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Battery life of a sensor

Estimate how long a battery-powered sensor can run on one battery. Enter the battery capacity in mAh and the average current the sensor draws, in µA or mA.

This is a theoretical maximum: self-discharge, cold, radio wake-ups and the cut-off voltage all shorten the real battery life. The average current is in the manufacturer’s datasheet.

Enter your values, then calculate.

Method and limitations

Battery life in hours = battery capacity in mAh ÷ average current in mA. A current given in µA is first divided by 1000 to get mA. Days = hours ÷ 24. Years = days ÷ 365. Days are shown as whole numbers and years to one decimal place. Every value comes from you: the tool assumes no capacity and no current.

Sources

No external reference is documented for this calculation; its method and limitations are described above.