By default the HTU21D sets the temperature and humidity sensor resolutions are set at their highest. These default values are, humidity = 12bit and temperature = 14bit. This is all well and good for most situations when you are trying to get the best performance from your device. However, a higher resolution comes at the expense of increased measuring time. Consequently, a longer measuring time will increase the current consumption too.
To demonstrate, I’ve tabulated the maximum measuring times for the different sensor resolution modes from the HTU21D_datasheet.
| Resolution | Humidity | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| 14bit | NA | 50ms |
| 13bit | NA | 25ms |
| 12bit | 16ms | 13ms |
| 11bit | 8ms | 7ms |
| 10bit | 5ms | NA |
| 08bit | 3ms | NA |
