Experience with DC clamp meters?

Other Hardware General Electronics
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I'd like to get an Arduino compatible 30A dc clamp module. Any suggestions for make/model? My preference is to avoid AliWhatever (Amazon if possible) but I don 't insist on it.

ETA Actually this was based on a misreading of the power delivery spec. I don't think I need current measurement at all for my application. Leaving question up for reference.

Thanks so much

Joe

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Hello virgosystems

Take a view here:

2 Likes
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I meant a module. Updated to reflect.

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The Fluke i30S does exactly what you asked for plus a lot more and is accurate and reliable. The output goes to a meter, scope, etc so you can easily adapt the output to your Arduino. The adapter you use depends on the model chosen

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Can you provide links to some you have rejected? Why did you reject them?

1 Like
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As the rest have mentioned… fluke 100%. If that is too expensive and you want to stay away from it,,

Hall effect sensors are fun to play with and calibrate, amplify the signals if you like that kind of electronics…

10$

1$

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Basically I want to assemble an Arduino* power meter for total consumption of a number of USB devices. Since I'm already likely to be splicing in a resistor to connect a voltmeter module, I didn't want to put in another splice for the current meter. There were so many clamp meter modules on Amazon I was hoping someone here had direct experience with one/some of them.

Thanks again

Joe

*or some other microcontroller

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Thanks so much for these. As mentioned in my reply to Paul_KD7HB, I'm trying to make an Arduino power meter. Since I'm almost certainly splicing in a resistor, I was hoping yo avoid additional splices with a clamp based module.

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Here is the problem in a nut shell. All such measurements will be made of varying currents, varying at the rate of the clocks of the devices. You will need to sample the readings at a much faster rate than the current varies, then integrate for a second to arrive at the average current for the second, then compute the power at the USB voltage, which is not necessarily 5.00 volts.
Why are you splicing in a resistor to measure voltage? Just measure it directly, at the same sample rate you do the current. In fact, use the SAME clocking for both, then you can compute the instantaneous power.

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Yeah… @Paul_KD7HB kind of nailed it…

Its not entirely clear all of the hardware you are using to achieve this “power meter”, so ill make this final suggestion without knowing the whole story…
i have actual experience with these nifty little breakout boards if you want to get pretty accurate voltage/current/power… sort of out of the box ready. I know i know!! You want a DC clamp option, and you are trying to avoid soldering and splicing. i did read that. I’m not ignoring the fact jist trying to steer you otherwise and offering 1 more quite accurate option :wink::joy:

Take care

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