Section 6: Rechargeable battery measurements
Model 2460 Interactive SourceMeter® Instrument User's Manual
6-6
2460-900-01 Rev. A / September 2014
Automated battery charge and discharge cycle testing
Battery charge and discharge cycles often take several hours, so automating the test is important.
This example demonstrates how to use the Model 2460 to perform an automated battery discharge
test using SCPI commands or TSP commands.
For this application, you will:
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Reset the instrument.
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Set the measurement to a 4-wire configuration.
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Set the instrument to source voltage and measure current.
•
Select the high impedance output-off mode, which opens the output relay when the Model 2460
output is turned off. Select this mode before connecting the battery to the output. This prevents
the battery from draining when it is connected to the instrument with the output off.
•
Set the current limit to the current level at which the battery is to be charged or discharged. This
is the load current of the test. Even though the Model 2460 is sourcing voltage, it operates in
constant current mode because it is in current limit until it reaches the desired voltage.
•
Turn on the source readback to enable the Model 2460 to measure the battery voltage while it
either charges or discharges.
•
Read the load current, source readback voltage, and the relative timestamp.
•
Monitor the voltage until the battery voltage reaches the desired voltage level and stop the test.
To charge the battery, program the Model 2460 to output a voltage that is equivalent to the voltage
rating of the battery. For example, to charge a 10 V battery, set the Model 2460 to source 10 V. As
the battery fully charges, current decreases until it reaches zero or near zero (battery charged).
To discharge the battery, program the Model 2460 to output a voltage to a lower level than the battery
voltage and set the output-off state to high impedance. In this configuration, the Model 2460 operates
as a sink to discharge the battery. Current from the battery flows into the HI terminal of the Model
2460, which results in negative current measurements. As the battery discharges, the current stays
constant.