GY-63_MS5611/libraries/INA226

INA226

Arduino library for the INA226 power sensor

Description

Experimental library for the INA226 power sensor. Not all functionality is tested / investigated.

==> USE WITH CARE

The INA226 is a voltage, current and power measurement device. a few important maxima. (See datasheet, chapter 6)

description	max	unit
bus voltage	36	Volt
shunt voltage	80	mVolt
current	20	Ampere

The sensor can have 16 different I2C addresses, which depends on how the A0 and A1 address lines are connected to the SCL, SDA, GND and VCC pins.

See datasheet - table 2 - datasheet.

About Measurements

Calibration is mandatory to get getCurrent() and getPower() to work.

Some initial tests shows that the readings do not 100% add up. I expect this is caused by fluctuations in my power supply used and more important that the ADC is multiplexed so there is time between the bus voltage measurement and the shunt voltage measurement. If the current has changed a bit these values are not necessary in line.

Did some measurements with a load of 194 ohm and a shunt of 0.002 ohm that is a factor 10e5 Being on the edge of the sensitivity of the ADC measurements of current were up to ~9% too low. Possible cause is that some maths is done in 16 bit so numbers are truncated, not rounded.

(see issue #2) Sensors may have a different shunt resistor than the 0.002 I have. You should always check and verify what is on the shunt and even verify with a DMM that this value is correct. With the calibration function setMaxCurrentShunt() one can just set the actual value and even compensate slightly if readings are structural too low or too high.

I noted that the getPower() function does not always equal getBusVoltage() times getCurrent() Cause is rounding/trunking maths and time of measurement. You might prefer to multiply those values yourself to get extra digits. Please be aware that more digits is not always more exact (think significant digits)

The example sketch INA226_setMaxCurrentShunt.ino switches between two calibration modes. It shows the INA266 sensor needs time to accommodate to this change. In practice you should call setMaxCurrentShunt() only once in setup()

Interface

read datasheet for details

Constructor

• INA226(const int8_t address, TwoWire *wire = Wire) Constructor to set address and optional Wire interface.
• bool begin(const uint8_t sda, const uint8_t scl) for ESP32 and ESP8266; initializes the class. sets I2C pins. Returns true if the INA226 address is on the I2C bus.
• bool begin() UNO ea. initializes the class. returns true if the INA226 address is on the I2C bus.
• bool isConnected() returns true if the INA226 address is on the I2C bus.

Core Functions

Note the power and the current are not meaningful without calibrating the sensor. Also the value is not meaningful if there is no shunt connected.

• float getShuntVoltage() idem.
• float getBusVoltage() idem. Max 36 Volt.
• float getCurrent() is the current through the shunt in Ampere
• float getPower() is the current x BusVoltage in Watt

Helper functions to get the right scale

• float getBusVoltage_mV() idem, in millivolts
• float getShuntVoltage_mV() idem, in millivolts
• float getCurrent_mA() idem in milliAmpere
• float getPower_mW() idem in milliWatt
• float getShuntVoltage_uV() idem microVolt
• float getCurrent_uA() idem in microAmpere
• float getPower_uW() idem, in microWatt

Configuration

Note: the conversion time runs in the background and if done value is stored in a register. The core functions read from the registers, so they are not blocked, but just get the same value if no new is ready.

• void reset() software power on reset
• bool setAverage(uint8_t avg = 0) see table below (0 = default ==> 1 read), returns false if parameter > 7
• uint8_t getAverage() returns the value set. Note this is not the count of samples.
• bool setBusVoltageConversionTime(uint8_t bvct = 4) see table below (4 = default ==> 1.1 ms), returns false if parameter > 7
• uint8_t getBusVoltageConversionTime() return the value set. Note this is not a unit of time.
• bool setShuntVoltageConversionTime(uint8_t svct = 4) see table below (4 = default ==> 1.1 ms), returns false if parameter > 7
• uint8_t getShuntVoltageConversionTime() return the value set. Note this is not a unit of time.

Average	# samples	notes
0	1	default
1	4
2	16
3	64
4	128
5	256
6	512
7	1024

BVCT SVCT	time	notes
0	140 us
1	204 us
2	332 us
3	588 us
4	1.1 ms	default
5	2.1 ms
6	4.2 ms
7	8.3 ms

Note that total conversion time can take up to 1024 * 8.3 ms ~ 10 seconds.

Calibration

See datasheet

Calibration is mandatory to get getCurrent() and getPower() to work.

• bool setMaxCurrentShunt(float ampere = 20.0, float ohm = 0.002, bool normalize = true) set the calibration register based upon the shunt and the max ampere. From this the LSB is derived. Note the function will round up the LSB to nearest round value by default. This may cause loss of precision. The function may force normalization if underflow detected.
• float getCurrentLSB() returns the LSB == precision of the calibration
• float getCurrentLSB_uA() returns the LSB == precision of the calibration
• float getShunt() returns the value set for the shunt
• float getMaxCurrent() returns the value for the maxCurrent which can be corrected.

Operating mode

See datasheet, partially tested.

Mode = 4 is not used, is also a shutdown() unknown if there is a difference.

• bool setMode(uint8_t mode = 7) mode = 0 .. 7
• bool shutDown() mode 0 - not tested yet
• bool setModeShuntTrigger() mode 1 - not tested yet - how to trigger to be investigated
• bool setModeBusTrigger() mode 2 - not tested yet -
• bool setModeShuntBusTrigger() mode 3 - not tested yet -
• bool setModeShuntContinuous() mode 5
• bool setModeBusContinuous() mode 6
• bool setModeShuntBusContinuous() mode 7 - default
• uint8_t getMode() returns the mode (0..7) set by one of the functions above.

Alert functions

See datasheet, not tested yet.

• void setAlertRegister(uint16_t mask) by setting the mask one of five an over- or underflow can be detected. Another feature that can be set is the conversion ready flag.
• uint16_t getAlertFlag() returns the mask set by setAlertRegister()
• void setAlertLimit(uint16_t limit) sets the limit that belongs to the chosen Alert Flag
• uint16_t getAlertLimit() returns the limit set by setAlertLimit()

description alert register	value	a.k.a.
INA226_SHUNT_OVER_VOLTAGE	0x8000	SOL
INA226_SHUNT_UNDER_VOLTAGE	0x4000	SUL
INA226_BUS_OVER_VOLTAGE	0x2000	BOL
INA226_BUS_UNDER_VOLTAGE	0x1000	BUL
INA226_POWER_OVER_LIMIT	0x0800	POL
INA226_CONVERSION_READY	0x0400

description alert flags	value
INA226_ALERT_FUNCTION_FLAG	0x0010
INA226_CONVERSION_READY_FLAG	0x0008
INA226_MATH_OVERFLOW_FLAG	0x0004
INA226_ALERT_POLARITY_FLAG	0x0002
INA226_ALERT_LATCH_ENABLE_FLAG	0x0001

The alert line falls when alert is reached.

Meta information

• uint16_t getManufacturerID() should return 0x5449
• uint16_t getDieID() should return 0x2260

Operational

See examples..

TODO

• test different loads (low edge)
• test unit tests
• test examples
• investigate alert functions / interface
• improve readme.md
• disconnected load, can it be recognized?
• lastError() do we need this...
• cache configuration ? ==> 2 bytes
• getCurrentLSB_mA()
• bool isCalibrated()