Archive for June, 2010

Different Types of Batteries

Posted by admin in Batteries on June 4, 2010

Different electronic devices have different power requirements. And based on these specific power requirements, different type of batteries are built to suit a specific type of power need.

Just as different types of batteries supply different types of needs of electronic gadgets, there are also different types of technology being used by each of these battery types. They are based on different kinds of chemical principles to produce the power. The elements used for each type of chemical principle are different from one battery type to the next.

Listed below are the most common battery types being used for today’s various electronic gadgets.

NiCd Battery

A NiCd battery is also a type of rechargeable battery. It uses metallic cadmium as negative electrodes. The advantage of NiCd batteries are that they are lighter in weight when compared to their counterparts. It has good charging efficiency and has a small variation in voltage during discharge. They are lower capacity batteries when compared with NiMH batteries. Major area of usage for NiCd batteries are cordless and wireless telephones, emergency lighting, model airplanes, as well as power tools. NiCd batteries are also being used in various electronic devices as well as in electronic toys.

NiMH Battery

A NiMH battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses hydrogen-absorbing alloy as negative electrodes. These batteries are high capacity batteries if compared to other rechargeable battery types (like NiCd). These batteries are used in all-electric plug-in vehicles, as well as in hybrid vehicles. NiMH technology is used extensively in rechargeable batteries for consumer electronics. Due to their high capacity, long-lasting attribute and easy recharge functions, they are extremely popular among electronic gadgets users.

Li-Ion Battery

This is the most popular and easily identifiable battery type in these gadget-crazy times. One can find these batteries in any or almost every mobile phone being used by people in all parts of the world. A Li-ion battery is a rechargeable battery in which a lithium ion moves between the anode and cathode. During discharge, lithium ion moves from anode to cathode; and from cathode to anode while charging. Due to their high energy efficiency Li-ion batteries are not only being used in electronic devices such as mobile and laptops but also in defense, automotive, and aerospace applications.

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Problems with Laptop Battery Charging

Posted by admin in Batteries, Laptops on June 2, 2010

Troubleshooting for your laptop battery that would not charge should be done before bringing your laptop to a service center, or buying a new laptop battery. Just follow these instructions below to pinpoint the cause of the problem in charging your laptop batteries.

First, make sure that the problem is not with the laptop charger. Remove the laptop battery from the laptop. Plug in the laptop charger directly into the battery-less laptop and try to see if you can power up the laptop. If it does not power up, and not even a single indicator light turns on, then the problem is with your laptop charger. If you have a voltmeter, test if there is power being produced by the laptop charger. Also, test if the power cord has no breaks along the line, and that power is not disconnected from the power source up to the output plug.

If the problem is not with the laptop charger, then try considering a software problem. Sometimes the problem can be caused by a software-related issue. And the laptop is not reporting the correct status and power charge of the laptop battery. Try to read up on you laptop’s user manual to determine if the problem is not software-related.

If the battery charges but would not complete itself up to its full capacity of 100%, it might just be a problem of calibration. If this is the case, it is necessary for you to drain the power off your laptop battery completely. And you can only do this by turning your laptop power on until it dies off. It would not happen if you have automatic hibernation mode activated when a certain battery level is reached. O to your laptop’s Control Panel first. Then go to Power Management. From there, adjust the setting on when the laptop automatically hibernates. Usually it is set at around 3%-5% so that laptop users won’t lose the information they are working on if the battery dies up while they are still using it. Adjust that setting to zero. And leave the laptop on until the battery is drained. When the battery dies up, recharge it. See if the procedure has recalibrated your laptop battery, and would allow your laptop to be charged to full capacity at 100%.

Sometimes power resetting the laptop solves the battery problem. You can do this by unplugging it and removing the battery. Then hold on the power button of the laptop for one minute. This would make sure that there is no power remaining within the laptop’s motherboard when the battery went down causing the problem in the laptop battery charging. Return the battery and plug the laptop charger and see if the battery charges now.

If the above solutions still do not work, then the problem may be with you laptop battery itself. It is best to replace your laptop battery with the specific battery that is provided by your laptop manufacturer. Contact your laptop dealer and see if they still have stocks of the said battery. Otherwise, you can also order from online shops offering various types and brands of laptop batteries. Just make sure that you get the right kind of battery which fits the specifications of the original laptop battery.

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