8: Rechargeable battery measurements Model 2450 SourceMeter® Instrument
8-6 2450-900-01 Rev. E / August 2019
Automated battery charge and discharge cycle testing
Battery charge and discharge cycles often take several hours, so automating the test is important.
This example demonstrates how to use the 2450 to perform an automated battery discharge test
using SCPI commands or TSP commands.
For this application, you will:
• Reset the instrument.
• Set the measurement to a 4-wire configuration.
• Set the instrument to source voltage and measure current.
• Select the high impedance output-off mode, which opens the output relay when the 2450 output
is turned off. Select this mode before connecting the battery to the output. This prevents the
battery from draining when it is connected to the instrument with the output off.
• Set the current limit to the current level at which the battery is to be charged or discharged. This
is the load current of the test. Even though the 2450 is sourcing voltage, it operates in constant
current mode because it is in current limit until it reaches the desired voltage.
• Turn on source readback to enable the 2450 to measure the battery voltage while it either
charges or discharges.
• Read the load current, source readback voltage, and the relative timestamp.
• Monitor the voltage until the battery voltage reaches the specified voltage level and stop the test.
To charge the battery, program the 2450 to output a voltage that is equivalent to the voltage rating of
the battery. For example, to charge a 10 V battery, set the 2450 to source 10 V. As the battery fully
charges, current decreases until it reaches zero or near zero (battery charged).
To discharge the battery, program the 2450 to output a voltage to a lower level than the battery
voltage and set the output-off state to high impedance. In this configuration, the 2450 operates as a
sink to discharge the battery. Current from the battery flows into the SENSE HI terminal of the 2450,
which results in negative current measurements. As the battery discharges, the current stays
constant.
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