💬 Minimal LiPo powered Arduino Pro Mini + RFM95 MySensors node
-
Hi @olka, on the topic https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/4796/battery-powered-sensors/243 you can read the whole story :-)
The lowpower sketch is just used for measurement of the deepsleep power consumption to have an equivalent software sketch when comparing the results with the results from the given links like See table "The Simple @ 8Mhz"
It was done with only the Pro Mini with no regulator and no power led.The only difference I see now is the build quality of the Pro Mini itself.
Do you use also Pro Mini with these low currents in deepsleep?
If yes, from where did you get them?@evb, I really don't know why you get that high consumption of 133uA, but there is defenently someting wrong. Sorry that I cant help.
I use my own pcb design but it's basically the same as a mini pro without reg and led + RFM69HW. All my 328 chips is sourced from china and working fine.
I just measured on of my older designs with 8mhz/no BOD and I get about 6.7uA in timed sleep (WDT active), including 1M/470k voltage divider.
With the same setup without 1M/470k voltage divider and with external interrupt wake-up (sleep forever) I have about 0.8uA.This was measured with two different multimeters with uA range. Sure, in this range a multimeter is not as accurate as the uCurrent or similar instruments, but IMO more than good enough for this kind of measurement.
If you are able to solve your main problem, I have a few other tips for further tweeking:
- Don't use bootloader with BOD, you don't need it for a sensor that is continous connected to the battery. Saves 20-25uA.
- If you power from 3V battery, don't use the suggested 1M/470k voltage divider for battery monitoring, you can do battery monitoring with code only (search here on the forum for it). Saves 2uA.
- You could perhaps gain a tiny bit more by setting all unused pins to LOW OUTPUT or LOW INPUT.
Some very good info on ATmega 328 power consumption here: https://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11497
-
@evb, I really don't know why you get that high consumption of 133uA, but there is defenently someting wrong. Sorry that I cant help.
I use my own pcb design but it's basically the same as a mini pro without reg and led + RFM69HW. All my 328 chips is sourced from china and working fine.
I just measured on of my older designs with 8mhz/no BOD and I get about 6.7uA in timed sleep (WDT active), including 1M/470k voltage divider.
With the same setup without 1M/470k voltage divider and with external interrupt wake-up (sleep forever) I have about 0.8uA.This was measured with two different multimeters with uA range. Sure, in this range a multimeter is not as accurate as the uCurrent or similar instruments, but IMO more than good enough for this kind of measurement.
If you are able to solve your main problem, I have a few other tips for further tweeking:
- Don't use bootloader with BOD, you don't need it for a sensor that is continous connected to the battery. Saves 20-25uA.
- If you power from 3V battery, don't use the suggested 1M/470k voltage divider for battery monitoring, you can do battery monitoring with code only (search here on the forum for it). Saves 2uA.
- You could perhaps gain a tiny bit more by setting all unused pins to LOW OUTPUT or LOW INPUT.
Some very good info on ATmega 328 power consumption here: https://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11497
@olka said in 💬 Minimal LiPo powered Arduino Pro Mini + RFM95 MySensors node:
you can do battery monitoring with code only (search here on the forum for it)
@evb I wrote a small library for it: https://github.com/Yveaux/Arduino_Vcc
-
Thanks for the dimensions :-)
That will work in my setup!I have read also these links with results much better then my 133µA.
I have tested my pro mini with the lowpower sketch to get the pro mini in deep sleep and I measure 133µA. My multimeter is already 30 years old and his last calibration was 20 years ago? But the voltage measurements are still correct, so I don't know...
LowpowerLab has a Current Sense Amplifier device, but for 141 euros it is bit expensive ;-)You didn't mention where you did buy your Pro Mini's? I'm thinking about the quality of the used electronics...
-
Thanks for the dimensions :-)
That will work in my setup!I have read also these links with results much better then my 133µA.
I have tested my pro mini with the lowpower sketch to get the pro mini in deep sleep and I measure 133µA. My multimeter is already 30 years old and his last calibration was 20 years ago? But the voltage measurements are still correct, so I don't know...
LowpowerLab has a Current Sense Amplifier device, but for 141 euros it is bit expensive ;-)You didn't mention where you did buy your Pro Mini's? I'm thinking about the quality of the used electronics...
@evb said in 💬 Minimal LiPo powered Arduino Pro Mini + RFM95 MySensors node:
Thanks for the dimensions :-)
That will work in my setup!I have read also these links with results much better then my 133µA.
I have tested my pro mini with the lowpower sketch to get the pro mini in deep sleep and I measure 133µA. My multimeter is already 30 years old and his last calibration was 20 years ago? But the voltage measurements are still correct, so I don't know...
LowpowerLab has a Current Sense Amplifier device, but for 141 euros it is bit expensive ;-)You didn't mention where you did buy your Pro Mini's? I'm thinking about the quality of the used electronics...
@evb I don't have a specific source for my Pro Minis. Some are from Ali, some from Ebay international - I don't even know which one is from where. I just keep sure to always order the same layout/design, as can be seen in the photos.
Also, when the regulator and LED are removed, there is not that much left besides the ATMega328 itself, is there? Some resonators, but not any questionable parts AFAICS.
Perhaps you should really give another multimeter a try? -
@olka said in 💬 Minimal LiPo powered Arduino Pro Mini + RFM95 MySensors node:
you can do battery monitoring with code only (search here on the forum for it)
@evb I wrote a small library for it: https://github.com/Yveaux/Arduino_Vcc
-
@evb, I really don't know why you get that high consumption of 133uA, but there is defenently someting wrong. Sorry that I cant help.
I use my own pcb design but it's basically the same as a mini pro without reg and led + RFM69HW. All my 328 chips is sourced from china and working fine.
I just measured on of my older designs with 8mhz/no BOD and I get about 6.7uA in timed sleep (WDT active), including 1M/470k voltage divider.
With the same setup without 1M/470k voltage divider and with external interrupt wake-up (sleep forever) I have about 0.8uA.This was measured with two different multimeters with uA range. Sure, in this range a multimeter is not as accurate as the uCurrent or similar instruments, but IMO more than good enough for this kind of measurement.
If you are able to solve your main problem, I have a few other tips for further tweeking:
- Don't use bootloader with BOD, you don't need it for a sensor that is continous connected to the battery. Saves 20-25uA.
- If you power from 3V battery, don't use the suggested 1M/470k voltage divider for battery monitoring, you can do battery monitoring with code only (search here on the forum for it). Saves 2uA.
- You could perhaps gain a tiny bit more by setting all unused pins to LOW OUTPUT or LOW INPUT.
Some very good info on ATmega 328 power consumption here: https://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11497
-
@evb said in 💬 Minimal LiPo powered Arduino Pro Mini + RFM95 MySensors node:
Thanks for the dimensions :-)
That will work in my setup!I have read also these links with results much better then my 133µA.
I have tested my pro mini with the lowpower sketch to get the pro mini in deep sleep and I measure 133µA. My multimeter is already 30 years old and his last calibration was 20 years ago? But the voltage measurements are still correct, so I don't know...
LowpowerLab has a Current Sense Amplifier device, but for 141 euros it is bit expensive ;-)You didn't mention where you did buy your Pro Mini's? I'm thinking about the quality of the used electronics...
@evb I don't have a specific source for my Pro Minis. Some are from Ali, some from Ebay international - I don't even know which one is from where. I just keep sure to always order the same layout/design, as can be seen in the photos.
Also, when the regulator and LED are removed, there is not that much left besides the ATMega328 itself, is there? Some resonators, but not any questionable parts AFAICS.
Perhaps you should really give another multimeter a try?@Joost I measured the current with another, even older, analog type of multimeter, a type where you need to read the needle using an integrated mirror :-)
It is measuring approximately the same deep sleep current: 141µAMaybe the two multimeters are not correct, but they all give the same order of magnitude.
Next weekend, I will redo a measuring:
- a new Pro Mini + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
- the same Pro Mini without the power led + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
- the same Pro Mini without the power led and regulator + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
To be continued
PS: @Joost, did you see my message about your breakout pcb to be able to order it via openhardware.io?
-
@Joost I measured the current with another, even older, analog type of multimeter, a type where you need to read the needle using an integrated mirror :-)
It is measuring approximately the same deep sleep current: 141µAMaybe the two multimeters are not correct, but they all give the same order of magnitude.
Next weekend, I will redo a measuring:
- a new Pro Mini + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
- the same Pro Mini without the power led + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
- the same Pro Mini without the power led and regulator + sketch deepsleep from lowpowerlab
To be continued
PS: @Joost, did you see my message about your breakout pcb to be able to order it via openhardware.io?
-
Hi @chey, no, with the pro minis and MySensors lib I couldn't get less.
Didn't measure with yet another multimeter though...My battery sensors are working now for about a year and the battery levels are between 65% and 70%.
The sensor furthest from the gateway is at 65% and the 3 others at 70%.
Not bad I think.
https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/11499/checking-mechanical-locked-doors-by-a-battery-based-windows-door-sensor-node
