Installation • Power Management
7
GeBE E + F GmbH • www.gebe.net • GeBE Dok.Nr.: SMAN-E-510-V1.5 Thermal Printer GPT-4454
Formatting Charge
If the battery is overdischarged, a formatting charge
with a low voltage is started to avoid damage to the
battery. The formatting charge is not displayed on the
outside. The formatting process can take from 1 to 15
minutes, depending on the state of the battery.
.
Fast Charge
As soon as the battery voltage exceeds the operating
voltage of the printer, the printer starts the fast char-
ge. This is indicated by a slow flashing of the STA-
TUS LED, and by a message through the interface.
The charging process takes about four hours for
empty batteries.
Trickle Charge
As soon as one of the stop criteria has ben reached,
the printer will switch to the trickle charge. In this
mode, a permanent formatting current is flowing. In
addition, the fast charge is activated every eight mi-
nutes for 20 seconds. This is indicated by permanent
glowing of the STATUS LED and by a message
through the interface.
5.3.1 How to Handle Batteries
The capacity of a battery gradually decreases due to
usage, tough environmental conditions, aging, and
lack of maintenance.
Just like any other battery technology, NI-MH batte-
ries require some care in order to achieve the maxi-
mum life and to preserve the power as long as pos-
sible. Without this care, the cells will quickly become
highly resistive with their capacity noticeably decrea-
sing. In high current applications like thermal printers,
Ni-MH batteries reach about 500 charging cycles ma-
ximum. However, the available energy starts to dis-
tinctly diminish from about 200 - 300 cycles.
The Correct Handling of a Ni-MH Battery:
Charging:
NI-MH batteries are extremely sensitive to any kind
of over-charging. A trickle charge should only be
applied, if at all, with very small currents and for short
periods of time.
For technical reasons, the printer needs to be sup-
pied with a very small charging current at all times.
Therefore, it is recommended to disconnect the prin-
ter from the printer as soon as possible, after the
charging process was completed. Never charge bat-
teries outside the temperature range of 10 to 25 °C.
Overdischarged Batteries:
The printer will initially format overdischarged batte-
The inserted batteries require at least 3 com-
plete charging and discharging cycles in order
to reach their maximum capacity. Incomplete
charging and discharging cycles during opera-
ting will reduce the life of the battery.
ries with a small charging current. For very strong di-
scharges, this process can take up to 30 minutes. This
status will not be indicated by the printer. At the begin-
ning of the fast charge, the printer will flash 1:1. For
overdischarged batteries, an effect develops at the be-
ginning of the fast charge phase that is similar to the
turning-off criteria of a full battery. For this reason, it
may come to an early shutdown in rare cases. There-
fore, we recommend to check for overdischarged batte-
ries after about 30 minutes, whether the fast charge is
still running. If not, please start the charging process
over by unplugging and plugging back in.
Discharging/Printing:
If Ni-MH batteries get overdicharged with high currents,
the polarity of the weakest cell will be reversed. This re-
versal will cause damage to the cell and, in the worst
case, will lead to a short-circuit in the cell. Should your
printer refuse to print because of an empty battery, you
should not continue trying. Any further attempt may
lead to a reversal of polarity in a cell and therefore, to
the distruction of the battery.
Storage:
NI-MH batteries have an increased self-discharge.
They lose 10-15% of their capacity during the first 24
hours after the charging process, and after that, 10-
15% per month.
Therefore, the printer should be turned off, whenever it
is not being used for longer periods of time. This is
especially true for devices with Bluetooth technology.
Nevertheless, the printer will have to be recharged after
no more than 3 months, or the battery may get dama-
ged.
Always store the battery with a charging state of > 50%
and in a temperature ranging between 10 and 30 °C.
Regeneration:
If NI-MH batteries have not been overdischarged, they
may indeed regenerate. To achieve this, the battery has
to be discharged completely for about 50 charging cy-
cles (3 months).
For this purpose, you can turn off the sleep function
and let the printer discharge the battery. As soon as the
printer shuts down due to low voltage, the battery
should be charged immediately.
Do not print to speed up the process. This may
cause the polarity of one cell to reverse, destroy-
ing the battery. Do not forget to reactivate the
sleep mode afterwards.
Summary of Contents for GPT-4454
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