The INA180 is a voltage-output current-sense amplifier: it reads the small voltage across a shunt resistor, on a bus anywhere from −0.2 V to +26 V, and gives it back as an analog voltage at a fixed gain of 20, 50, 100 or 200 V/V. Unlike an I2C monitor, it needs no bus and no calibration code: the output goes straight to a microcontroller ADC pin, with 350 kHz bandwidth on the 20 V/V version, which is fast enough to see a motor stall. Figures are from the Texas Instruments INAx180 datasheet.
Key specifications
| Common-mode range | −0.2 to +26 V |
|---|---|
| Gains | 20 / 50 / 100 / 200 V/V |
| Gain error | ±1% max |
| Bandwidth | 350 kHz (A1) |
| Slew rate | 2 V/µs |
| Supply current | 260 µA max |
What the datasheet promises
| Item | Datasheet value |
|---|---|
| Common-mode range | −0.2 V to +26 V, low-side or high-side sensing |
| Gain options | 20 V/V (A1), 50 V/V (A2), 100 V/V (A3), 200 V/V (A4) |
| Gain error | ±1 percent maximum |
| Offset voltage | ±150 µV maximum at VCM = 0 V; ±500 µV maximum at VCM = 12 V |
| Offset drift | 1 µV/°C maximum |
| Bandwidth | 350 kHz on the A1 devices |
| Slew rate | 2 V/µs |
| Supply current | 260 µA maximum (INA180); 500 µA (INA2180 dual); 900 µA (INA4180 quad) |
| Packages | 5-pin (INA180); 8-pin VSSOP and WSON (INA2180); 14-pin (INA4180) |
The output voltage is the shunt voltage multiplied by the gain, so the shunt and gain together set the current range. As a worked example, a 0.01 Ω shunt at 5 A drops 50 mV; at a gain of 50 V/V that reads 2.5 V at the ADC. That is a calculation from the datasheet’s gain figures, not a bench result.
Using it on a robot
- Place the shunt in the motor supply or the ground return, close to the amplifier, with short matched traces.
- Choose the gain so the largest current you expect, including stall, stays below the ADC’s maximum input.
- If you want the digital readout of voltage and power as well, the INA219 or the INA226 do it over I2C.
- Some motor drivers, such as the DRV8874, have a built-in current-sense output and need no separate amplifier.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Instruments INAx180 datasheet — the common-mode range, gains, accuracy, bandwidth and supply current above.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Limits are from the Texas Instruments datasheet; check the supply voltage range for your variant there. No price is quoted because it has not been checked.
Where to buy in India
These open a store search. Compare seller, price and reviews before you order.