Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: mebel on February 20, 2009, 11:49:27 AM
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I would like to build a device that can measure the current in the circuits in the circuit breaker box at my house so that I can determine how much power is utilized by those circuits. Although much of what I am interested in building is described on the Society of Robots website, I am looking to get further advice and some details on how to put it all together.
I have a lot of recent software engineering experience and some past mechanical engineering experience. Unfortunately, I have very little experience with electronic circuits.
The Society of Robots website describes using current sensing IC's in a robot to measure power use. However, I'm not sure the same circuits described on the website would apply to measuring the current through the 120V and 240V circuits in my breaker box. Where can I find information about current sensors (including example part numbers) and circuits that are required for this type of application?
I would like to connect the output from each of the current sensors attached to the breaker box circuits into a UART microcontroller. The microcontroller will include a wireless adapter so that the data collected can be transmitted wirelessly to a PC.
Software on the PC can then communicate with the microcontroller to instruct it when to take a current measurement and will then store the values transmitted back to it from the microcontroller. What are examples of microcontrollers and wireless adapters that can be used for this type of application?
Answers to these questions and any suggestions or advice on how to get started with designing and building the power measurement device described above would be greatly appreciated.
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You should contact Google about this sort of thing:
http://www.google.org/powermeter/
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The Society of Robots website describes using current sensing IC's in a robot to measure power use. However, I'm not sure the same circuits described on the website would apply to measuring the current through the 120V and 240V circuits in my breaker box. Where can I find information about current sensors (including example part numbers) and circuits that are required for this type of application?
The only thing on here I think that talks about measuring power use is the battery monitor circuit but that only measures voltage not current which would not help you. I think you would need some sort of watt meter (just google it) that would be able to connect to a microcontroller through maybe uart or analogue inputs. I doubt they make those but I bet you could find a commercially sold thing like you are looking for.
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http://www.kondra.com/circuit/circuit.html (http://www.kondra.com/circuit/circuit.html)
I think that is along the lines that you are looking for
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I found an instructable that I think is exactly what you're looking for.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Real_time_Web_Based_Household_Power_Usage_Monitor/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/Real_time_Web_Based_Household_Power_Usage_Monitor/)