Measure the whole operating cycle
List current and duration for each state: deep sleep, sensor sampling, CPU processing, GNSS where fitted, cryptography, cellular/network connection, transmission, receive windows, retries, periodic maintenance and firmware updates. Average current equals the sum of each state’s current multiplied by its time, divided by the full cycle duration. Measure at the finished device supply input so regulators and real board leakage are included.
Use a stated capacity derating
First estimate usable mAh rather than nominal mAh. For a purely illustrative model, 2,400 mAh nameplate capacity at 80% usable equals 1,920 mAh. If measured *whole-device average* current is 0.20 mA, the idealised runtime is 1,920 ÷ 0.20 = 9,600 hours, approximately 400 days. That is a model output—not a promised 400-day deployment. Self-discharge, temperature and peak-current limitations may make it shorter.
Investigate the radio and reporting interval
A small message does not guarantee a small energy budget: registration, reconnection, poor signal, protocol handshakes, retries, acknowledgements and background maintenance can exceed the payload’s airtime. Compare daily and hourly reporting, event batching, and network outage scenarios. More reports increase both energy and data costs. Balance operational freshness against support visits and battery replacements.
Validate before buying a fleet
Run power profiling on assembled hardware using the actual SIM, firmware, radio settings, antenna and expected network. Test at low and high ambient temperatures, weak coverage, after long outages and through firmware updates. Check brownout under transmit peaks as well as average consumption. The free estimator gives a planning bound; the R3,990 Decision Pack helps connect battery, data and field-service assumptions to deployment economics.
Match the product to the decision.
Start free. Choose paid modelling only when you need an expanded decision: the R1,490 Pro Planner compares reusable scenarios; the R1,790 Economics Report provides a finished economics output for one project; the R3,990 Decision Pack adds directional power, telemetry and structured validation planning. None replaces project-specific engineering verification.
Technical reading
External technical sources provide context; they do not endorse MoleculeX products or validate a specific project.