Hey, are there any non invasible current sensors out there that already output 0-5V (or 0-3.3V) out of the box (and that are cheap ;) ? Seems like an obvious product for current monitoring in an Arduino.
I got a couple of SCT-013-000 and I opened them up and I think there's enough space in there to build the circuit in http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/node/58 using smd components. Has anyone done that before? (I would need to change the cable since I would need to put 5v, gnd and signal into the CT and it only has two coming out of it.
Anyway, does anything of what I'm saying makes sense. I know 0 about electronics, I'm a software engineer.
Re: CT with a 0-5V output
I'm sure there would be enough room in there to squeeze in an op amp and a few resistors to make this work, but the better question is why? With the default setup all it takes is one suitably sized resistor to convert the current source into a voltage. Yes the resultant voltage can be a bit on the low side for small current monitoring, but that can be overcome using a lower reference for the ADC.
Re: CT with a 0-5V output
I guess it's a matter of taste. I prefer less circuits in my arduino. If possible I prefer none at all and just plug the sensors I need in.