What is the current when running ble_app_uart?

[paulinx]

Do anyone ever measured current consumption of ble_app_uart?

What is current when connected and uart idle, transmitting, receiving, and transmitting while receiving? Please provide LEDs status and their current draw. Best to get result without any LED on.

[Ole Morten]

The ble_app_uart and most SDK examples are not power optimized at all, and as such, any measurement done on these won't really be representative for the general numbers that are achievable with the nRF51822. ble_app_uart was originally made as a very quick demo, and for example keeps the UART interface continously enabled, causing > 1 mA current consumption at all times, due to the 16 MHz clock tree running. This is most often not realistic for actual usage of the chip.

Only ble_app_proximity for the Evaluation Kit and ble_app_pwr profiling for the Development Kit are recommended for current consumption measurements as-is, although most of the other applications shouldn't be too far off. (ble_app_hrs for the Evaluation Kit is an exception, as it uses a 16 MHz timer continously, causing > 1 mA in average consumption.)

If you have a particular connection scenario you're interested it, I can calculate an average current consumption number using an internal calculator. To do this, I need at least your required connection interval and needed throughput.

[paulinx]

Why over 1mA? In PS, UART was said just 200 micro-A.

[Ole Morten]

That is true, but you also have to add the current consumption of the blocks required by the UART as shown in section 8.3, the 16 MHz clock tree and 1V2 regulator, plus take the PANs on current consumption into account. You therefore end up at > 1 mA with the current chip revision.

[paulinx]

Thank you for fast turn around.

[Ole Morten]

No problem! :-) If you found the answer useful, I would however be happy if you could accept it, by clicking the button below it.