Overview
The Adafruit INA169 Analog DC Current Sensor Breakout is a simple, elegant solution for measuring DC current without the headaches of traditional multimeters or low-side sensing. Built around the smart INA169 current monitor, this breakout lets you measure high-side current up to 60V, keeping your system ground stable and your measurements clean and reliable.
At the heart of the board is a precision 0.1Ω, 1% sense resistor rated for 2W, allowing you to continuously measure currents up to 5A. The INA169 amplifies the voltage drop across this resistor and converts it into an analog output referenced to ground, making it perfect for microcontrollers, ADCs, and control or feedback-loop systems. By default, the onboard 10K resistor gives a convenient 1V per Amp output (for example, 2A = 2V), and advanced users can easily change the scaling by swapping the resistor to suit their application.
Unlike many current monitors that only support low-side measurements, this breakout excels at high-side current sensing, handling supply voltages from 2.7V all the way up to 60V. This makes it ideal for battery-powered systems, power supplies, motor drivers, and energy monitoring projects where ground integrity matters.
To make prototyping easy, the board includes a 5-pin header for breadboard use and a pre-soldered 3.5mm terminal block, allowing you to quickly connect and disconnect your load. Just power the board, wire V+ and V− inline with your load, and read the output voltage — no complex calibration or setup required.
Specification
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Current Sensor IC | INA169 (analog current monitor with ground-referenced output) |
| Sensing Method | High-side current sensing (keeps system ground stable) |
| Max Bus / Sense Voltage | Up to +60V DC (high-side measurement) |
| Recommended Supply / Operating Range | 2.7V to 60V (applied to VCC) |
| Max Continuous Current | Up to +5A continuous (limited by onboard sense resistor rating) |
| Sense Resistor | 0.1Ω, 1% precision, 2W continuous |
| Analog Output Type | Ground-referenced analog voltage output (via onboard load resistor) |
| Default Output Scaling | 1V per Amp (with onboard 10K load resistor) |
| Example Output | 2A load ≈ 2V output (default configuration) |
| Output Scaling Customization | Change load resistor by cutting trace and soldering a through-hole resistor |
| Scaling Example: 20K Load Resistor | 2V per Amp |
| Scaling Example: 5K Load Resistor | 0.5V per Amp |
| Connections / Termination | Includes 5-pin header (breadboard-friendly) and pre-soldered 3.5mm terminal block for load connection |
| Typical Use Cases | DC current monitoring, power monitoring, battery/system load measurement, feedback-loop control, current-based protection |
Pinout
| Pin | Function |
|---|---|
| VCC | Supply voltage for INA169 (2.7V–60V) |
| GND | Common ground reference |
| OUT | Analog voltage output proportional to current (default 1V/A) |
| VIN+ | High-side input from power supply being monitored |
| VIN− | Output to load (current flows VIN+ → VIN−) |
Opps
Sorry, it looks like some products are not available in selected quantity.
Reviews
No reviews have been written for this product.