ppk2-api

What it is and what it does

ppk2-api is a Python wrapper around Nordic Semiconductor's Power Profiler Kit II hardware, enabling automated power consumption measurement and logging without the GUI. It communicates with the PPK 2 device over a serial port and provides methods to configure measurement modes, set voltage levels, and stream power samples in real time.

The package offers two usage patterns: a basic synchronous API that reads samples on demand, and a multiprocessing variant that runs a background polling process to buffer up to 10 seconds of data, reducing the frequency of manual polling. It is cross-platform and requires only pyserial as a runtime dependency, making it suitable for embedded test automation, power profiling in CI/CD pipelines, and long-term power monitoring applications.

Use it for:

• Automated power consumption testing in embedded device development workflows and CI/CD pipelines
• Long-term power monitoring and data logging for battery-powered device optimization
• Real-time power measurement during firmware development without manual GUI interaction
• Batch power profiling across multiple device configurations or firmware variants
• Integration of power metrics into test reports and performance dashboards

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Provides a Python API to automate power consumption measurement and data logging with Nordic Semiconductor's Power Profiler Kit II (PPK 2) over a serial connection.

Yes, if you own a PPK 2 and need automated power measurement. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, and fills a genuine gap (no official automation support). The GPLv2 license is a consideration for proprietary projects. The 1162-day gap since first release and over a year since the last release suggest the core API is stable but may not be under active feature development.

Install

ppk2-api on PyPI

pip install ppk2-api

uv add ppk2-api

poetry add ppk2-api

Installing ppk2-api

Before you install

Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (pyserial). Package is actively maintained with recent commits and a modest but engaged user base, though last release was over a year ago.

License in practice

Licensed under GPLv2 (copyleft). Any derivative work or modifications must be shared under the same license terms. Suitable for open-source projects; proprietary software integration requires careful review.

Quickstart

from ppk2_api import PPK2_API
import time

ppk2 = PPK2_API("/dev/ttyACM0")  # adjust serial port
ppk2.use_source_meter()
ppk2.set_source_voltage(3300)
ppk2.start_measuring()

for i in range(10):
    data = ppk2.get_data()
    if data:
        samples = ppk2.get_samples(data)
        print(f"Avg: {sum(samples)/len(samples)}uA")
    time.sleep(0.1)

ppk2.stop_measuring()

Requires a PPK 2 device connected to a serial port; the serial port path must be known and accessible to the Python process.

Verify before relying

• Whether Python version support is truly unspecified or if there is a practical minimum (e.g., Python 3.6+)
• Current state of 'in progress' features (data logging formats, full GUI parity) and their timeline
• Whether multiprocessing mode is production-ready or still experimental

Package facts

Evidence: ppk2_api-0.9.2-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

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