Page 1 of 1
Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:07 pm
by UTA_flyinghigh
So I have noticed that it differs from appliance to appliance; for instance my Canon camerhaas usually have the battery symbol in a horizontal position with three levels of battery life displayed, other camerhaas may have more.
Cellphones however have battery indicators displayed vertically and have more levels than camerhaas; also camcorders and laptops seem to have a "sequential" type battery display, why is this so ?
UTA
Edit : Rhaa, typos.
[Edited 2005-12-02 08:35:02]
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:13 pm
by 707CMF
Actually, Nokia cellphones have it vertically. Many a cellphone has it horizontally.
Anyway, as for the question
It is mainly because the ergonomists of each designer handset (laptop, mobile phones, camera) thought it was better to have it the way they designed it. As simple as that.
A bit like Boeing designs their FBW controls with a yoke while Airbus designs them with a sidestick.
Cheers,
707
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicat
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:51 pm
by willo
Why are they so inaccurate? The meter usually drops to the last segment just as the camera/phone is shutting itself down through lack of juice and you are at a critical point in the conversation or the plane you've been standing freezing your nuts off for finally comes into view.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:37 pm
by gordonsmall
Cars also have stupid battery level indicators as well!
About 5 years ago I had an Astra GTE (those in the know will remember it's cult status). It had a foolish battery level indicator on it's digital dash.
It was increadibly foolish as the battery level would only adjust each time the engine was cranked, which meant that you wouldn't realise that playing your radio while waiting for 'her indoors' to get out of shopping mode had drained your battery until you tried to start the car again to go home!
Made for some interesting third gear 'bump' starts though ....
My current car has a foolish set of factory fitted gauges that display votage and current across the battery terminals, which have the sole prupose of distracting you from the boost gauge when you're trying your hardest not to blow the turbo when pulling away from the lights! Not to mention a foolish trip-computer which only makes my wallet tremble when I see the level of fuel consumption whilst caning it all the way home from work.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicat
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:36 pm
by md80fanatic
Newer batteries are designed to maintain a consistant voltage level for as long as possible....they usually fall off quickly at the very end of their charge. Since the "battery-o-meter" senses voltage differences.....the bars won't start disappearing until the literal last minute.
It isn't the meter's fault, it's the battery's fault. If the battery gives no clue to it's charge level via decreasing voltage, what's the meter to do?
A better solution would probably be to periodically charge a known capacitor while timing the event. A full battery would charge a capacitor faster than a nearly depleted one. Then, with charge timing information, a decent gradient can be derived to drive the meter.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:44 pm
by mhodgson
Quoting Willo (Reply 2): Why are they so inaccurate? The meter usually drops to the last segment just as the camera/phone is shutting itself down through lack of juice and you are at a critical point in the conversation or the plane you've been standing freezing your nuts off for finally comes into view. Sad |
Mine is weird, it has 7 sections. Once charged it remains full for a day or so, then rushes from 7 to 2, lastas another day, and then another day one one bar before finally dying.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 4:17 am
by traveler_7
Mine has blue/yellow horizontal bar as a level indicator. Located in the right upper corner. It does not have any visible sections. When it fully charged it is completely blue then part of it becomes yellow and so on. Finally when the bar is yellow I have to charge it.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:02 am
by JAGflyer
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:21 am
by zippyjet
At 49 years young, I can't see most of them. Another MaGoo moment!
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:25 am
by andz
I would guess another reference to this "rhaa" that pops up in here and about 3 people know what it is all about.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:52 am
by BHXFAOTIPYYC
Quoting Gordonsmall (Reply 3): About 5 years ago I had an Astra GTE (those in the know will remember it's cult status). |
Err, with all due respect Gordon, the Astra never had "cult status", it was always a pile of shite.
The battery level indicator was the least of it's problems, but then, it was a Vauxhall.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:00 am
by dan2002
My MP3 player has it displayed horizontally.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:49 am
by ShyFlyer
A device used in photogrhaaphy.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:57 pm
by DrDeke
Quoting Willo (Reply 2): Why are they so inaccurate? The meter usually drops to the last segment just as the camera/phone is shutting itself down through lack of juice and you are at a critical point in the conversation or the plane you've been standing freezing your nuts off for finally comes into view |
Yes, this is one of the things that inherently sucks about current battery technology. As I understand it, there is no good way to directly take even a reasonably accurate estimate of the current SoC (state of charge) of a battery cell or battery pack. Therefore, devices like cell phones and laptops have charge/energy controller chips in them which, in addition to providing the battery with the proper charging voltage, keep track of how much energy has been drawn from the battery since the last full recharge. This is how the device's battery meter typically gets its data. The data is better than nothing, but is not usually completely accurate since battery charge characteristics change throughout the life of the battery, and since the battery cells self-discharge over time. Most people do not realize that lithium-ion batteries are typically only good for 500 full charge/discharge cycles. This can last for a couple of years especially if one uses optimal charging techniques, but after three years or so, a Li-ion battery really can not be expected to hold anywhere near its original charge, nor for it to be able to accurately report its state of charge.
-DrDeke
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:14 pm
by jumpseatflyer
My Hyundai doesn't have a battery indicator. And of course, what happened other than me cornering too fast on Monday morning, sliding out of control, and smashing into a shinny little Nissan. Damn lack of battery indicator...
The Kodak Easy Share (yeah, laugh, laugh, in the photography world I may as well have a 1" thingy) has no indicator until its close to death. It really sucks.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:28 pm
by skidmarks
My mobile phone battery indicator is horizontal, I never let it fall below 2 bars. I always have at least one spare battery for my camera and I dont have a lap top.
And there is no need to be ashamed of a Kodak easy share camera, each to their own.
Mind you, I always heard that only people with a 1" thingy own them
Andy
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:35 pm
by jumpseatflyer
Quoting Skidmarks (Reply 15): I always heard that only people with a 1" thingy own them |
It's true. Since I violated the rule, they made me buy 18 of the damn things.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:54 pm
by KevinL1011
AC Delco automotive batteries used to have the "Delco Eye", a small window in the top of the battery intended to display the batteries' state of charge. A green color in the "eye" was good, no color was bad. Total joke! I remember seeing those batteries after blowing up and the eye was still green!
And yes, automobile batteries produce hydrogen gas as part of the "electrolytic" process" (sulfuric acid eating up slices of lead) and on occasion will explode.
Automotive "Battery" gauges or warning lights no not indicate if the battery is good or not. It tells if the battery is being charged by the alternator (generator) or not.
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:18 pm
by gordonsmall
Quoting BHXFAOTIPYYC (Reply 10): Err, with all due respect Gordon, the Astra never had "cult status", it was always a pile of shite. Wink The battery level indicator was the least of it's problems, but then, it was a Vauxhall. |
You will notice I said that those "in the know"! That clearly does not include you!
The GTE in both 8v and 16v guises was one of the biggest cult hits of the 80's, and had as loyal a following as the Golf GTi and XR2/XR3's. Even today you won't get much change out of �3000 for a decent standard and original car, and I have known other members of the owners club to pay �6000+ for low mileage examples.
A bit of advice: It's best to just keep quiet unless what you have to say is of more value than silence!
RE: Friday's Stupid Thread - Battery Level Indicators
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:43 pm
by skidmarks
Obviously a strange and little known cult then Gordon. Most Astra owners I know of are Chav like creatures with little or no street cred or personality!
And lets face it, Owners Clubs of ANY car will always have the nuts who will go to any lengths to buy their favourite pile of junk.
Over to you, big boy!
Andy