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      1 page.title=Power consumption
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     19 <div id="qv-wrapper">
     20   <div id="qv">
     21     <h2>In this document</h2>
     22     <ol id="auto-toc">
     23     </ol>
     24   </div>
     25 </div>
     26 
     27 <h2 id="low_power_sensors">Low-power sensors</h2>
     28 <p>Some sensor types are defined as being low power. Low-power sensors must
     29   function at low power, with their processing done in the hardware. This means
     30   they should not require the SoC to be running. Here are some low-power sensor
     31   types:</p>
     32 <ul>
     33   <li> Geomagnetic rotation vector </li>
     34   <li> Significant motion </li>
     35   <li> Step counter </li>
     36   <li> Step detector </li>
     37   <li> Tilt detector </li>
     38 </ul>
     39 <p>They are accompanied by a low-power (<img src="images/battery_icon.png"
     40 width="20" height="20" alt="Low power sensor" />) icon in the <a
     41 href="sensor-types.html#composite_sensor_type_summary">Composite sensor type
     42 summary</a> table.</p>
     43 <p>These sensor types cannot be implemented at high power as their primary benefit
     44   is low battery use. These sensors are expected to be activated for very long
     45   periods, possibly 24/7. It is better to not implement a low-power sensor at all
     46   rather than implement it as high power, as it would cause dramatic battery
     47   drain.</p>
     48 <p>Composite low-power sensor types, such as the step detector, must have their
     49   processing conducted in the hardware.</p>
     50 <p>See the CDD for specific power requirements, and expect tests in CTS to
     51   verify those power requirements.</p>
     52 <h2 id="power_measurement_process">Power measurement process</h2>
     53 <p>The power is measured at the battery. For values in milliWatts, we use the
     54   nominal voltage of the battery, meaning a 1mA current at 4V must be counted as
     55   4mW.</p>
     56 <p>The power is measured when the SoC is asleep, and averaged over a few seconds
     57   of the SoC being asleep, so that periodic spikes in power from the sensor chips
     58   are taken into account.</p>
     59 <p>For one-shot wake-up sensors, the power is measured while the sensor doesnt
     60   trigger (so it doesnt wake the SoC up). Similarly, for other sensors, the
     61   power is measured while the sensor data is stored in the hardware FIFO, so the
     62   SoC is not woken up.</p>
     63 <p>The power normally is measured as a delta with when no sensor is activated.
     64   When several sensors are activated, the delta in power must be no greater than
     65   the sum of the power of each activated sensor. If an accelerometer consumes
     66   0.5mA and a step detector consumes 0.5mA, then activating both at the same time
     67   must consume less than 0.5+0.5=1mA.</p>
     68