What is Inside A Smart Battery? by Dan Hagopian
If you have a PDA, MP3, MP4, Laptop, Cell Phone, Smartphone, DVD players, or other electronic device then more likely then not the battery within your device is a high capacity smart battery pack. What is a high capacity smart battery pack? A high capacity smart battery pack is a complex battery... This specialized hardware includes: the connector the fuse the charge and discharge FETs the cell pack the sense resistor (RSENSE) the primary and secondary protection ICs the fuel-gauge IC the thermistor the pc board the EEPROM or firmware for the fuel-gauge IC In...

Batteries - One Size Does Not Fit All by Dan Hagopian
I have a Palm Zire 72 and a Palm m505 PDA. If I buy a Palm Zire 72 Battery that is 3.7 volts can I plug it into a Palm m505 and have that battery power both devices as needed? In a nut shell the question above seeks to ascertain if all 3.7 volt batteries are the same? ... To construct a smart battery the battery manufacturer must carefully plan the internal battery design environment by considering the: design parameters current requirements capacity and runtime requirements temperature requirements safety requirements ambient operational/non-operational temperatures As a...

Integrated Power Management Circuits by Dan Hagopian
Discussing internal battery design would be incomplete if we did not write on the subject of integrated circuits. Batteries for PDAs, MP3s, Digital Cameras, and Laptops have designed within them integrated power management circuits that insure that the deliverance of reliable power is properly... A real example of a battery pack protector circuit is a Texas Instrument two-cell lithium-ion (Li-Ion) and lithium-polymer (Li-Pol) battery pack protector device. ... But suffice to say power management integrated circuits are a critical design aspect of your handheld battery.

Dissecting A Smart Battery – Part 2 by Dan Hagopian
In part 1 of Dissecting A Smart Battery I mentioned that smart batteries have contained within them specialized hardware that when working in concert provides the power necessary to run a device such as a PDA, digital camera, or ipod player. Continuing the dissection of a smart battery this... The Smart Battery’s Cell Pack The battery cell can be thought of as the holding area of the battery’s chemical. ... Before we begin let’s just recap some of the specialized hardware within the smart battery: the connector the fuse the charge and discharge FETs the cell pack the sense...

The Chemistry of Laptop Batteries Explained by Mansi Aggarwal
Laptop batteries come in all shapes and sizes also differ in their chemical composition. The chemistry of a battery refers to the chemical make-up of the cells inside the outer casing. The most common chemistries used in laptop batteries are: NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) This is the oldest technology... The best alternative is external battery packs. ... If this starts to happen the battery must be replaced. ... Always consult the manufacturer or a reputable laptop battery supplier. ... Such considerations are becoming more important as mobile devices become smaller and lighter and battery...

How Can The CompactFlash Expansion Plus Improve My iPAQ? by Jon Butt
With an iPAQ Compact Flash Expansion Pack Plus, you can go and buy Type I or Type II CompactFlash cards compatible with your Pocket PC's operating system and extend the functionality of your iPAQ. The HP iPAQ CompactFlash Expansion Plus, as far as PDA handheld accessories go, is indeed a smart... Lastly, the iPAQ Compact Flash Card Expansion Pack Plus launches a new cover pack design with a removable display cover to protect your iPAQ's screen and buttons at the front. ... The iPAQ Compact Flash Expansion Pack Plus works on two levels - it enhances the 'life' of your PDA because it adds a...

Battery Recall – Are Lithium Batteries Safe? by Dan Hagopian
With the battery recalls that have recently occurred with both Dell and Apple many people have been writing about battery safety issues. Since BatteryShip is in the business of selling rechargeable batteries we would like to say emphatically that lithium ion batteries are perfectly safe. ... Battery failures occur for a number of reasons including: • Batteries can have faulty cell design • Batteries can be manufactured under uncontrolled processes • Batteries can be operated in uncontrolled conditions • Batteries can be abused • Batteries can degrade and lose power (this is actually...

Creative Zen Vision - Shall We Take A Look At An Award Winner by Mike Singh
The Creative Zen Vision is Creative Labs' newest addition to their successful line of portable media players. A 30GB video player it plays songs, displays photos, along with video collections. Creative Labs is the well-known C.E.S. award-wining family who, in May of 2006, won the "Red Dot Design... And whenever one company has something "better to offer" there is always the other side of the coin for the brand X - so Creative Labs has made up for this lack of 7 hours by offering the extended battery pack.

Internal Battery Design by Dan Hagopian
The wireless revolution, the prolific use of PDAs, MP3s, MP4s, Laptops, Cell Phones, Smartphones, DVD players, and other portable devices have increased the need for smart and high capacity portable batteries. Portable batteries however are not typical in design. ... Indeed the battery that powers your portable device is what is known as a smart battery and as such the internal system design of a smart battery is more complex then most people realize. ... A smart battery can request a conditioning cycle, which will fully discharge a battery pack and then recharge it to allow the internal...

Size Doesn't Count... Noise Canceling Headphones by Steve Joseph
When looking at noise canceling headphones consumer usually goes for the larger model due to the idea size does count. However noise canceling headphones have changed as the market has broadened not only in price rage but also with shapes and sizes. So step aside Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones... Because the earphones could not hold the noise canceling parts without compromising space, AKG K28’s have put the canceling system in a separate in-line active noise reduction two part filter, battery pack that’s fitted with a belt clip.