This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

MSP430F2416: How to calculate the maximum current consumption in an Embedded device?

Part Number: MSP430F2416
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: ADS1292, ENERGYTRACE

Hi all,

I am working on a prototype which has MSP4302416 micro controller ADS1292 analog front end,number of capacitors and resistors of various values,Low dropout voltage regulators,Class 2 bluetooth and it is powered by a Li-Ion battery of 3.7V,400mAh.

How can I calculate the peak/maximum current consumption of the device? 

  • Hello Harikrishnan,

    Estimating power consumption can be a tricky thing. First you need to separate out the current the MSP430 would use versus everything else on the board. Once that is done, you can look to what device is going to consume the most current. When wireless devices such as Bluetooth are concerned, they will consume far more current, both sustained and peak, than an MSP430.

    That being said, we do give current estimate for our devices at different MCLK speeds and Low Power Modes. Use the Active Mode current at whatever speed you will be operating at as your baseline current. Then add the additional current used by the peripherals you will have running (Timers, RTC, USCI, etc.). Keep in mind, if you structure your program correctly, this active Current will be minimized as you will be in a low power mode for the 80%-99% of your time depending on the application. Low Power Mode calculations are similar to active mode, but what level you can go down to will be dependent on your application.

    The easiest way to test out average current consumption with what you need, is to code up a little example, and use the TI MSP430 EnergyTrace found in CCS to estimate power consumption.

**Attention** This is a public forum