Data here is important for understanding the impact of configuration and software on power consumption for any system.
With a stack of the HDL-0108-IF2C + DL0102GXN at this prototype revision, the near minimum power consumption is 11.2mA from a 4.1VDC source (aka charged SC-LiPoly).
That’s not small enough for real field battery-powered deployment. The main culprit is just the standby power for the solid state relays.
Good enough for an intermediate prototype that tests a bunch of other things. Future forward, next rev milestones defined.
Tested Power Consumption and Conditions
4.1VDC source via battery input to HDL-0108-IF2C
| XBee device-controlled main-power disable, 2.4GHz DigiMesh PCB trace antenna radio in cyclic sleep (during sleep) | 11mA |
| XBee device-controlled main-power enable, same radio, awake | 86mA |
| USB-to-3.3VDC-TTL-Serial converter, using PC software APIfor main-power disable | 11mA |
| USB-to-3.3VDC-TTL-Serial converter, GXN-host, main-power enable, sleep instruction during idle enabled, all host peripherals powered up | 165mA |
| XBee 2.4GHz DigiMesh PCB trace antenna radio, GXN-host, main-power enable, sleep instruction during idle enabled, all host peripherals powered up | 240mA |
| Upper envelope, all peripherals enabled, no sleep instruction on host, XBee 2.4GHz DigiMesh PCB trace antenna radio | 350mA |
What contributes to the power consumption?
- Is your communications module configured to control (turn off) host power when the system is not active? Even if just for a short bit? The power up time is short in terms of user perception.
- What is the power requirement of your communications choice? Is it a higher power device?
- How is your communications module configured when active? What is its transmit power?
- Are the on-host peripherals (like power subsystems) being shutdown by the firmware when inactive?
- System configuration: Is your system and use-case set up to include power management of the host board and subsystem, including any sleep modes for radio communications modules? Some of this can be automated in firmware, some requires supervisory software or system implementation management.