Group Assignment¶
It’s output devices week! 😨 For this week, the group has to measure the power consumption of a device, as well as document what we learned. You can find out more about this weeks group assignment on the assignment page. But I’ll include a summary of what we did, and what I learned this week.
Power Consumption¶
Measuring the power consumption of a device can be pretty useful for when you’re creating your board, and you need to confirm if you’ve created the proper system, or if you need to debug your board.
We used a multimeter to measure the power consumption, and here’s the process that we followed:
- Preparation
- Gather the necessary equipment: a multimeter, the device you’re testing, a stable power source, and cables.
- Make sure that you’re following all the safety measurements, like wearing appropriate gear such as safety goggles.
- Set up your power meter according to instructions, make sure it’s calibrated and functioning.
- Connections
- Connect the power source to the input of the multimeter.
- Link the output of the power meter to the input of the device you’re measuring using suitable cables.
- Make sure that all the connections are secure to prevent accidents.
- Power On and Measurement:
- Turn on the device you’re measuring and allow it to stabilize.
- Monitor the power meter and check out the voltage, current, and power consumption.
- Record your results.
- Data Analysis:
- Calculate the power consumption using the formula:
Power (W) = Voltage (V) × Current (I) - Compare your measured values with the device specifications or industry standards for assessment.
- Calculate the power consumption using the formula:
Safety Measures¶
Safety measures are always important* to have and follow, especially in a place with hardware. Throughout this process, make sure that your safety is the first priority by following the proper handling procedures for electricity.
- Keep work area well-ventilated and organized to minimize the risk of an accidents.
- Disconnect power sources when not in use to prevent any mishaps.
- Wear the appropriate safety gear.
*citation needed
My Learnings & Reflection¶
Diving into measuring the power consumption of a device was a pretty fun esperience, packed with loads of cool stuff to learn and some eye-opening moments. Our team nailed the prep, making sure we had all the gear and stayed safe with our goggles on point. Hooking up the power source to the multimeter and then to the device felt like some high tech mission 😭. Watching the power meter light up was really gratifying, and then calculating the numbers afterwards was just as fun and definitely not tedious at all aha.