How to Measure Current Consumption of Sensors on STMicroelectronics' X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1 Expansion Board

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How to Measure Current Consumption of Sensors on STMicroelectronics’ X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1 Expansion Board

For the STMicroelectronics X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1 expansion board, how is the current consumption of its sensors measured?

The expansion board enables independent current consumption measurement for each sensor by using zero-ohm resistors (0R resistors, serving as current-sensing shunt resistors). By connecting an ammeter across one of these resistors, the operating current of the corresponding sensor can be accurately measured.

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Notes

  1. Low-Power Characteristics
  • Sensor current consumption is extremely low. Ensure the ammeter range matches this level (e.g., use a microampere range), and that the ammeter’s own load voltage is sufficiently low (to avoid affecting normal circuit operation).
  1. Resistor Function
  • Zero-ohm resistors (0R) are soldered as conductive links by default. During measurement, remove the resistor and connect the ammeter. After measurement, restore the resistor to maintain circuit continuity.
  1. Independent Measurement
  • Measure the current of only one sensor at a time, ensuring resistors for other sensors remain conductive to avoid impacting circuit stability.

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Related product:

  • STMicroelectronics Expansion Board X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1: A motion MEMS and environmental sensor evaluation board kit. This expansion board supports testing the functions of motion MEMS accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, as well as environmental humidity, temperature, and pressure sensors via the I²C bus. It also enables comprehensive testing of all functions of LSM6DSO16IS and LSM6DSV16X, Qvar touch slide gestures, and connection to the STHS34PF80 infrared sensor for presence detection.