User's Manual

SECTION 9 BATTERY MANAGEMENT PAGE 174
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Rev B
Discharge/Recharge Cycles
Lithium ion batteries do not need to be deeply discharged periodically to maintain capacity like
other NiCad or other rechargeable batteries. In fact, deep discharges have a negative effect on
the battery’s capacity and operating life.
Each time a lithium ion battery is deeply discharged (< 30%) and then recharged (either during
normal operation or conditioning), the system records the event as a “cycle.” Each of these
deep discharge/recharge cycles has a small cumulative effect on the overall capacity and life of
the battery and, on average, after approximately 300-400 cycles at nominal room temperature,
the battery is a candidate for replacement (sooner if used primarily in high temperatures).
The accumulated cycles are recorded in the Charge Cycles Count field of each Battery
Information window in ARMORUtils (see Figure 64).
Battery Conditioning
Battery conditioning is only recommended if you suspect that the fuel gauge is not reporting the
battery charge correctly, as conditioning adds to the charge cycle count.
Battery conditioning is a 3-step process consisting of an initial full charge, followed by a full
discharge and finally followed by a full recharge. Each step is displayed in the Conditioning
Status panel of the ARMORUtils Battery Conditioning window (see Figure 99).
Follow the procedure in Table 28 to condition a battery.
NOTE
You must have external power connected to condition a battery.
NOTE
The conditioning process can take 3-5 hours to complete. Ensure
external power remains connected for the duration of the
conditioning period.