Instructions
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 enters an option (=Enter), confirms a selection (=OK), or navigates
through all items from top to bottom (=Next).
• Depressing the ENTER button saves all changes and then transfers to TOV (=Save&Exit).
• Pressing the STOP button cancels changes (=Cancel) and ultimately may transfer to TOV
(=Quit), thereby restoring the original program settings or program number.
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• 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 or Reusable Alkaline battery, 1.5V nominal voltage. If not discharged deeper
than 50%, it could be cycled up to 25-50 times. Restricted depth of discharge, limited cycle count,
drastically lowered capacity on repeat charge, and the low load current didn't help its popularization.
RAM batteries can leak as nastily as Alkaline batteries.
• 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based low self-discharge industrial standard superior battery product originally made in Japan by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
2100 times according to claims in ads; visit eneloop.com or also eneloop101.com for further info.
• 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. In theory, a single non-cylindrical Li-Ion cell could be analyzed with the help of MC3000
plus some crocodile clip charging cables/aids, too, 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 High-Voltage 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!
• LTO - Lithium-Titanate battery, 2.4V nominal voltage. One of the safest Li-ion chemistries
around, because of low capacity typically in form of battery packs for UPS, electric powertrains,
solar-powered street lighting, or similar professional applications, offers very long life span of
thousands of cycles at high charge/discharge rates and also superior performance at cold
temperatures. Single cells, cylindrical or not, remain a rarity on the market.
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 capacitiesinSOVafter 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.
SLOT PROGRAMMING VIEW (SPV)SLOT PROGRAMMING VIEW (SPV)
• When selecting a program number for a ready slot, depressing its SNB saves the current
selection, transfers to TOV and then starts this very slot (=Save&Start).