Close

LCD works, enough power from Arduino Pro Mini

A project log for Arduino MPPT Solar Charge Controller

The charge controller consists of a buck converter that is controlled by an Arduino via a half-bridge driver.

tobiasTobias 04/19/2016 at 23:120 Comments

I did not expect the LCD to work in addition to the INA3221 power monitor on the I2C bus, but it does. I am powering the Arduino Pro Mini with an 8.4 Volt Lipo 2S battery on the raw pin, and an internal converter turns out 5 Volts, apparently with enough milli-Amps to run both my I2C devices. Very convenient during development. Here are some measurements of the current from the battery:

So the LCD draws about 15-20 mA, the green LED 5-10 mA. Without both, it is 20 mA.

The bottom line is, without bells and whistles, the board can do its job for about 160 milliWatts. Later: There are a lot more tricks to reduce power consumption of the Arduino Pro Mini.

Discussions