The current drawn by the nRF52833 System on Chip (SoC) can be monitored on the nRF52833 DK.
Current can be measured using any of the following test instruments:
- Oscilloscope
- Ampere meter
- Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2)
- Power analyzer
If the PPK2 is used for measuring current, see Power Profiler Kit II for additional instructions. Power analyzer measurements are not described in this document.
The application nRF52833 SoC has two possible power supplies: VDD (1.7 V to 3.6 V) and VDDH (2.5 V to 5.5 V). The nRF52833 DK can measure current on both domains. Only the VDD domain current measurement is described here, but the approach is the same with the VDDH supply. See the following table for the corresponding components.
| Component | VDD | VDDH |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement connector | P22 | P23 |
| Solder bridge | SB40 | SB41 |
| Series resistor | R90 | R91 |
It is not recommended to use a USB connector to power the Development Kit (DK) during current measurements due to potential noise from the USB power supply. However, when measuring current on an application using the USB interface of the nRF52833 SoC, USB must be connected. It is recommended to power the DK from a coin cell battery, external power supply on connector P21 (1.7 V to 3.6 V), or through the Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) connector J6 or P27 (2.5 V to 5.0 V).
After programming the nRF52833 SoC, disconnect the USB for the interface MCU.
For more information on current measurement, see the tutorial Current measurement guide: Introduction.