Agilent 5991-0519EN Download the application brochure c20141003 [12] free download

File name 5991-0519EN Download the application brochure c20141003 [12].pdf

Keysight Technologies Enhance the Battery Life of Your Mobile or Wireless Device Get the tools you need to measure and analyze dynamic current drain from sub-microamps to amps Powering the wireless revolution The success of the wireless revolution is visible in the number of devices we use every day: smartphones, tablets, e-readers, GPS units, wearable patient monitors, heart-rate monitors, and many more. Some attribute this success to the long- awaited convergence of highly integrated technology, wide bandwidths, application rich content, and attractive pricing. Of course, the insatiable demand for anytime, anywhere access leads to end-user expectations that increase the pressure on product designers. As an example, visit any product-review page and one of the biggest issues--or opportunities--becomes clear: battery life. The power challenge stems from two shared issues. One is the need to use power from a battery or low-power DC bus. The other is long periods of standby operation between bursts of intense RF activity. The resulting current drain is pulsed with extremely high peak current, low duty cycle and low average values. Accurately measuring the proile of dynamic current drain can be dificult and challenging with many of today's existing tools. Scaling the measurement challenge To maximize battery life, you may use a variety of advanced power-management tech- niques. For example, subcircuits can be rapidly turned on and off to help reduce overall power consumption. As the device transitions between different operating states, this creates dynamic current consumption that ranges from sub-microamperes to amperes. Measuring these dynamic changes is essential to understanding power consump- tion and battery life. However, handling a 1,000,000-to-1 ratio between minimum and maximum current levels is not possible with typical tools: digital multimeters (DMMs), oscilloscopes, current probes, conventional source/measure units (SMUs), or multiple shunt resistors. Using these tools can result in poor results, inaccurate understanding and daily frustration. Figure 1 Wireless temperature sensor current drain. After the Initializa