ATA004A Smart Battery Data Reader / Logger
Operating Instructions
Inspired Energy 25440 NW 8th Place, Newberry FL 32669
US toll free: 1-888-5-INSPIRE (1-888-546-7747) Tel: 352 472 4855 Fax: 352 472 4859
www.inspiredenergy.com
Writing to the Battery:
Manufacturer Access is used only internally by Inspired Energy.
The Remaining Capacity Alarm
can be altered to suit the needs
of your device. By default, all
Inspired Energy products have this
value set to 10% of the design
capacity. Open this window &
enter a value to a value that will
enable your device to shutdown
in an orderly manner, & press the “write button. The “Read” button
can be used to check that the battery has accepted the new data.
Similarly the Remaining Time Alarm can be adjusted to suit the length of
time your users require to save their work and shut down the device.
The default is set to 10 minutes on all Inspired Energy products.
The Battery Mode feature can be used
to select the various operational
modes for the battery; for example
whether the battery capacity is
reported in mAh or mWh etc..
The “AT-Rate” function allows you to
ask the battery questions. Literally “If
I were to charge / discharge the
battery AT the following RATE, how
long will it take until the battery is full /empty?” Enter a negative integer
for a discharge current and a positive integer for a charge current.
Note: if you have used the battery Mode feature to change the capacity
reporting from mAh to mWh you’ll need to enter a value in mWh.
Using the ATA004A to Determine End of Life For A Battery:
The ATA004A can be used to check the state of health of a population of batteries. The following guidelines can be
used to run a quick assessment of whether a battery should be returned to service or replaced. For example, it
may be time to replace the battery if:
Cycle Life: If the Cycle Life count has exceeded 355
Manufacture Date: If this shows a date older than 4 years
Full Charge Capacity: If this value is less than 65% of the Design Capacity
These are guidelines only. Each application is different and may have differing thresholds for battery replacement.
To assist in your decisions the battery state of health monitor uses a “traffic light”system to monitor &
communicate those battery parameters which are typically used in end of life determinations.
NOTE: The Max Error value should be below 5% before making any end of life determinations.
Thresholds used by the battery health monitor
Cell Balance (Max cell voltage deviation)
The “Fuel Gauge” box changes from “OK” to “Recalibrate” when Max Error >= 10%
The ATA004A is for use with Inspired Energy products only.
