Measure Cc3200 Current Draw; Measuring Low Power; Measuring Active Power - Texas Instruments CC3200 User Manual

Hardware Description
2.6

Measure CC3200 Current Draw

To measure the current draw of the CC3200, use the 3V3 jumper on the jumper isolation block (J12). The
current measured in this mode includes only the CC3200 current and no external blocks. However, if a
GPIO of the CC3200 is driving a high current load like LED, then that is also included in this
measurement.
2.6.1 Measuring Low Power (<1 mA)
Follow these steps to measure ultra-low power:
1. Remove the 3V3 jumper (J12); attach an ammeter across this jumper.
2. The CC3200 should not drive any high-current loads directly, such as an LED, as this can draw a large
current.
3. Begin target execution and set the device to low-power modes (LPDS or hibernate).
4. Measure the current. If the current levels are fluctuating, it may be difficult to get a stable
measurement. It is easier to measure quiescent states.
2.6.2

Measuring Active Power

1. Remove the 3V3 jumper (J12).
2. Solder a 0.1-Ω resistor on the board at R62. Or, attach a jumper wire between J12 so that it can be
used with a current probe.
3. Measure the voltage across the R62 using an oscilloscope with a differential probe. (For the current
probe, coil the wire around the sensor multiple times for good sensitivity).
4. An ammeter can also be used for this measurement, but the results may be erroneous due to the
switching nature of the current.
16
CC3200 SimpleLink™ Wi-Fi
LaunchPad™ Hardware
Figure 11. Measuring Low Power
Figure 12. Measuring Active Power
®
and Internet of Things Solution With MCU
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SWRU372C – June 2014 – Revised March 2020
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