In the News
October 23, 2008 - Electronic Design: The Dangers of Counterfeit Battery Packs: Answers to Reader Questions
The continuing growth of portable handheld devices has spawned a healthy selection of aftermarket battery pack suppliers. Yet aftermarket vendors may resort to activities that compromise the end-user experience or safety to make the battery packs inexpensive and attractive to those placing purchase orders for replacements. An analysis of several counterfeit batteries revealed a variety of manufacturing and design problems, and we can use these examples to answer common questions.
March 23, 2009 - Battery Power Products & Technology: Micro Power Supplies Custom Battery Pack for Vocollect Healthcare Systems
Micro Power has manufactured a new, custom li-ion battery pack specifically for Vocollect Healthcare Systems' AccuNurse voice-assisted care system for the longterm care industry.
September 1, 2008 - Battery Power Products & Technology: Micro Power Supplies Custom Battery Packs for Defibrillator on International Space Station
Micro Power has manufactured a custom lithium battery pack specifically for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to be implemented aboard the International Space Station that was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aboard space shuttle Discovery on May 31, 2008.
September 2, 2008 - ECN: Designing New Technology
Design engineers should understand the capabilities and limitations of current battery technology before designing portable electronic devices. Electrical/mechanical designers should understand the usage profile and power consumption of the device. The usage profile includes temperature ranges, discharge profiles, and charging regimens for foreseeable misuse as well as intended use. Performance requirements of the device, as well as limitations of battery technology, are important considerations in selecting the optimal battery system for a portable device.
January 8, 2009 - MDT: Powering up the Protection for Medical Device Batteries
Counterfeit products are a problem for many original equipment manufacturers across all market sectors. However, in the medical device area, it can have a significant, life-threatening impact that has the potential to not only harm patients, but also cause irreparable damage to the OEM's reputation and brand. This article examines the dangers of counterfeit batteries and how designers can help protect their products from their usage.
August 21, 2008 - EDN: Lithium-ion Technology Targets Portable Power
A typical laptop-computer battery pack can contain more than 50 Whr of energy and requires care in its design, construction, and operation to ensure that it remains safely within its operating limits. Few circuit-design engineers want or need to become battery experts, yet they must ensure that a system’s battery pack can safely perform its tasks and that the host system can monitor the pack during operation. To address these constraints, you must understand how to specify a battery pack, what type of test and inspection it requires, and how the application monitors the battery pack’s health during operation.
May 21, 2008 - Micro Power Builds IEEE 1725 Battery Pack for PDAs
Micro Power announced the release of two new battery packs that are compliant with IEEE 1725™ specification, "Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Cellular Telephones." One custom battery pack is designed to power a rugged PDA for a leading OEM of data collection equipment, while the other is designed to power a PDA for a leading OEM of rugged notebook computers. Both PDAs utilize a cellular transceiver to transmit both voice and data.
April 10, 2008 - Electronic Design: You've Got High-Power Battery Questions - We've Got Answers
Historically, the nickel-cadmium (NiCd) cell has been the best solution for handheld applications with usage profiles requiring large current pulses. But new environmental regulations may have a marked effect on cells containing heavy metals such as cadmium. Meanwhile, a new variety of lithiumion (Li-ion) cells can support the high discharge currents required for many applications.
July 15, 2008 - Designing a Battery Charger for Tactical Operations
A thorough understanding of battery capabilities and charger architectures, including those with microcontroller control and dedicated charger ICs, is necessary before designing a battery charger for today's military applications.
March 13, 2008 - Electronic Design: Stop the Waste in your Battery-Charger Conversion
Excess energy waste during battery charge is, of course, a bad idea for the environment and poor design practice. In fact, the problem has deepened to the point where it’s now an international regulatory agency issue. Battery-charger efficiency is more challenging to specify and measure than ac-dc power-supply conversion efficiency. It’s usually understood as the amount of energy stored in the battery relative to the energy consumed by the charger during the charge cycle.