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How to efficiently operate the Arduino GSM shield with a battery pack

comoyo.github.io

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Re: How to efficiently operate the Arduino GSM shield with a battery pack

#11

Post by freehunter »

csmatt wrote: post #9
csmatt wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look into the TI MSP430. It was built with low-power in mind. There's even an Arduino IDE port for it called Energia if you're not comfortable in C/C++. Check out http://www.43oh.com for forums. Also, I put together an aggregated list of links to tutorials from a really nice blog http://goo.gl/IFsrJi . Also, I should mention, these boards are < $5 shipped from TI and includes 2 chips and a USB cable!

Edit: I updated the tutorials link with a list of other links I've compiled. Also, it looks like they upped the board price to $9.99 ( http://www.ti.com/ww/en/launchpad/msp430_head.html ). It is absolutely worth it IMO. Good luck with your project!

Thanks, that's some good info! I might prototype with Arduino as a proof of concept and see how far I can get with these TI boards if/when I put the project into "production".

Re: How to efficiently operate the Arduino GSM shield with a battery pack

#13

Post by miri »

freehunter wrote: post #2

I'm preparing a large project using Arduino that will need to be running on battery power for long periods of time. I haven't attempted anything like this before, but everywhere I read tells me that Arduino is not power efficient at all, and people have to get creative to conserve power. I guess such is the way of low-end microprocessors, something we take for granted in power powerful machines.

It's not so much the microprocessor, it's all the trappings of the Arduino, and not using sleep mode. If your project is large and runs on limited battery power, you might want to choose another solution and work on power management. The Arduino is an excellent prototyping tool, though.

Re: How to efficiently operate the Arduino GSM shield with a battery pack

#14

Post by skaevola »

freehunter wrote: post #2

I'm preparing a large project using Arduino that will need to be running on battery power for long periods of time. I haven't attempted anything like this before, but everywhere I read tells me that Arduino is not power efficient at all, and people have to get creative to conserve power. I guess such is the way of low-end microprocessors, something we take for granted in power powerful machines.

Here's a fairly useful article:

http://hwstartup.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/how-to-run-an-ardu...

Re: How to efficiently operate the Arduino GSM shield with a battery pack

#15

Post by codehero »

csmatt wrote: post #9
csmatt wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look into the TI MSP430. It was built with low-power in mind. There's even an Arduino IDE port for it called Energia if you're not comfortable in C/C++. Check out http://www.43oh.com for forums. Also, I put together an aggregated list of links to tutorials from a really nice blog http://goo.gl/IFsrJi . Also, I should mention, these boards are < $5 shipped from TI and includes 2 chips and a USB cable!

Edit: I updated the tutorials link with a list of other links I've compiled. Also, it looks like they upped the board price to $9.99 ( http://www.ti.com/ww/en/launchpad/msp430_head.html ). It is absolutely worth it IMO. Good luck with your project!

You can just buy 1 LaunchPad and use it as a programmer to download code to your breadboard or custom PCB. You just need to hook up the TEST, RESET and GND lines. So you can use a cheaper board (and with more pins) like this https://analog10.com/store/BOB-G2553-28.html.
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