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nRF52832 current consumption

mikaelbdl

Hello

I’m trying out the new nRF52832 (QFAA-AA0) with preview kit pca10036. I have S132 softdevice installed and running the beacon example from SDK 0.9.0 which appears to be identical to the nRF51 application from SDK 8.x.

Issue 1: The nRF52x consumes 12uA more current compared to nRF51x on the PCA10028 kit running the same application. In both cases I have modified the application for advertising set at 450ms with BSP/LEDs off. The exact figures are nRF51 = 49uA averaged (7mA pk) and nRF52 = 61uA averaged (6.2mA pk).

An extra 12uA is fairly substantial but I can’t see anything in the errata that would explain this.

Issue 2: Attempting to enable the DCDC converter with sd_power_dcdc_mode_set(NRF_POWER_DCDC_ENABLE) results in high current consumption of 252 uA though I can see that the peak current has reduced to about 4.1 mA. The device still functions.

On the PCA10028 the device runs at 42uA with DCDC enabled (IC rev 3, S110 v8.0.0).

Again, I can’t see anything in the errata that would explain this.

Any ideas?

PS: Current readings done with Keysight 34450A multimeter.

code:

test_beacon_nRF52.zip

test_beacon_nRF51.zip

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  • 0

    Hello,

    I use the preview kit pca10036, i programm it with ble_app_beacon example. I measure a consumption of 9.7 mA !! (by connecting an ampere-meter between the pins of connector P22).

    You announce a consumption of nRF52 DK 2 - 39µA !!!!

    So there is a big difference, To what this could be due ?

    Thanks

  • 0 in reply to Juba Belgaid

    If you disable radio and still measure 12.9mA then you should suspect your method of measurement more than anything else.

    You really can't treat the AC current reading from an inexpensive, non-RMS meter, with a minimum current range 5x greater than the average RMS current you're trying to measure, applied to an occasional short pulse of activity at a frequency much higher than the range that meter is designed to measure, as anything much more than a random number.

    If you really want to measure a tiny average current like that with any sort of accuracy at all, you need much better equipment.

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  • 0 in reply to Juba Belgaid

    If you disable radio and still measure 12.9mA then you should suspect your method of measurement more than anything else.

    You really can't treat the AC current reading from an inexpensive, non-RMS meter, with a minimum current range 5x greater than the average RMS current you're trying to measure, applied to an occasional short pulse of activity at a frequency much higher than the range that meter is designed to measure, as anything much more than a random number.

    If you really want to measure a tiny average current like that with any sort of accuracy at all, you need much better equipment.

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