Power Consumption Issues in Hardware Configuration nrf52840

[asv]

I'm seeking assistance with a power consumption issue we're facing in our hardware configuration. Here are the details:

• Normal Operation Power Consumption: Our device typically consumes around 4 mA.
• Anomalies: After several months of operation, some devices show significantly increased power consumption, ranging from 13-30 mA.
• Debugging Mode: Other hardware components don’t consume much power while debugging, which suggests a possible issue with the modules that are exhibiting higher consumption.
• Replacement Observations: When we replace the problematic module with a new one, the power consumption drops back to the expected 4 mA.

Key Functions in Use:

• FDS (Flash Data Storage)
• BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
• USB
• SPI

Questions:

1. What could cause increased power consumption in these modules after extended use?
2. Any recommendations for diagnosing the issue or mitigating power consumption?

Any insights or experiences with similar issues would be greatly appreciated!

[Simonr]

Hi

1. On the nRF52840 itself there aren't a lot of peripheral that is able to draw as much as 13-30mA, and I'd guess this would be the radio peripheral if it is the nRF52840 itself that's drawing this power. Could it be that your application is running the radio peripheral when it is in this power state? Either that or I guess an active USB transfer could go up to this current consumption as well.

2. Do you have a trace of the power consumption if you measure with the PPK2 for example, so we can take a look at it on our end. I'd recommend first confirming whether this is the radio or not, maybe measure power out on the ANT pin or see if there is anything seen with a BLE scanner for example. Narrowing down the source of this would be the first step at least.

Best regards,

Simon