Automatic energy model generation with MSP430 EnergyTrace

Professional energy measurement systems are expensive, especially when it comes to systems usable for automated measurements. In exchange, they provide a well-known measurement range, detailed accuracy guarantees, and a computer interface. DIY solutions from researchers have improved the situation considerably, with hardware cost in the $100 range, but are typically not commercially available. We are interested in even more affordable solutions, and examine the capabilities of the "EnergyTrace" technology embedded on the TI MSP430FR5994 LaunchPad, which is commercially available for less than $20. Out of the box, we observe a maximum error of 210 μA in the 100 μA to 10 mA range, but no support for automatic model generation. With single-point calibration and a custom synchronization and drift compensation algorithm, we are able to further reduce the error to 53 μA and perform entirely automated measurements and energy model generation on 3.3V MCUs and peripherals with a maximum timestamp error of 0.95 ms.