nRF54L battery estimates: why is measured current higher than the power model?

Measure the complete cycle, including sensor startup, conversion, CPU work and communication. Identify whether the instrument measures the SoC rail or the whole board. LEDs, regulators, debug interfaces and external pull-ups can dominate a low-power measurement even when the radio behaves as expected.

Calculate average current from charge over time: I_avg = Σ(I_i × t_i) / T. In an illustrative one-second cycle, 5 mA for 4 ms contributes 20 µA before any sleep or sensor current is added. Check that the measurement bandwidth captures these short events.

Use the vendor's profiling sample as a controlled baseline, then add application functions one at a time. Repeat under reconnects, weak signal and the real reporting interval. Estimate battery life using usable capacity and measured average current, with allowance for battery self-discharge and load-dependent voltage limits.