INA236
July 2, 2026 · View on GitHub
INA236
Arduino library for the INA236, I2C, 16 bit, voltage, current and power sensor.
Description
Experimental
This documentation is based upon the INA226 library, and may contain information not updated yet. Please open an issue if needed.
Experimental library for the INA236 current and power sensor.
Ported and updated from INA226 to INA236 by Josef Tremmel (thanks!).
Read datasheet for details.
==> USE WITH CARE
The INA236 is a voltage, current and power measurement device. A few important maxima, see datasheet, chapter 6.
| description | max | unit | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bus voltage | 48 | Volt | unclear for how long. |
| shunt voltage | 80 | mVolt | can be set to 20 mV. |
| current | 20 | Ampere | ?? TODO check |
Special characters
- Ω == Ohm = ALT-234 (Windows)
- µ == micro = ALT-0181 (Windows)
Related
Specifications
- https://www.ti.com/product/INA236#tech-docs
- https://www.ti.com/product/INA236#params
- https://www.ti.com/document-viewer/INA236/datasheet
INAxxx libraries
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA219 26 Volt, I2C, 12 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA226 36 Volt, I2C, 16 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA228 85 Volt, I2C, 20 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA229 85 Volt, SPI, 20 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA236 48 Volt, I2C, 16 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA238 85 Volt, I2C, 16 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA239 85 Volt, SPI, 16 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA260 36 Volt, SPI, 16 bit
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA2227 48 Volt, I2C, 16 bits (2 channel)
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA3221_RT 26 Volt, I2C, 13 bits (3 channel)
Other
- https://www.adafruit.com/product/5832
- https://www.mateksys.com/?portfolio=i2c-ina-bm
- https://github.com/RobTillaart/printHelpers scientific and units notation
I2C
Address
The INA236 comes in two flavours, the INA236A and INA236B with two disjunct address ranges. Both can have 4 different I2C addresses, which depends on how the A0 address line is connected to the SCL, SDA, GND and VCC pins.
See table - from datasheet table 7.1, page 16.
| A0 | INA236A | HEX | INA236B | HEX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GND | 64 | 0x40 | 72 | 0x48 | |
| VS | 65 | 0x41 | 73 | 0x49 | |
| SDA | 66 | 0x42 | 74 | 0x4A | |
| SCL | 67 | 0x43 | 75 | 0x4B |
Performance
To be elaborated, example sketch available.
(From Datasheet 7.5.1)
The INA236 supports the transmission protocol for fast mode up to
400 kHz and high-speed mode up to 2.94 MHz.
I2C multiplexing
Sometimes you need to control more devices than possible with the default address range the device provides. This is possible with an I2C multiplexer e.g. TCA9548 which creates up to eight channels (think of it as I2C subnets) which can use the complete address range of the device.
Drawback of using a multiplexer is that it takes more administration in your code e.g. which device is on which channel. This will slow down the access, which must be taken into account when deciding which devices are on which channel. Also note that switching between channels will slow down other devices too if they are behind the multiplexer.
About Measurements
Calibration with setMaxCurrentShunt() is mandatory to get getCurrent() and getPower() to work.
Some initial tests shows that the readings do not 100% add up. I expect this is caused by fluctuations in my power supply used and more important that the ADC is multiplexed so there is time between the bus voltage measurement and the shunt voltage measurement. If the current has changed a bit these values are not necessary in line.
Did some measurements with a load of 194 ohm and a shunt of 0.002 ohm that is a factor 10e5 Being on the edge of the sensitivity of the ADC measurements of current were up to ~9% too low. Possible cause is that some maths is done in 16 bit so numbers are truncated, not rounded.
(see issue #2) Sensors may have a different shunt resistor than the 0.002 I have. You should always check and verify what is on the shunt and even verify with a DMM that this value is correct. With the calibration function setMaxCurrentShunt() one can just set the actual value and even compensate slightly if readings are structural too low or too high.
I noted that the getPower() function does not always equal getBusVoltage() times getCurrent(). Cause is rounding/trunking maths and time of measurement. You might prefer to multiply those values yourself to get extra digits. Please be aware that more digits is not always more exact (think significant digits).
The example sketch INA236_setMaxCurrentShunt.ino switches between two calibration modes. It shows the INA266 sensor needs time to accommodate to this change. In practice you should call setMaxCurrentShunt() only once in setup().
Also see INA226 issue 30 for another typical deviation problem.
Interface
#include "INA236.h"
Constructor
- INA236(const uint8_t address, TwoWire *wire = Wire) Constructor to set the address and optional Wire interface.
- bool begin() initializes the class. returns true if the INA236 address is on the I2C bus. Note: one needs to set Wire.begin() before calling begin().
- bool isConnected() returns true if the INA236 address is on the I2C bus.
- uint8_t getAddress() returns the address set in the constructor.
Bus voltage
Main function + wrappers.
- float getBusVoltage() idem. Returns value in volts. Max 48 Volt. This value is always positive.
- float getBusVolt()
- float getBusMilliVolt()
- float getBusMicroVolt()
Shunt voltage
- float getShuntVoltage() idem, Returns value in volts. Note the value can be positive or negative as the INA236 is bidirectional.
- float getShuntVolt()
- float getShuntMilliVolt()
- float getShuntMicroVolt()
Shunt current
- float getCurrent() returns the current through the shunt in Ampere. Note this value can be positive or negative as the INA236 is bidirectional.
- float getAmpere()
- float getMilliAmpere()
- float getMicroAmpere()
Power
- float getPower() returns the current x BusVoltage in Watt.
- float getWatt()
- float getMilliWatt()
- float getMicroWatt()
- float getKiloWatt()
Conversion Ready
Note the power and the current are not meaningful without calibrating the sensor. Also the value is not meaningful if there is no shunt connected.
- bool isConversionReady() returns true if conversion ready flag is set.
- bool waitConversionReady(uint32_t timeout = INA236_MAX_WAIT_MS) active waiting for ready flag. Polling for max timeout time, default 600 milliseconds, for wake up time.
ADC conversion time
Note: The internal conversions runs in the background in the device. If a conversion is finished the measured value is stored in the appropriate register. The last obtained values can always be read from the registers, so they will not block. Result can be that you get the very same value if no new data is available yet. This is especially true if you increase the number of samples. (See also discussion in INA219 issue 11).
Using more samples reduces the noise level, but one will miss the faster changes in voltage or current. Depending on your project needs you can choose one over the other.
As a rule of thumb one could take the time between two I2C reads of a register as an upper limit. This would result in a fresh measurement every time one reads the register. NB it is always possible to average readings fetched from the device in your own code.
- bool reset() software power on reset. This implies calibration with setMaxCurrentShunt() needs to be redone. Returns true upon success.
- bool setBusVoltageConversionTime(uint8_t bvct = INA236_1100_us) see table below. (4 = default ==> 1.1 ms), returns false if parameter > 7.
- uint8_t getBusVoltageConversionTime() return the value set. Note the value returned is not a unit of time.
- bool setShuntVoltageConversionTime(uint8_t svct = INA236_1100_us) see table below. (4 = default ==> 1.1 ms), returns false if parameter > 7.
- uint8_t getShuntVoltageConversionTime() return the value set. Note the value returned is not a unit of time.
| enum description | BVCT SVCT | time | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| INA236_140_us | 0 | 140 us | |
| INA236_204_us | 1 | 204 us | |
| INA236_332_us | 2 | 332 us | |
| INA236_588_us | 3 | 588 us | |
| INA236_1100_us | 4 | 1.1 ms | default |
| INA236_2100_us | 5 | 2.1 ms | |
| INA236_4200_us | 6 | 4.2 ms | |
| INA236_8300_us | 7 | 8.3 ms |
- bool setAverage(uint8_t avg = INA236_1_SAMPLE) see table below. (0 = default ==> 1 read), returns false if parameter > 7.
- uint8_t getAverage() returns the value set. See table below. Note this is not the count of samples.
| enum description | value | # samples | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| INA236_1_SAMPLE | 0 | 1 | default |
| INA236_4_SAMPLES | 1 | 4 | |
| INA236_16_SAMPLES | 2 | 16 | |
| INA236_64_SAMPLES | 3 | 64 | |
| INA236_128_SAMPLES | 4 | 128 | |
| INA236_256_SAMPLES | 5 | 256 | |
| INA236_512_SAMPLES | 6 | 512 | |
| INA236_1024_SAMPLES | 7 | 1024 |
Note: times are typical, check datasheet for operational range. (max is ~10% higher)
Note: total conversion time can take up to 1024 * 8.3 ms ~ 10 seconds.
ADCRange
The INA236 can set the ADC range to 20 mV (adcRange == true) or to 80 mV (adcRange == false) to optimize the accuracy.
- bool setADCRange(bool flag) The function sets the voltage/LSB, flag = false => 81.92 mV, true => 20.48 mV Since 0.1.3 setADCRange() calls setMaxCurrentShunt() to update the internal LSB values. Returns false on failure of setMaxCurrentShunt().
- uint8_t getADCRange() returns set value.
Note: this function is not available on INA226.
Calibration
See datasheet.
Calibration is mandatory to get getCurrent() and getPower() to work.
- int setMaxCurrentShunt(float ampere = 20.0, float ohm = 0.002, bool normalize = true) set the calibration register based upon the shunt and the max Ampere. From these two values the current_LSB is derived, the steps of the ADC when measuring current. This function also calls setADCRange() to optimize accuracy. Returns Error code, see below.
- bool isCalibrated() returns true if CurrentLSB has been calculated by setMaxCurrentShunt(). Value should not be zero.
- float getCurrentLSB() returns the LSB in Ampere == precision of the calibration.
- float getCurrentLSB_mA() returns the LSB in milliAmpere.
- float getCurrentLSB_uA() returns the LSB in microAmpere.
- float getShunt() returns the value set for the shunt in ohm.
- float getMaxCurrent() returns the value for the maxCurrent which can be corrected.
To print these values in scientific notation use https://github.com/RobTillaart/printHelpers
About normalization
setMaxCurrentShunt() will round the current_LSB to nearest round value (typical 0.001) by default (normalize == true).
- The user must check the return value == 0x000, otherwise the calibration register is not set.
- Normalization typically gives smaller steps => improve precision
- Normalization can cause that the maxCurrent passed cannot be reached any more. Solution is not to normalize if this max range is needed.
Note: in 0.5.1 the setMaxCurrentShunt() function is rewritten after it showed a bug when normalize flag was set to true. See https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA236/pull/29 for details of the discussion.
Error codes setMaxCurrentShunt
| descriptive name error | value | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| INA236_ERR_NONE | 0x0000 | OK |
| INA236_ERR_SHUNTVOLTAGE_HIGH | 0x8000 | maxCurrent * shunt > 80 mV |
| INA236_ERR_MAXCURRENT_LOW | 0x8001 | maxCurrent < 0.001 |
| INA236_ERR_SHUNT_LOW | 0x8002 | shunt < 0.001 |
| INA236_ERR_NORMALIZE_FAILED | 0x8003 | not possible to normalize. |
Operating mode
See datasheet, partially tested.
Mode = 4 is not used, is also a shutdown() unknown if there is a difference with mode == 0.
- bool setMode(uint8_t mode = 7) mode = 0..7. The value 7 == ShuntBusContinuous mode.
- uint8_t getMode() returns the mode (0..7).
Descriptive mode functions (convenience wrappers).
- bool shutDown() mode 0 - not tested yet
- bool setModeShuntTrigger() mode 1 - not tested yet - how to trigger to be investigated
- bool setModeBusTrigger() mode 2 - not tested yet
- bool setModeShuntBusTrigger() mode 3 - not tested yet
- bool setModeShuntContinuous() mode 5
- bool setModeBusContinuous() mode 6
- bool setModeShuntBusContinuous() mode 7 - default.
Alert functions
See datasheet, not tested yet.
- bool setAlertRegister(uint16_t mask) by setting the mask one of five types of over- or underflow can be detected. Another feature that can be set is the conversion ready flag. Returns true if write to register is successful.
- uint16_t getAlertRegister() returns the mask set by setAlertRegister().
- bool setAlertLatchEnable(bool latch = false) idem. Returns true if write to register is successful.
- bool getAlertLatchEnable() return current status.
- bool setAlertPolarity(bool inverted = false) idem. Returns true if write to register is successful.
- bool getAlertPolarity() return current status.
| description alert register | mask | short |
|---|---|---|
| INA236_SHUNT_OVER_VOLTAGE | 0x8000 | SOL |
| INA236_SHUNT_UNDER_VOLTAGE | 0x4000 | SUL |
| INA236_BUS_OVER_VOLTAGE | 0x2000 | BOL |
| INA236_BUS_UNDER_VOLTAGE | 0x1000 | BUL |
| INA236_POWER_OVER_LIMIT | 0x0800 | POL |
| INA236_CONVERSION_READY | 0x0400 | CNVR |
| description alert flags | mask | short |
|---|---|---|
| INA236_ALERT_FUNCTION_FLAG | 0x0010 | AFF |
| INA236_CONVERSION_READY_FLAG | 0x0008 | CVRF |
| INA236_MATH_OVERFLOW_FLAG | 0x0004 | OVF |
| description alert configuration | mask | short |
|---|---|---|
| INA236_ALERT_POLARITY_FLAG | 0x0002 | APOL |
| INA236_ALERT_LATCH_ENABLE_FLAG | 0x0001 | LEN |
The ALERT pin changes when alert is reached. Falling or rising depends on polarity set.
Deprecated
uint16_t getAlertFlag() returns the mask set by setAlertRegister(). Deprecated, is replaced by getAlertRegister().
Alert Limits
See datasheet, not tested yet.
- bool setAlertLimit(uint16_t limit) sets the limit that belongs to the chosen Alert Flag. Returns true if write to register successful.
- uint16_t getAlertLimit() returns the limit set by setAlertLimit().
Meta information
- uint16_t getManufacturerID() should return 0x5449
- uint16_t getDieID() should return 0xA080.
Debugging
- uint16_t getRegister(uint8_t reg) fetch registers directly, for debugging only.
Error Handling
- int getLastError() returns last (I2C) error.
Adjusting the range of the INA236
use at own risk
See INA226, issue 26 - https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA226/issues/26 See INA236, issue 8 - https://github.com/RobTillaart/INA236/issues/8
In issue #26 a hack is made to scale the INA226 to 300A by using a very small shunt. The INA236 library has a minimal limit for the shunt of 0.001 Ohm = 1 mOhm. This limit can be overruled to support wider ranges like the one discussed in #26. Overruling can be done by changing the value in the INA236.h file, or by defining INA236_MINIMAL_SHUNT on the command line.
#ifndef INA236_MINIMAL_SHUNT
#define INA236_MINIMAL_SHUNT (0.001)
#endif
Be aware that
- you should NOT do this unless you understand the implications.
- you do this at your own risk.
- the resistance of wires used affect measurements with very small shunts.
- solder might change the resistance too.
- you do this at your own risk.
Future
Must
- keep in sync with INA226 where possible.
Should
Could
- setMaxCurrentShunt(), if normalize fails should we set current_LSB = 0.0f? or continue with non normalized value.
Won't
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