Arduino Project to Product Part 1: How to Accurately Measure Current – Maker.io | Digi-Key

This video discusses project design power optimization to maximize battery life. Using a Digilent Analog Discovery 2, Shawn Hymel demonstrates the step by step procedure to accurately determine the current consumption of an IoT project to calculate average battery life. The pros, cons and pitfalls of traditional equipment and methods as well as low-side measurement are also discussed.

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RELATED VIDEOS
Arduino Project to Product – Part 1 – How to Accurately Measure Current

Arduino Project to Product – Part 2– How to Calculate Battery Life

Arduino Project to Product – Part 3 – How to Build an Arduino on a Breadboard

Arduino Project to Product – Part 4 – Optimizing Operating Voltage

Arduino Project to Product – Part 5 – Testing LoRa Range

Arduino Project to Product – Part 6 – Choosing a Voltage Regulator

Arduino Project to Product – Part 7 – How to Measure Small Currents

Arduino Project to Product – Part 8 – How to Put Arduino to Sleep

[tpolinoonilopt]

Digi-Keys can make millions on parts and chips with classes like this.. I like it haha

[UpcycleElectronics]

Hey Shawn,
I like what you're doing here. I saw this is the first upload in a series. I'll be checking the others out.
I figured I'd mention a few observations relevant to Digikey as a simple viewer and hobbyist for a few years.
First when it comes to batteries in general, in my experience there is very little information on integrating Nickel Cadmium type batteries into projects. I know they are considered more mundane, but if others are anything like me, I have a bunch of cells I've collected and not used. I've even gotten a couple of new power tool batteries from the local thrift store for $1 each with 18-19 volt packs. I would really like to make use of them but I'm not 100% sure how to do it right. I've read the way most power tool nickel cadmium chargers work is wrong. The battery must be manually removed to stop them from over charging and shortening the battery life. If I recall correctly, while researching different real time clock chips, I read that the popular DS1307 RTC was actually designed for use with higher end nickel cadmium battery chargers as a way to trigger a relay to disconnect the battery. And that's why the 1307 sucks at keeping "real time" as it is not intended to be a long term human interfaced timekeeper.
Anyways... a tutorial about integrating NiCad might be the kind of useful 'community building' content you're focused on.

Second, I've tried to find a lithium battery management IC to play with by searching digikey in the past on multiple occasions. Each time I get overwhelmed and give up. I haven't found a chip or simple combo that does what I want without being super complex. I know options exist. I got a tiny module from china that had a SOP-16 on it. Of course the chip was scraped. All it had was an inductor a few capacitors, a shunt resistor, and the chip. The specs according to the seller included a lithium charger with CC/CV, over charge/discharge protection, over current protection, 5v0 boosted output with a 2.1A output rating. Quite a few of these were sold and with good reviews. I really wish I could figure out what the chip is. I've spent hours searching but I've never seen anything like it from a distributor. I really wish someone would do a lithium charge controllers 101 type upload. What are the best compromises for 1 cell, a consistent 3v3 or 5v0 output, and complete charge management, with a simple datasheet, and easy to work with pin package. Things like the pin package are where I get lost with digikey. That and the hodgepodge of brand features that are impossible to navigate due to proprietary nomenclature. I couldn't filter out all of the qfp through bga stuff just to find something with physical pins >= 0.8mm pitch.

Lastly, I imagine you're in a very unique position to do some unique content here and do it well. In the past you were pushing projects through selling modules. With this opportunity you should be able to add more raw hardware knowledge. I would find this much more helpful than another YT channel pushing modules. I'd like you to passively inform me of the popular parts people order from digikey that have more value than the typical stuff everyone knows about from China. For instance, what are some cheap op amps to outperform the typical jellybeans, or voltage regulators with better features like accuracy or enable pins. Navigating TVS protection is a pain. DC, accurate, fast ADC's and DAC's would be nice to hear about. Most of all, I wish you would work to build a bridge between the simple Chinese stuff we all buy and the more modern and professional world. I'm not an EE, or the brightest kid in the room, but I have time and like to learn. I often feel like distributors are overpriced options only for professionals. I found it quite interesting to hear the digikey story with it's hobbyist level beginnings at KiCon recently. The addition of Shawn is also an intriguing change. I have almost ordered from digikey a few times, but honestly I priced out my BOM with Mouser and Arrow, then followed the results to the best value. I'm not a fan of feeling foolish over the phone so digikey hasn't had the opportunity to create much 'value added service' for me. That is unlikely to change unless you can convince me not to feel so intimidated. The best way you can bridge the gap for me is for someone like Shawn to create content using the cheap and open source tools of a real hobbyist while introducing us to better toys and parts we will appreciate. Not many people will watch a video and make some large purchase of a high dollar tool, and many people will resent the effort as a blatant advertisement. Make me question the value of simple things I take for granted like jellybean IC's and you're playing a totally different game. You shouldn't need to beat around the bush on these topics either. You can be direct. Like go get a Chinese TL081 based power supply kit, get on the eevblog forum, upgrade it accordingly, then go a few steps above and beyond, with a shoe string budget. Don't go spending big dollars on a $4 kit. What can you do with $10 on digikey. That would be huge IMO and it is casually accessible to a broad audience. Heck, go make one link to purchase the upgraded parts from digikey.
That's just my take.
-Jake

[OO_OK]

A well done video. You get extra skill points for driving an Acura with a manual transmission.

[joshuaoduroadu]

Hi Shawn, this is a great video. Thanks for the insightful information and education. I'm checking out the subsequent videos in the series as I'm trying to set up an automated watering system that is battery powered. Thanks for such great videos.

[kidstoro]

Great channel I’ve never known about. Subscribed!

[yepyepyepyep]

Very interesting and well presented series! Could you provide links to the hardware/software you describe? Thanks!

[jwna]

Thanks for wonderful presentation!!! I got one question. At 8:48, you mentioned that you have a short circuit if your clip touches the 1ohm register. Is it because of the low value of the register? Or there is any other reason? My second question is that is there any links for the ground loop trouble scean? This would really help me and many starters!!

[chrisward]

What are the probes? I bought one of the DAD2’s like you are using here. Just starting out with it. I don’t have probes though. Are these probes the type that have a BNC connector, so I would also need the BNC adapter board?

[Corgitronics]

Shawn, I've seen your videos on another channel and liked them. Nice to see you on the Digi-key channel, and also I just subbed to your direct channel.

[mtkoslowski]

Nice neighborhood. I live in the ghetto. 😒