User's Manual

The controls in SPV are as follows:
• Pressing the UP or DOWN button navigates through the items, or lets the user make a selection.
• Clicking the ENTER button (=Enter) enters an option, confirms a selection, or navigates through
all items from top to bottom.
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• Depressing the ENTER button (=Save) saves all changes and then transfers to TOV.
• Pressing the STOP button (=Cancel, Quit) cancels changes and ultimately may transfer to TOV,
thereby restoring the original program settings or program number.
• Pressing the SNB of another inactive slot will keep the present program number saved to the
slot but cancel all changes made in the program settings, before switching to the SPV of the new
inactive slot.
• In SPV, the SNB's of active slots are not responsive.
The list of program options in SPV for all battery types combined is as follows:
BATT TYPE
In the present firmware the following battery types are supported:
• NiMH - Nickel-Metal Hydride battery, 1.2V nominal voltage. The most common type of consumer
class AA size rechargeable batteries for cameras, equipment, flashes, flashlights, tools, toys,
bedroom, etc.
• NiCd - Nickel-Cadmium battery, 1.2V nominal voltage. Has still its uses in today’s world of
battery packs but single cells have become a rarity as they are being phased out due to their
environmental toxicity. Stay away from children.
• NiZn - Nickel-Zinc battery, 1.65V nominal voltage. Charges to 1.9V, cannot take trickle charge,
should not be discharged lower than 1.3V. Low cost, high output cell, suitable for fast charging,
can be cycled 200–300 times. PowerGenix is a notable maker of NiZn batteries.
• RAM - Rechargeable Alkaline battery, 1.5V nominal voltage. This unpopular battery type was
implemented in the firmware from the very beginning but is also permanently hidden in the
menus. Menu item made accessible exclusively to verified recent buyers of RAM batteries; send
in proof of purchase for more questions.
• Eneloop - Not really a battery type but a brand name. Market leading professional grade NiMH-
based low self-discharge industrial standard superior battery product originally made in Japan by
Sanyo or FDK, now by Panasonic and also in China. The charging algorithm is the same as for
NiMH but some options in SPV have been adapted for more convenient presets. Can be cycled
1800-2100 times according to claims in ads.
• LiIon - standard Lithium-Ion battery, 3.6V 3.7V nominal voltage. Most common are Li-cobalt and
Li-manganese based chemistries, both can be charged safely with this setting. LiIon charging
uses the recommended CC-CV charging algorithm with user-definable termination current. Target
voltage is 4.20V. Setting it higher is dangerous, and protected 18650's would not let the charger
charge higher than that. Note that single non-cylindrical Li-Ion cells are omnipresent in
smartphones and similar portable electronic devices, gadgets, digicams, grooming appliances,
and in theory could be analyzed in the MC3000 too with the help of crocodile clip charging cables
or other aids, but for safety reasons the user is advised to resort to dedicated hobby chargers in
such cases.
• LiFe - Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, LiFePO4, 3.2V nominal voltage. A safer LiIon chemistry,
charges to 3.65V, must not be discharged lower than 2.0V. Not to be confused with Lithium
Polymer battery, LiPo.
• LiIo4.35 - Lithium-Ion battery, 3.8V nominal voltage. Very similar to standard Lithium-Ion but
these cells can be charged safely up to 4.35V. Samsung is the only known high-quality
manufacturer of such non-standard Li-Ion cells apart from LG. Since this menu item is potentially
hazardous to ignoramus, it becomes hidden after a factory reset. To be clear, you must NOT use
this battery type setting with standard Li-Ion batteries!
MODE
There are up to 6 typical charging programs, or operation modes, to be found in hobby chargers
and advanced battery chargers. MC3000 has them all, and additional ones could be provided in
future firmware upgrades.
• Charge - Charges your battery. Uses the proper algorithm for the chosen battery type, constant
current (CC) for NiMH, CC for Eneloop, CC-CV for NiZn, CC-CV for LiIon, etc. Charging
terminates when the battery is full or some other termination criteria have been met. Useful when
battery needs to be recharged without determining the capacity of the battery. Should be used on
batteries known to be in good condition and which have been in continuous use. Requires the
least amount of time.
• Refresh - Practically the same as Cycle operation mode with setting C>D>C and N=1, first
charges, then fully discharges, followed by a full recharge, with rests in between. Reports
discharge and charge capacities after the end of the cycle. Useful for automatically analyzing
battery capacity while ending up with fully charged batteries. Also useful for rechargeable Ni-
batteries with degraded performance, recommended once every ten cycles for NiMH batteries.
Note that this or similar operation mode has confusing names in other battery chargers,
Refresh&Analyze Mode, Test Mode, Nor Test Mode, Check Mode, Cycle Mode, Alive Mode, etc.
MC3000 doesn't call it names, just look at its fixed program definition in SPV.
• Break_in - Based on norm §7 of IEC 61951-1 Ed. 3.0 2013-10 and IEC 61951-2 Ed. 3.0 2011-
05, this mode enables the user to perform the industrial standard procedure to verify the declared
rated capacity of single NiCd or NiMH cells. The norm specifies that first the battery shall be
discharged at -0.2C constant current down to 1.0V cut-off, then charged at 0.1C CC for exactly
16h including a 6h overcharge, afterwards stored for 1-4h, and finally discharged for at least 5h at
-0.2C CC down to 1.0V cut-off again. This 28h+ long D>C>D procedure shall be repeated up to 5
times until the rated capacity has been met, otherwise the battery rating is no good. Similarly, the
39h+ long C>D>C procedure can serve as battery forming charge, once every 30 cycles for NiMH
batteries or every half year, recommended both for brand-new batteries and for batteries that
cannot be rescued by the Refresh mode. Because of the timer based charge termination Break_in
cannot be simulated by the Cycle operation mode. Not available for NiZn nor for rechargeable Li-
batteries.
• Discharge - Primitive operation mode which does nothing but 1 discharge routine, D, eventually
followed by a rest phase, i.e. D>. Maximum discharge current is -2.00A for all battery types,
restrictions apply. Useful for analyzing the remaining amount of electric charge stored in the
battery.
SLOT PROGRAMMING VIEW (SPV)SLOT PROGRAMMING VIEW (SPV)