DanalogX's MicroAmp-Meter Aims to Put a High-Precision Wi-Fi-Enabled Measurement Tool in Your Pocket
With 12 hours of battery-powered logging, browser-based graphing, and a 1µA to a 1A range, the MicroAmp-Meter boasts impressive specs.
Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics specialist DanalogX has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a handy diagnostic tool which aims to be accurate yet affordable: the Wi-Fi-equipped MicroAmp-Meter.
"Measuring current consumption during product development is crucial, especially for battery-powered devices. A slight change in software can have an enormous effect on the battery life of low-power devices," says DanalogX's Farzan Saleem.
"It is difficult to measure the current consumption of low-power devices that exhibit dynamic current range when their execution cycle changes from the radio transmission stage to the sleep stage. Measuring current consumption accurately has been expensive and bulky, so we have developed a solution. Meet MicroAmp-Meter, the most affordable and portable wireless current measurement tool."
Built around an Espressif ESP32 module with a dual-core 80MHz processor, the MicroAmp-Meter does exactly what its name suggests: measures current and voltage across a 1µA to a 1A range on voltages from 1.8V to 12V, courtesy of an external high-precision analog to digital converter (ADC) and an automatic shunt-switching mechanism to boost its dynamic range. As well as instantaneous readouts on its color display, the device also boasts support for logging to microSD Card — up to 12 hours of data per charge of its internal battery, Saleem claims.
It's the tool's Wi-Fi connectivity that really extends the flexibility. Each MicroAmp-Meter runs a web server which allows for bi-directional communication within a web browser — offering control over the device while simultaneously graphing its readings over time, "like an oscilloscope," Saleem says, "over Wi-Fi."
"[It can] visualize current readings and other parameters over the web browser at a high speed of 4000 samples/second," Saleem continues of the device's network capabilities. "The webpage application code resides inside the memory of MicroAmp-Meter. No internet connection or installation of software is required."
The MicroAmp-Meter is now funding on Kickstarter, with physical rewards starting at $100 for a single MicroAmp-Meter and a pair of JST cables. All hardware is expected to ship in September 2023.
