Power analysis

[JF002]

In commit f7e40b1, I re-implemented sleep/wakeup for all devices (touchpanel, display, NOR Flash, SPI and TWI).
I checked (using the logs) that all Sleep() and Wakeup() method are called in the correct order.
I also checked that the MCU is put in deep sleep with a logic analyzer (the MCU is in deepsleep during the call to __WFE() in port_cmsis_systick.c).

Now, I think it would be very interesting to actually measure the power consumption of InfiniTime while running different use-cases:

• Display the Clock Screen
• BLE disconnected/connected
• BLE advertising (BLE advertising is enabled for 3 minutes after a wakeup) and continue even if the soft is in sleep mode -> measure power for more than 3 minutes after switch off the screen).
• ...

But... I do not have the necessary instruments and knowledge to do the measurement by myself.

If anyone has the setup and instruments necessary to measure the power consumed by InfiniTime, just write a comment to this issue !

Also, if you can, just leave your Pinetime running this commit (f7e40b1) or a next one just to see how long it runs on battery!

Thanks

[jacobrosenthal]

I have a ppk here but no real experience. Can hook it up and see what we see
https://www.nordicsemi.com/Software-and-tools/Development-Kits/Power-Profiler-Kit

Im using it in the external DUT but with nrf52 attached configuration
remove battery, and im just hooking up the 2 pins form external DUT output so it can control power and read usage
https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/PPK_User_Guide_v2.4.pdf

and this open source python sdk instead of their js stuff
https://github.com/inductivekickback/ppk_api/

upstream is be05997

this waits through startup, but screen still on

python3 main.py -p 3 -a 5
Average: 17999.27uA

waits long enough to be measuring when screen is off

python3 main.py -p 25 -a 5
Average: 1195.97uA

Not sure if these are the range of what you're expecting or if I need to dial this in

python3 main.py -p 25 -t 2000 -w 5850 -o trig_data.csv --png
Trigger buff average: 3554.10uA

im sure youd like to try some special firmwares with only certain devices or bluetooth stuff enabled

Sadly im not sure how to automate the damn thing for CI but I can run a few tests occasionally for you, its a pretty clean setup and not too much bother

[maidenone]

I have set up simular integration testing nodes before.

i have used:
rpi (flashing + read spi data from ina219 + uart)
ina219 current sense module

you can then set up a git hook that automatically triggers a build and execution, then upload the results.

for extra points you can add a few servos to tilt / simulate touch event.

even more extra points if you connect a controllable PSU to emulate a battery, then you can also test low/full power detection

Here is what i did: (you can also skip using the NRF dev kit and use openocd to flash through RPI GPIO, but you cant use RTT then.

I then had a webbased interface to allocate / execute and view test nodes. you could also compare between executions.

top left is power consumption, lower left is test framework output (ignore flash failed, its a bug :p ), to the right is the RTT output.
the blue is one execution and the grey is another. I have omitted hardware names as it contained customer information.

[jacobrosenthal]

Yeah ppk doesn't look great for automated purposes I don't think. You have to manually flip a switch to be able to program target and the switch back

[Avamander]

You have to manually flip a switch to be able to program target and the switch back

That could be replaced with a relay/transistor.

[JF002]

@jacobrosenthal Thanks for these measurements! So, if I understand correctly, the firmware uses 1.2mA in sleep mode and 180mA when the display is ON?

@maidenone your setup is amazing, I wish I could build something similar to auto-test new versions of the firmware!

In fact, I didn't even think about the automatisation of power measurements, but now, I really want to do that!

By curiosity, how much does the PPK cost and where can I find it?

[endian-albin]

When I measured Hypnos' power consumption this spring, I got the results below. This is with the HR sensor physically disconnected and BLE advertising disabled.

Sleep	Screen on
1.07 mA	between 12 and 15 mA

[maidenone]

This was manly a "integration test framework" the automatic power profiling was just a bonus.
It was written to test various HW revisions of a cellular IoT product deployed in different countries.
I can put a few days to clean things up and then release it as open source, if you want to poke around.

Each node (RPI + DUT) connects to a common "manager" (the web interface) through http/json requests. so if i hook up my pinetime, you can deploy and test on it. i also had command line tools so i could flash and get real time RTT output from devices in UK, USA, China or Spain while sitting in my comfy basement. ^_^

I had two git repositories, one for the test-project and one specific for the tests, before a test executed the nodes run git pull on the test repo, so you could add/modify test cases and the nodes was always up to date.
Most of the tests was based on parsing debug strings from the RTT feed. but there was also tests that verified that the power consumption was within expected range.

example of a test script:

	def run(self):
		self.timeSinceStart = 0
		self.flash()

		# verify that modem was detected
		self.addDelayedParse(20,"IAmNow",1)

		# run, then turn off'
		self.addDelayedEvent(20,self.buttonIn,())
		self.addDelayedEvent(5,self.buttonOut,())
		self.addDelayedEvent(30,self.parse,("WillNowPowerOff",1))

		# verify that we do not boot when off and charging starts
		self.addDelayedEvent(10,self.chargerOn,())
		self.addDelayedEvent(20,self.parse,("OFFcharging",1))

		# wait, then turn on again, verify that we remember our modem type
		self.addDelayedEvent(10,self.buttonIn,())
		self.addDelayedEvent(5,self.buttonOut,())
		self.addDelayedEvent(30,self.parse,("IKnowIAmA",1))
		self.addDelayedEvent(1,self.end,())
		self.start()

@JF002
The PPK is this:
https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/Power_Profiler_Kit_PB_v1.0.pdf
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=NRF6707&v=1490 (80$ ish )

But i would go with a custom solution (Pineboard or rpi and a ina219 module) ^_^

[maidenone]

will set up two testnodes one with pinetime and one with p8, i will document this on the forum, i would like to make it open to the public, but must find a way to parse the binaries for "bad bits" before flashing to avoid locking/ bricking of the units. i think i got all the hardware i need. automated power measurements between builds will be easy to fix ;)

[JF002]

@maidenone This is awesome! Keep us up to date with your progress!

[maidenone]

I detected that my pile of RPIs have been decimated to a broken RPI3, but i have two Orange Pi Zero 256MB H2+ that i can use.
My two P8 have entered the country, :D, sadly local customs is usually the big delay.. : (

Hardware:

• 2x NRF Devkits
• 2x ina boards (power measurement)
• 2x servos
• 2x orange pi
• 2x relay modules
• 1x pinetime
• 1x p8
• time

I have ported to py3 / cleaned up the testing framework, its now operational, but still a bit too "hard coded" in some aspects.
Will have to put some more time on it before i share the gitlab link ;) maybe even add bootstrap to beautify the UI :p

Software

• Fully operational
• break out hardcoded hwspecifics
• beatuify
• share gitlab link

[maidenone]

I have now started the "beautify" process, bootstrap really makes a difference, just compare the node/test/firmware form compared with the tables beneath.

I have also disassembled my pinetime again :'( are looking on how to wire everything together.

[maidenone]

created a forum thread:
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=11711&pid=79840#pid79840

[JF002]

This is awesome! I posted a reply on the forum post.