User manual
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12. Monitoring Charging
There are several ways to determine the output values around the rechargeable
battery to be charged:
• Display with LEDs
• Measurement with a multimeter
• LC display
• Measurement and evaluation with the PC
Light-emitting diodes can be used for simple measuring tasks (e.g. polarity display)
or general function displays (e.g. whether a charging current is owing or not). If
detailed measuring information is desired, a multimeter is a good aid. The learning
package implements simple measurements and function displays with LEDs. If you
have a multimeter at hand, you can use it additionally.
12.1 Rechargeable Battery Tank Display
Test setup: Plug board, USB cable, ashing LED, LED orange, diode 1N4001,
resistance 1 kΩ, lithium rechargeable battery
Is the energy accumulator at, half charged or charged? We need a display similar
to the tank indicator in the car, except that an indicative tank indicator for the char-
ging status of a rechargeable battery is much more complicated. The charge status
depends on many factors, such as the charging and discharging types, capacity,
etc. However, there are quite a number of other factors, such as the operating
temperature, age of the rechargeable battery (service life) and some others that
can inuence the charging condition further.
To keep a grip on all factors, there are sophisticated monitoring electronics with
microprocessors and elaborate software.
You can use the parts in your learning package to set up a simple charge status
display to learn the basic principle.