Reducing power for Battery Operation (use PLL Multiplier?)
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:48 am
Is it possible to change the PLL multiplier on the 5270 module and still have the libraries function correctly? If not, I think this capability would be a HUGE benefit to users. I need to have web-accessible control of my device, but I don't have any significant processing requirements that require the module to run at full speed. I would like to be able to cut the power in half, because I need to be able to run in a battery-operated mode (when the device is NOT connected to the network). This device will have two operating modes - a portable battery-operated mode and a permanent network-connected mode. I REALLY want to be able to have the Netburner module be the main controller for the device while in portable mode, but the power consumption is a bit high. My only other alternative is to have another microcontroller run my local GUI (LCD with membrane keypad) and when battery mode is detected, shut off the entire power supply for the Netburner module. I don't want to do this because I lose the ability to Auto-update the firmware (unless I write a firmware updater for the Netburner to update the microcontroller), and I will have to pass control and status information from the microcontroller to the Netburn for the web interface to use. A rather kludgy solution. Using the 5270 as the main controller is a clean solution, if I can just get the power consumption down when I'm running off battery.