Design and Experimental Validation of a Low-Cost, IoT-Enabled Smart Power Meter for Low-Voltage DC Systems
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This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a low‑cost Internet of Things‑enabled smart power meter for low‑voltage direct‑current applications. The prototype integrates an ESP32 microcontroller, INA219 high‑side current and voltage sensor, SSD1306 OLED display, Wi‑Fi connectivity, and Blynk cloud telemetry. The system was evaluated using a 9 V battery source and different LED load configurations. Under the baseline test condition, the prototype measured a bus voltage of 8.94 V, load current of 15.10 mA, and power consumption of 0.13 W. During a 60‑second discharge test, the measured voltage decreased from 8.94 to 8.80 V, while current decreased from 15.10 to 14.40 mA. Comparative LED testing produced current values between 14.80 and 16.50 mA, demonstrating the ability to distinguish small load‑current variations. Local OLED readings were also transmitted to the Blynk dashboard at nominal one‑second intervals. The proposed meter provides an inexpensive and replicable platform for educational laboratories, low‑power DC energy auditing, and preliminary monitoring of decentralized renewable‑energy systems.
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