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-rw-r--r-- | docs/BATTERY-FAQ | 58 |
1 files changed, 35 insertions, 23 deletions
diff --git a/docs/BATTERY-FAQ b/docs/BATTERY-FAQ index 07a7e3784b..31aa82a212 100644 --- a/docs/BATTERY-FAQ +++ b/docs/BATTERY-FAQ | |||
@@ -11,14 +11,21 @@ A1: Player: the charging is all done by hardware and the exact | |||
11 | 11 | ||
12 | Q2: Will keeping my charger connected a long time damage my batteries? Can I | 12 | Q2: Will keeping my charger connected a long time damage my batteries? Can I |
13 | leave it over night? | 13 | leave it over night? |
14 | A2: The charger logic lets the batteries charge until they are full. After | 14 | A2: There's a deep discharge mode and you can switch trickle charge on and off. |
15 | that, the charger is disabled, but the device will stay powered on and | 15 | If you use your AJB connected to the power supply the whole time, select |
16 | continue to consume some power from the batteries (the hardware does | 16 | "deep discharge on" and "trickle charge off". If you want to charge your |
17 | not allow running from the charger without charging batteries, or | 17 | AJB over night and take it with you the next day, select "deep discharge |
18 | powering off with the charger connected). After some time, it will | 18 | off" (that it starts charging immediately) and "trickle charge on" |
19 | start charging the batteries again to keep them full. This will | 19 | (that the batteries remain full). |
20 | wear the batteries a little, but overnight charging is what most | 20 | |
21 | people do. | 21 | Trickle charge is needed to keep the batteries full. That's necessary because |
22 | the device will stay powered on and continue to consume some power from | ||
23 | the batteries (the hardware does not allow running from the charger | ||
24 | without charging batteries, or powering off with the charger connected). | ||
25 | The trickle charge time is 12 hours. It should be enough for you to disconnect | ||
26 | your AJB in this time and turn it off / use it. | ||
27 | However, after 12 hours of trickle charge, it will turn it off, the batteries | ||
28 | are discharged and another charge cycle is started. | ||
22 | 29 | ||
23 | As the Battery FAQ at http://www.greenbatteries.com/ puts it: | 30 | As the Battery FAQ at http://www.greenbatteries.com/ puts it: |
24 | "A NiMH battery can be charged and discharged hundreds of times, | 31 | "A NiMH battery can be charged and discharged hundreds of times, |
@@ -30,18 +37,22 @@ Q3: Does Rockbox charge the batteries more/less/worse/better than the Archos | |||
30 | A3: Player: Rockbox doesn't affect the charging on Players, it is all done | 37 | A3: Player: Rockbox doesn't affect the charging on Players, it is all done |
31 | by hardware logic out of software control. | 38 | by hardware logic out of software control. |
32 | 39 | ||
33 | Recorder: The current release of 1.2 is much worse than the Archos | 40 | Recorder: The whole algorithm is made to carefully charge the batteries full |
34 | charger, it tends to stop charging much too early and leave the batteries | 41 | and keep them full after that with a trickle charge option. Many documents |
35 | half empty. | 42 | about charge ICs were considered. If you want to know details, then look |
36 | 43 | into docs/CHARGING_ALGORITHM. If you have comments, write to | |
37 | The current development code (CVS daily builds as of 20.8.2002) is much | 44 | mail@uwe-freese.de or the Rockbox mailinglist. |
38 | better than the 1.2 release, but still not perfect. Linus recently | 45 | |
39 | measured 6 hours continuous playtime after a rockbox charge, and much | 46 | Test results with trickle charge (battery capacities measured with an |
40 | over 7 hours after an Archos charge. We are working on fine-tuning | 47 | external charger, Model "Conrad Electronic Charge Manager 2010", ~100 EUR): |
41 | the charger logic to get the most out of the batteries, but the | 48 | |
42 | emphasis is on not overcharging them, since that would damage the | 49 | - after normal charge and top off time: 1798, 1834, 1819, 1815 mAh |
43 | batteries. Better be safe than sorry. | 50 | - after normal + top off + trickle charge (12h): 1784, 1748, 1738, 1752 mAh |
51 | - charged with external charger: 1786, 1819, 1802, 1802 mAh | ||
44 | 52 | ||
53 | You can see, whenever you take your AJB with you in the 12h trickle charge | ||
54 | period, the batteries are at least 97% full. :) | ||
55 | |||
45 | Q4: What kind of batteries are there in my factory default Player/Recorder? | 56 | Q4: What kind of batteries are there in my factory default Player/Recorder? |
46 | A4: Both ship with 1500 mAh NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. | 57 | A4: Both ship with 1500 mAh NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. |
47 | 58 | ||
@@ -63,13 +74,15 @@ A6: http://www.greenbatteries.com sells 1800 mAh NiMH cells at $3.25USD each, | |||
63 | online shops. Browse around. There's a pretty good comparison between | 74 | online shops. Browse around. There's a pretty good comparison between |
64 | different battery makes and models at the digital imaging resource site: | 75 | different battery makes and models at the digital imaging resource site: |
65 | http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM | 76 | http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM |
77 | In Germany, www.reichelt.de sells GP 2000 batteries for 2,75 EUR (12/2002). | ||
66 | 78 | ||
67 | Q7: What kind of run-time can I expect on a set of fully-charged batteries | 79 | Q7: What kind of run-time can I expect on a set of fully-charged batteries |
68 | when running Rockbox? | 80 | when running Rockbox? |
69 | A7: For the stock 1500 mAh cells, from 6 hours to 8 hours, depending on | 81 | A7: For the stock 1500 mAh cells, from 6 hours to 8 hours, depending on |
70 | which charger was used (see Q3). It depends a lot on the condition of | 82 | which charger was used (see Q3). It depends a lot on the condition of the |
71 | the batteries. We are looking into implementing more battery-saving | 83 | batteries. With 2000 mAh batteries, you should reach about 10 hours or more. |
72 | techniques in rockbox to make it rock longer. | 84 | We are looking into implementing more battery-saving techniques in rockbox |
85 | to make it rock longer. | ||
73 | 86 | ||
74 | Q8: Can I use different batteries in my Archos? How much playtime would | 87 | Q8: Can I use different batteries in my Archos? How much playtime would |
75 | I gain by using 1800 mAh batteries instead of the 1500 mAh ones? | 88 | I gain by using 1800 mAh batteries instead of the 1500 mAh ones? |
@@ -205,4 +218,3 @@ A15: That depends on who you ask. ;-) NiMH sellers say NiMHs are better and | |||
205 | 218 | ||
206 | However, if you use your AJB connected to the charger all the time, | 219 | However, if you use your AJB connected to the charger all the time, |
207 | we recommend you to use the deep discharge option. | 220 | we recommend you to use the deep discharge option. |
208 | |||