Batteries and Chargers White Paper Technical Specifications and Characteristics
May 2010 Gerhard Soenser Leica Geosystems AG Heerbrugg, Switzerland 2
Technical Specifications and Characteristics of Leica Geosystems Batteries and Chargers Gerhard Soenser Abstract This paper presents an overview of the different factors regarding batteries and card-readers that should be considered by the surveyor in order to ensure the highest quality and best system performance. It describes the regulations and guidelines that batteries and chargers must fulfill in order to comply with the requirements for being an approved Leica Geosystems Product.
to the charger simultaneously. In this situation, two batteries are charged at the same time and the rest are charged in the order that they were connected to the charging station. The following batteries can be charged with the GKL221 charging station Trickle charging If fully charged batteries remain connected to the charging station, trickle charging is performed automatically. This compensates for the self-discharge of the batteries that occurs for technical reasons.
A country-specific AC/DC adapter and a car adapter cable are included with the charger. Battery identification An identification chip recognises the type of battery connected and derives the necessary charging parameters such as time and current. The batteries are optimally and appropriately charged to ensure the maximum possible service life. Charging times The charging times for batteries charged with the GKL211 charger are longer than those experienced with the GKL221 charging station.
Intelligent batteries All batteries have an integrated intelligent battery monitoring chip. This chip calculates the charge state of the battery and the most favorable charging cycle from the data it collects, such as temperature and current. This ensures that the battery can achieve its maximum service life and that the customer always knows the actual available remaining capacity of the instrument in use. Li-Ion Li-Ion cells have a high energy density. This minimizes battery size and weight.
used operate an instrument until it automatically switches off. Batteries in regular use After use, a battery in regular use can be placed in the charger until fully charged (the green light flashes). The charging time depends on the battery capacity and temperature. An indication of typical charging times is shown on page 4. Charging temperature The charging temperature (ambient temperature) has a significant impact on the life of the batteries. Charging at high temperature can cause loss of capacity.
Defective batteries Even if handled correctly, statistics show that a small number of batteries can still be expected to fail prematurely. Never replace a suspected defective cell in a battery pack.The cells in a battery pack are all from the same manufacturing batch and thus have the same manufacturing tolerances.If new and old cells are mixed, the weaker (old) cells in the battery pack are more heavily loaded and further failures are inevitable.
Genuine Leica vs. Leica Copies The sections above described several factors contributing to the high quality of original Leica Geosystems batteries and chargers. Because of their well known quality these Leica Geosystems products are often perceived as quality-defining references on the market. Hence Leica batteries and reflectors are often used as a model for copying.
Appendix System overview 10
Whether you want to monitor a bridge or a volcano, survey a skyscraper or a tunnel, stake out a construction site or perform control measurements – you need reliable equipment. With Leica Geosystems original accessories, you can tackle demanding tasks. Our accessories ensure that the specifications of the Leica Geosystems instruments are met. Therefore you can rely on their accuracy, quality and long life.
