This expansion card may well be the last power detection solution you need to buy. Not only can it do the work of two multimeters, but it can do so with amazing precision and flexibility. It allows you to measure the direct current on the high or low side, the voltage and automatically calculate the power. It can do this over impressive voltage, current and temperature ranges with an accuracy of better than 1%, while providing data in an easy-to-use I2C format.

Works perfectly with any CircuitPython or Arduino compatible microcontroller, as well as single-card computers such as the Raspberry Pi. It is compatible with 3V or 5V logic and can measure bus voltages up to +36VDC. Do not use with alternating voltages.

Most current measuring devices operate under significant constraints that limit their use. Many of them are just aisles, which can cause measurement problems. Others like its little sister INA219B avoid this by measuring on the high side but have to change their shunt resistance to measure different current ranges. The INA260 avoids these limitations and thanks to its integrated precision shunt resistance, it can be used to measure up to +36V up to 15A continuously on the high or low side. Wow!!

The voltage through the integrated 2 milliohms (.002 ohms!) shunt resistance at 0.1% is measured by the internal 16-bit ADC, allowing measurements over an impressive current range with a resolution of 1.5 mA. (The resistance of the resistance is so low that some multimeters will record it as a short-circuit!)

In a high side configuration, the bus voltage measurement and power calculation can be accurately recovered, but advanced makers who wish to measure the bus voltage in a low side configuration will have to cut the jumper connecting V+ to VBUS and connect the VBUS pin to the voltage bus.

Supplied as a fully assembled board with a 5.08 mm (extra thick!) terminal block and a non-soldered connector. A little light soldering is required to secure the connector and terminal block.

Technical details

Product dimensions: 22.9 mm x 22.8 mm x 22.8 mm x 2.7 mm / 0.9 in x 0.9 in x 0.9 in x 0.1 in

Product weight: 2.0g / 0.1oz