Power Management
Using an External Battery Pack
4-10
SPARCbook Portable Workstation User Guide
ò
Attaching the Extension Cord
It is not essential to remove the cord holder from the external battery
pack. You can also connect the battery pack as follow:
1.
Release the extension plug [
6
] from its stowage [
7
] and remove
the blanking plug, shown in view
C
, from your computer.
2.
Connect the extension plug by sliding it into the battery-in
socket on your computer.
Working with the external battery pack
With the external battery pack fitted, your SPARCbook operates
normaly. It can be powered from an AC supply, from the internal
battery or from the external battery pack. The Notebook Computing
Environment (NCE) software, preloaded on your computer, allows you
to specify which power source is used at any time and also which
battery (internal or external) is discharged first. This is described in the
NCE Guide User Guide.
Charging your external battery pack
To charge your external battery pack, connect the AC adapter to the
DC-in connector on the external battery pack.
Note
It is possible to plug the DC-in connector into the computer when your external
battery pack is operating on the extension cord. However, this will not charge
the external battery pack.
The external battery pack charges automatically and is charged before
the internal battery. It takes 3-4 hours to completely charge a discharged
battery. When the external battery pack is fully charged, it is kept
topped-up with a trickle charge. The battery can still be used while it is
charging, but charging takes longer.
Note
The external battery pack suspends charging if it is too hot or too cold. Charging
automatically resumes as soon as the battery returns to a suitable temperature.
S3UG4_Book Page 10 Friday, August 8, 1997 11:37 am