# INA226 power monitor: 36 V, 16-bit, 0.1% gain error

> A 16-bit I2C current, voltage and power monitor for higher-voltage packs: ranges, accuracy, addresses and the calibration step.

Canonical: https://roboticsengineering.in/components/ina226-power-monitor/ | Published: 2026-11-03 | Updated: 2026-11-03

**The INA226 is a 16-bit I2C current, voltage and power monitor that senses bus voltages from 0 to 36 V, with a maximum gain error of 0.1 percent, 330 µA typical supply current and 16 programmable addresses.** It is the more accurate and higher-voltage step up from the INA219, and suits a robot on a 3S to 8S pack. Figures are from the Texas Instruments INA226 datasheet.

## Key specifications

| Bus voltage | 0–36 V |
| --- | --- |
| Supply | 2.7–5.5 V, 330 µA typ |
| Resolution | 16 bit |
| Gain error | 0.1% max |
| Offset | 10 µV max |
| Addresses | 16 |

## What the datasheet promises

| Item | Datasheet value |
| --- | --- |
| Bus voltage sensing | 0 to 36 V, high-side or low-side |
| Chip supply | 2.7 to 5.5 V, 330 µA typical (420 µA maximum) |
| Resolution | 16 bit |
| Gain error | 0.1 percent maximum (shunt and bus voltage) |
| Offset | 10 µV maximum |
| Reports | Current, bus voltage and power, with configurable averaging |
| Interface | I2C or SMBus compatible, 16 programmable addresses, alert output |
| Temperature | −40 °C to +125 °C |
| Package | VSSOP-10 |

The datasheet warns that the ADC scales to 40.96 V full scale, but you must not apply more than 36 V. Current needs a calibration value that depends on your shunt, so the reading is only as good as the shunt resistor you calibrate against.

## Using it on a robot

- Place the shunt in series with the battery or motor supply and connect Vin+ and Vin− across it with short, matched traces.
- Write the calibration register for your shunt value, or the current and power read zero.
- Use the alert pin for an overcurrent or low-voltage cut-off that does not need polling.
- For a 12.6 V pack the older [INA219](https://roboticsengineering.in/components/ina219-current-sensor/) also works (26 V limit); choose the INA226 for higher voltage or better accuracy.

## Sources and further reading

- [Texas Instruments INA226 datasheet](https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ina226.pdf) — the voltage range, supply, accuracy, addresses and package above.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Limits are from the Texas Instruments datasheet; breakout shunt values vary. No price is quoted because it has not been checked.