power consumption

Connect your multimeter set to the ampere range in series with each supply, one at a time with everything running. You may need some modified software to run everything at the same time.

--
John Popelish

Well, you seem to understand that all you need to do is measure the current.

An instrument for measuring electrical current is called an ammeter. Most hand-held and bench meters measure Volts, Amps, and a variety of other things. To operate in ammeter mode, you usually have to rearrange the leads on the meter, and select "DC amps" or something similar.

So, you power up the board from your bench supply, with the ammeter in series with the board. First, adjust the bench supply so that the voltage ON THE BOARD is correct. The Voltage at the power supply may be a bit higher than usual, now, because the ammeter has to have a Voltage drop to work. (This means you will need two meters. I hope you have two!)

So once you have the voltage at the right level on the board, record the amps going into it, and you have everything you need. (P = VI, but I think you know that ;-)

HTH.

--Mac

I'm puzzeled, how can you design complicated PCBs and be an engineer without knowing how to measure supply current?

--
ciao Ban
Bordighera, Italy

[snip]

That was an underhanded slur. Particularly since it is my observation that it takes hands-on experience before you can really understand how to use simulators.

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | |

| 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

The power supply capacity should be computed worst case and not measured. Take your question to the basic newsgroup.

And don't forget to re-rearrange the meter leads immediately after the current reading is completed!!

--

"What is now proved was once only imagin'd." - William Blake, 1793.

Because he's a "fresher" engineer. I believe it's a colloquialism meaning straight out of school, and I'm assuming it's not in the Heinlein sense (although the question does get you wondering).

I would suppose he's good with pspice, though.

Chris

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson wrote (in ) about 'power consumption', on Tue, 14 Dec 2004:

To use pspice you need PerSPICacity.

Furthermore, DVD is going to be replaced by EWE, because it's inherently sheeper.

--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. 
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

Until you run out of RAM.

If you have RAM in your EWE, the natural consequences will follow. Baa!

--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. 
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

Sorry, no offense meant.

I should have left the switch visible. I thought the prior backhanded reference to Heinlein's "freshers" gave an indirect indication of that.

You're exactly right, of course.

Chris