---
title: "pbl power"
canonical_url: https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/power/
last_updated: 2026-11-02
sdk_version: 4.33.1
---
# pbl power

Source: https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/power/

Power the watch on, off or through a cycle, or measure the current it draws, with the supply the lab (see [pbl lab](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/lab.md)) wires to its battery terminals.

```
pbl power on --voltage 3800pbl run --resources
pbl power measure --seconds 30pbl power start --name sync# ... anything else: pbl console, an app on the phone, ...pbl power stop --save results
pbl power off
```

`on` (and `cycle`) start a background process that holds the supply until `off`: some supplies, the PPK2 among them, cut the power when their port closes. Every other `pbl power` command talks to that process, so the watch stays powered in between, and any other command runs meanwhile. `status` shows whether it runs, the voltage and any measurement under way. Its log is next to the locks (see [Locks](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/lab.md#pbl-lab-locks)).

The supply is the one of the lab’s watch for the build, the one of the watch given with `--watch`, or the one given with `--supply`. `--voltage` sets what it supplies; without it the supply keeps its voltage.

`measure` measures for `--seconds` and prints the mean, maximum and 99th percentile of the current. `start` and `stop` measure everything in between instead, across other commands. `--json` prints the whole summary, and `--save DIR` writes it as `<name>.json`, along with `<name>.csv` (1 ms means). Only supplies that sample the current can measure. A measurement is kept in memory until it stops: about 24 MB a minute with a PPK2.

The background process holds the supply’s lock, so an [pbl itest](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/itest.md) session on the watch fails right away, naming it, until `pbl power off`.

## Supplies

| 

Type

 | 

Supply

 | 

Measures

 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 

`ppk2`

 | 

Nordic Power Profiler Kit II, in source-meter mode

 | 

yes

 |

A supply type is a module of `pbl.power` implementing `pbl.power.Supply`, registered in `pbl.power.TYPES`; lab files, `pbl power` and the integration tests take any registered type.

## Options

```
pbl power [-h] [-b DIR] [--dry-run] [--lab FILE] [--watch NAME]
          [--supply NAME] [--voltage MV] [--off-time S] [--seconds S]
          [--name NAME] [--save DIR] [--json]
          {on,off,cycle,status,measure,start,stop}
```

`{on,off,cycle,status,measure,start,stop}`

on, off, cycle; status; measure for –seconds, or start and stop a measurement around other work

`--supply NAME`

The lab’s supply to use (default: the watch’s)

`--voltage MV`

Voltage to supply, in millivolts (default: leave it as is)

`--off-time S`

How long cycle leaves the watch off (default: 1.0 s)

`--seconds S`

How long measure measures (default: 10.0 s)

`--name NAME`

Name of the measurement, and of its saved files

`--save DIR`

Save the measurement in DIR: a JSON summary and a CSV of 1 ms means

`--json`

Print JSON

Generated from PebbleOS [afcb109f5](https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos/commit/afcb109f57bbf2b9eb47d55c559c916df99363f3). This page is maintained in the pebbleos repository: [docs/pbl/power.md](https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos/blob/afcb109f57bbf2b9eb47d55c559c916df99363f3/docs/pbl/power.md).