Configure an INA226 Power Sensor

Configure an INA226 power sensor to integrate a Texas Instruments INA226 into your machine:

Navigate to the CONFIGURE tab of your machine’s page in the Viam app. Click the + icon next to your machine part in the left-hand menu and select Component. Select the power_sensor type, then select the ina226 model. Enter a name or use the suggested name for your sensor and click Create.

ina226 power sensor configuration panel in the Viam app.

Edit the attributes as applicable to your power sensor, according to the table below.

{
  "i2c_bus": <int>,
  "i2c_addr": <int>,
  "max_current_amps": <float>,
  "shunt_resistance": <float>
}

{
  "i2c_bus": 1
}

{
  "components": [
    {
      "name": "ina2",
      "model": "ina226",
      "type": "power_sensor",
      "namespace": "rdk",
      "attributes": {
        "i2c_bus": <int>,
        "i2c-addr": <int>,
        "max_current_amps": <float>,
        "shunt_resistance": <float>
      },
      "depends_on": []
    }
  ]
}

The following attributes are available for ina226 sensors:

AttributeTypeRequired?Description
i2c_busintegerRequiredThe index of the I2C bus that the sensor is connected to.
i2c_addrintegerOptionalDefault: 0x40. The sensor’s unique I2C address.
max_current_ampsfloatOptionalDefault: 20A. The maximum current that the sensor can measure in amperes (A).
shunt_resistancefloatOptionalDefault: 0.1Ω. The shunt resistance value of the sensor in Ohms (Ω).

Test the power sensor

After you configure your power sensor, open the power sensor’s TEST panel on the CONFIGURE or CONTROL tabs. The panel contains readings for your voltage, current, and power.

An instance of the power sensor component's test panel with voltage, current, and power readings.

Troubleshooting

If your power sensor is not working as expected, follow these steps:

  1. Check your machine logs on the LOGS tab to check for errors.
  2. Review this power sensor model’s documentation to ensure you have configured all required attributes.
  3. Click on the TEST panel on the CONFIGURE or CONTROL tab and test if you can use the power sensor there.

If none of these steps work, reach out to us on the Community Discord and we will be happy to help.

Next steps

For general configuration and development info, see:

Power sensor API

Commands for getting measurements of voltage, current, and power consumption.

Configure a machine

Create a machine in a few steps using Viam's modular system of components and services without writing much or any code.

Write control code for your machine

Write code to control machines and run it on the machine or remotely.

Have questions, or want to meet other people working on robots? Join our Community Discord.

If you notice any issues with the documentation, feel free to file an issue or edit this file.