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raspberry-piraspberry-pi3i2c

Can INA219 be used to power AND report to an arduino or raspberry pi board?

I've been trying to use the ina219 current sensor to measure the current drawn by a raspberry pi. But all tutorials I find on the web only measure the current of another circuit (like an LED that is powered by a battery: this is the most referred I've seen around).

I tried powering the Pi through the ina219, but it does not turn on. If I connect it in parallel (the battery goes through the sensor, to the Pi, AND directly to the Pi), it turns on, but I don't know if it is a good practice.

What I need is the Raspberry Pi to measure the current drawn by the Pi itself from a battery. If INA219 is not suitable, are there other options?

Solution

  • I figured my INA was not working properly. Got a new one.

    Then, if I connect both the I2C AND the supply through the ina, to the RPi, I get readings from it. No need to connect in parallel as I described.