Optimizing power consumption (Arduino micro, Adafruit VS1053, sensor, amp)

Hi all, for my interactive art piece Iam making mp3 player which starts playing random track after IR sensor detects obstacle.

My gear is Arduino micro, Adafruit VS1053, TCRT5000 IR Sensor, 18W amp and 3W speaker. All of this must be powered from battery (smaller is better).

Everything works, but my 9V battery last just a few hours. And I need it to work at least few days in a row.

Iam thinking about sleep mode for Arduino, can't find informations about sleep mode for Adafruit VS1053.
Is it possible that the information from IR sensor will wake the Arduino and at the same time will start playing track via VS1053?

I was also thinking if its possible to set the TCRT5000 IR Sensor to be active for example just every 2 seconds? This could also lower consumption of energy.

If you have any ideas how to optimize the power consumption, please write me. Iam struggling with this project so long and this is the (I hope) last problem which I need to solve.

Thank you

You could wake up arduino with interrupt.
Then a mosfet can be turned on to feed player and amplifier.
Sensor would need to be always on to wait for the trigger...

The power consumed by the rest of the components is miniscule compared to this.
Do you need that much power?

I changed amp to LM386 which has Current : 4 mA and smaller 3W speaker and the sound result is pretty the same. Now I need to find out how to measure power consumption of Arduino with all components, when playing and not playing track.

Do you have a DMM/multimeter that can measure current?

I can get one. Is it possible to measure it as a one device? Or should I measure every component alone?

If you measure the current from the battery, that would include everything connected.

I can make a good guesstimate about the power consumed when it is on, if that would be good enough.

Hi Jim, I measered it and on my multimeter it showed 56 mA in basic mode and 107mA when sensor detects obstacle and track is playing.

Now I'm trying to find out how to put Arduino to sleep but still no luck. If I post my code, would help you to update it for the sleep mode?

Thanks

That does not seem right. The TCRT5000 alone uses around 20mA.
What current setting did you use?

Its my friends multimeter.
I can't use the mA input, because its damaged, it isn't measuring Ampers.

I don't know what your skill level is, so I have to ask, did you measure the current like this?
image

Iam a total beginner in electronics.

When I attach red wire form multimeter to + on battery, where should I attach black wire from multimeter?

When I connect it right, Arduino must be ON, yes?

Thanks,

I attached it following the picture, the wire from COM - to VIN on Arduino (I hope that's right, I also tried attached it to 5V on Arduino). And the result was 0,54 - both VIN or 5V (on the same multimeter setting - mA).

I checked also the data sheets to each component and yes, each of them has current 20mA or more.

I don't, know what I'm doing wrong.

Shouldn't you have the meter set to A instead of mA since you are using the 10A input terminal?

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Should have not connected it the 5V pin, you may have damaged the Arduino
Does the Arduino still work?

Try @EmilyJane 's suggestion

Then its 0,054A, so its 54mA

Yes Arduino is working

Thanks @EmilyJane