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I power my RPi3 using a power bank for smartphones, and I'd like to check how much power the Pi draws from it while my project is running.

I don't have any special equipment for power measurement. Is there any way to measure (or at least estimate) how much power is currently drawn from the power bank?

eden881
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3 Answers3

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The Pi has no inbuilt current or voltage sensors which could be used for monitoring its own current draw, or a battery supply. You will need to track down a multimeter or other measuring device (this type of thing is very common) to keep track of your power consumption.

goobering
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The Pi 3, while idling, consumes about 220 mA. Under loads, it is known to reach up to 1 A, and with USB devices plugged in, it can reach 2.5 A. There is no on board current sensor, so this is only a tool for a good estimate.

Patrick Cook
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There are some cheap USB "power meters" available (I know you said no external hardware, but) on Aliexpress (or anywhere that sells Raspi and Arduino stuff really). They will show you voltage, current and power.

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