offline
                          NeverDie
                          Hero Member
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #18

                          If there is some interest I will try to publish a decent built instruction on Openhardware.io.

                          I'm interested.

                          Nca78N 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • NeverDieN NeverDie

                            If there is some interest I will try to publish a decent built instruction on Openhardware.io.

                            I'm interested.

                            Nca78N Offline
                            Nca78N Offline
                            Nca78
                            Hardware Contributor
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #19

                            @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                            I'm interested.

                            In case you haven't seen it, it's here :
                            https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6723/micro-nano-ampere-meter-double/5

                            NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Nca78N Nca78

                              @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                              I'm interested.

                              In case you haven't seen it, it's here :
                              https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6723/micro-nano-ampere-meter-double/5

                              NeverDieN Offline
                              NeverDieN Offline
                              NeverDie
                              Hero Member
                              wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                              #20

                              @Nca78 said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                              @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                              I'm interested.

                              In case you haven't seen it, it's here :
                              https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6723/micro-nano-ampere-meter-double/5

                              Thanks! It looks a bit complicated to me. I've used one of these breakout boards (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPVBEQO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as a way to measure 24-bit voltage on capacitors, and it works really well. As you can perhaps tell from the photo:
                              alt text
                              the chip is fairly simple to use. What I especially liked is that there was already a demo arduino sketch for interfacing with it. That was a real time saver. If I were to build something, I might try that first, if only because it seems like it might be easier (though perhaps, in part, because I'm already comfortable with it). Would using it in conjunction with a sense resistor be all it would take to make an accurate, high resolution current sensor?

                              AWIA 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • NeverDieN NeverDie

                                @Nca78 said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                I'm interested.

                                In case you haven't seen it, it's here :
                                https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6723/micro-nano-ampere-meter-double/5

                                Thanks! It looks a bit complicated to me. I've used one of these breakout boards (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPVBEQO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as a way to measure 24-bit voltage on capacitors, and it works really well. As you can perhaps tell from the photo:
                                alt text
                                the chip is fairly simple to use. What I especially liked is that there was already a demo arduino sketch for interfacing with it. That was a real time saver. If I were to build something, I might try that first, if only because it seems like it might be easier (though perhaps, in part, because I'm already comfortable with it). Would using it in conjunction with a sense resistor be all it would take to make an accurate, high resolution current sensor?

                                AWIA Offline
                                AWIA Offline
                                AWI
                                Hero Member
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #21

                                @NeverDie that one would work as well. Maybe harder to get and a little more pricy :moneybag:

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • NeverDieN NeverDie

                                  @Nca78 said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                  @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                  I'm interested.

                                  In case you haven't seen it, it's here :
                                  https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/6723/micro-nano-ampere-meter-double/5

                                  Thanks! It looks a bit complicated to me. I've used one of these breakout boards (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPVBEQO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as a way to measure 24-bit voltage on capacitors, and it works really well. As you can perhaps tell from the photo:
                                  alt text
                                  the chip is fairly simple to use. What I especially liked is that there was already a demo arduino sketch for interfacing with it. That was a real time saver. If I were to build something, I might try that first, if only because it seems like it might be easier (though perhaps, in part, because I'm already comfortable with it). Would using it in conjunction with a sense resistor be all it would take to make an accurate, high resolution current sensor?

                                  AWIA Offline
                                  AWIA Offline
                                  AWI
                                  Hero Member
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #22

                                  @NeverDie said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                  It looks a bit complicated to me

                                  btw. Which part looks complicated? It's just a few resistors attached to an ADC board (and sketch ready) I am curious on how you can build something simpler with the ADS1220 (which seems to be a better ADC if you are able to find it somewhere ;-))

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • NeverDieN Offline
                                    NeverDieN Offline
                                    NeverDie
                                    Hero Member
                                    wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                    #23

                                    It sounds like I was mistaken then. In my quick read I thought that I had to implement the entire schematic, not just add a couple of resistors to a pre-made breakout board. I suppose if the schematic were more of a block diagram, that might be clearer for other future readers to quickly grasp, or maybe it's just me.

                                    Why would the ADS1220 be a better ADC? I really haven't looked into doing a comparison. I bought the breakout board that I pictured above from Amazon , but I see that it's out of stock now. I believe the company which made it is in India. I seem to recall that it's open source, so there's always that I suppose. I didn't mind ringing the till for the maker: it was all pre-made, it did what I needed at the time (which was watching in real-time the voltage leakage from supercapacitors that I was testing), it was available with free Amazon Prime delivery, and I wanted something sooner rather than later. So, it fit what I needed at the time. Most of those reasons relate to rapid availability though rather than technical reasons.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • NeverDieN Offline
                                      NeverDieN Offline
                                      NeverDie
                                      Hero Member
                                      wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                                      #24

                                      OK, I received an HX711 and have partially hooked it up. I have it connected to an UNO and powered by the 3.3v pin. I also have AWI's sketch running on the UNO. I haven't yet connected a OLED screen to it, so at the moment I'm just looking at the output of the serial consol, which gives a running output of "average" and "spread". I have 10mv connected between A+ and A- to just to see what it will do.

                                      Looking at the code, it looks as though the button (A2) is normally pulled high. Is the button supposed to be connected to GND through a 330 ohm resistor? I don't see any schematic with a button on it.

                                      mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • NeverDieN NeverDie

                                        OK, I received an HX711 and have partially hooked it up. I have it connected to an UNO and powered by the 3.3v pin. I also have AWI's sketch running on the UNO. I haven't yet connected a OLED screen to it, so at the moment I'm just looking at the output of the serial consol, which gives a running output of "average" and "spread". I have 10mv connected between A+ and A- to just to see what it will do.

                                        Looking at the code, it looks as though the button (A2) is normally pulled high. Is the button supposed to be connected to GND through a 330 ohm resistor? I don't see any schematic with a button on it.

                                        mfalkviddM Offline
                                        mfalkviddM Offline
                                        mfalkvidd
                                        Mod
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #25

                                        @NeverDie the sketch uses the internal pullup:

                                        Button myBtn(buttonPin, true,  true, 40);				// Declare the button( pin, pullup, invert, debounce ms)
                                        
                                        NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                                          @NeverDie the sketch uses the internal pullup:

                                          Button myBtn(buttonPin, true,  true, 40);				// Declare the button( pin, pullup, invert, debounce ms)
                                          
                                          NeverDieN Offline
                                          NeverDieN Offline
                                          NeverDie
                                          Hero Member
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #26

                                          @mfalkvidd said in Double Micro (nano) Ampere meter:

                                          @NeverDie the sketch uses the internal pullup:

                                          Button myBtn(buttonPin, true,  true, 40);				// Declare the button( pin, pullup, invert, debounce ms)
                                          

                                          Right. So that's one leg of the button. Is the other leg connected to GND through a 330ohm resistor? Or....?

                                          mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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