Smarter Battery Chargers
The designs and technical specs of our batteries change frequently. The chemistry technologies seem to advance like the wind, constantly changing, adapting, and becoming more efficient. Unfortunately this also changes the requirements to charge the batteries. Some batteries like a slower, less amperage charge, while others can charge quite rapidly.
What battery charger manufacturers are doing to keep up with the various changes is to make their chargers smarter. They are adding more IC’s (integrated circuits) to change the voltage and charging algorithms as needed for the particular battery. I’m sure you’ve noticed that more devices are being able to be charged through USB ports. This actually requires an IC to watch the fluctuating power that comes through and adjust accordingly. Some do so with a simple two-tier approach usually 500mA and 100mA depending on the situation. While some of the more advanced ones actually change the algorithm and charge level to charge the device more efficiently.
Some of the newer SLR digital cameras and GPS systems are beginning to have multiple subsystems requiring different power management often having dual-powercells in series. This of course requires the charging system to handle the dual batteries and any variations that they incur.
This got me thinking about the various chargers at my house; I use rechargeable NiMH for my mp3 player, all the different cell phones in the house, my rechargeable book light among others. It seems to me having a universal charging bank to handle all the various chemistries and configurations would be useful.
What do you think? How many chargers do you use for your GPS, mp3, cell-phone, blackberry, motorcycle and other toys we use?
Written by
Ken