rbAmp PRO
Coming Q3 2026. Sub-$50 I²C power quality and waveform analyzer for labs, university research, and energy startups. Same protocol as Basic and Standard, with an extended register set for harmonics, peak demand windows, drift monitoring, and per-unit traceable calibration. Fits on a DIN rail.
Get notified at launch
Drop your email and we will tell you the day pre-orders open. PRO ships in smaller batches than Basic / Standard; early access gets priority on the first run.
Who PRO is for
PRO is not a residential metering product. The price band ($25–40) is a deliberate choice: it gives lab-grade instrumentation to small research groups, energy startups, and PQ consultants who would otherwise need a $500+ Fluke or Hioki for the same job.
- Power-quality studies — harmonic spectrum up to the 15th harmonic, indicative THD reading, sag / swell event capture
- Calibration testing — per-unit traceable calibration with
CALIBRATION_DATE,CALIBRATION_REF_SERIAL,CALIBRATION_FW_VERSIONmetadata in the register map - Academic publications — full register map under your control, raw waveform access for forensic analysis
- Energy startups — build on PRO during R&D, downgrade to Standard for production once the design is locked
For everyday metering — see Standard which is more cost-effective.
What PRO adds on top of Standard
| Capability | Basic | Standard | PRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| RMS U / I / P / PF | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bidirectional metering (signed P, export accumulator) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Atomic period latch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Noise floor | 40–60 mA | < 10 mA | < 1 mA |
| Phase compensation | per-unit | per-unit, per-channel | + temperature-comp |
| Harmonic analysis | — | 5th indicative | full spectrum, 15+ |
| Peak demand window | — | basic | billing-grade 15-min sliding |
| Diagnostic alarms | — | CT_DISCONNECTED, SATURATION | + sag/swell events |
| Drift monitoring | — | — | per-channel drift counters |
| Per-unit calibration cert | — | — | traceable, in flash |
| Waveform capture | — | — | on-event sample buffer |
| Price | $3–7 | $5–34 | $25–40 |
Same protocol — same code
The PRO register map extends the Basic / Standard map; it does not replace it. Code written against the API Reference works on PRO without modification. PRO-only registers (harmonic bins, waveform buffer, drift counters) live above 0xCF in the extended block — documented in the PRO datasheet at launch.
Practical consequence: if you build a deployment on Standard today and need PRO accuracy on one channel later, you swap the module and your code keeps working. The library autodetects PRO and exposes the extended features.
What PRO does not do
Honest disclaimer — PRO is not a certified billing meter. It does not carry MID (Measurement Instruments Directive) certification. For utility-billing-grade metering, look at certified products from Iskraemeco, Itron, or similar.
PRO is the right tool for:
- Internal billing in commercial sub-metering
- R&D and lab measurements with publication-quality accuracy
- Power-quality forensics on industrial equipment
- Energy audit work (consulting, energy efficiency studies)
Frequently asked
When does PRO launch? Q3 2026 estimated, after Standard line stabilises in M0.
Is PRO a different module, or a firmware unlock on Standard? Different module. PRO has a higher-grade analog front-end (lower noise, tighter linearity) and a different calibration procedure. It is not a software upgrade.
MID certification on the roadmap? No. MID certification adds $200+ per module and changes the regulatory framework. We deliberately stay below that line so the product is affordable for labs and startups.
Can I use existing rbAmp Standard code with PRO? Yes. The base register block is identical; PRO additions are above 0xCF. Standard sketches run on PRO unchanged.
Will there be a Wireless PRO? Not planned. Wireless line stays at Basic and Standard tiers — adding the PRO-grade analog stack to a radio-equipped PCB increases cost and bench complexity beyond what the market wants. PRO stays bare-I²C.
Apply for early access
Lab groups, university research projects, and energy startups: tell us your use case and we will hold a PRO sample for the first batch. Email [email protected] with a short note about your project.
Related
- Basic / Standard lines — the current shipping tiers
- API Reference — protocol PRO extends
- B2B and Lab program — bulk pricing and lab collaboration