What is the voltage range of batteries that I can use?
The Analyzers measure the voltage during load, and when the load is disconnected from the battery.
The voltage measured when disconnected is called the Open Voltage. Both are used to calculate the battery's internal resistance (impedance).
Because of current effects, special DSP (Digital signal processing) algorithms are used to calculate the impedance and Open Voltage.
What does Load Voltage and Open Voltage mean?
The Analyzers measure the voltage during load, and when the load is disconnected from the battery.
The voltage measured when dis-connected is called the Open Voltage. Both are used to calculate the battery’s internal resistance (impedance).
Because of current effects, special DSP (Digital signal processing) algorithms are used to calculate the impedance and Open Voltage.
What does it mean: Peak power?
All analyzers can be used up to a certain maximum power. But it also has a current limit like 16Amp. Power (in Watt) is the product of the voltage and the current (P = V * I).
As example; 500W at 36V translates to a maximum current of some 12 Amp.
Here is a table of the maximum settings that are allowed:
Battery Voltage
Maximum discharge current
24 V
16 A
36 V
12 A
48 V
8A
Note that the max. current is calculated at the Voltage of the fully charged battery, not its nominal value.
The BA910 analyzers will automatically trim power and current to within the allowed operating area.
I want to do a measurement with different currents. Can I do this?
Yes, you can. But for this, you need access to Battery Profile editting.
Battery manufacturers, battery repair and test shops can request access via a ‘support’ request.
Can I test 2 batteries in parallel?
Yes. The analyzers have 1 discharge unit, and you connect 2 chargers and to batteries.
Since charging is most time consuming, time reduction is mainly achieved by activating the chargers in parallel. So the charge-discharger-recharge sequence for 2 connected batteries and chargers is:
Chan 1
Charge
Discharge
Charge
Chan 2
Charge
Discharge
Charge
The charge time is usually about 5 to 8 hours, the discharge time about 1.5 hours.
Impedance / Resistance measurement
Impedance is the general name for internal resistance measured using frequencies, like 0Hz (resistance) and 100Hz or 1000Hz (impedance). The Analyzers do both the resistance and impedance measurement. Both are calculated from the “Open cell voltage” (VOC) and voltage during load (VLD) and load current (ILD): Resistance = (VOC – VLD) / ILD. This represents the resistance in the battery and wires (inside the battery pack).
The resistance of the connection wires from the battery to the analyzer is compensated by use of the SENSE+ and SENSE- wires.
When applying long-term load differences, the resistance of the battery at 0Hz can be determined. For this, the discharge method “Resistance measurement” can be added to the measurement profile.
This applies the 50% and 100% of the specified current in sequence during some seconds. Then the resistance is calculated and put into the output report.
Can I do a test Without a charger?
Certainly.
Just start the measurement, and set the Checkboxes at the bottom like this:
Then the charger is not used.
Please note that the measurement result will be equal or less than when charged automatically. If the battery was not fully charged, the value wil be less.
How do I do a measurement?
Connecting the battery, use the connection tabs from the Terminal Converter Set (TCS) or your dedicated cable.
Connect the charger to the battery Please note that in rare cases, a dedicated cable has a provision for charger connection.
Start the PC software: Start the Battery Analyzer program.
Press the button on the Battery Analyzer, for the channel you want to start.
Fill in the battery parameters and press start.
The rest is fully automatic! Although the system, continuously shows the measurement results, there is no need to look at this.
Make sure the printer is connected, switched ON and set as Default in Windows.
After completion, the report is automatically printed.
You can view the PDF report. Go to File | Explorer | Reports.
How do I store a battery while preserving it's life
The internal chemistry of a battery is sensitive to temperature and voltage.
The general rules are:
A high temperature causes more wear (temperatures above 30 degree C)
Low Voltage causes more wear (capacity below 20%)
High Voltage causes more wear (capacity above 80%)
So the best way to store a battery is at medium voltage and at low temperature.
BUT: too low (or fluctuating) temperatures may cause more condensation which may damage the electronics.
So the recommendation is:
So storage at 10 to 25 degree C is a good compromise (in your hall or basement).
Set an agenda alarm (or note) for every 6 weeks to check the reading to be about 50-75%. Charge for 30min if needed.
Where can I get training
The installation and operation of the device is rather simple. No training is required.
For the interpretation of results and finding causes of problems, a training on E-Bike repair may be usefull.
This video explains the meaning of the information on the test report:
Battery Test Report Explained
How to reset the Slot / Channel data
Before you read on first check whether the power cable is securely plugged into it’s socket. Also if you use a mains power block with a switch, make sure that the switch is set to On.
Sometimes, after changing the USB plugs, Battery slots show RED in the Channel list.
The program must re-assign the ports to the slots. Therefor the existing configuration must be deleted.
Select the folder SlotData and delete it.
A prompt dialog appears the explains you need administrator permission. Just click Continue.
Start the BatteryAnalyzer V3 program.
Now the problem should be resolved.
How can I test Sparta-Ion
Sparta Ion can be tested by making a T-connection between the Motor and the Frame (use a black wire instead of blue as on the picture).
The BA910 is connected to the Red (+) and Black (-) wires.
Connector types (AMP part numbers):
Side
Connector type
Body
Contacts
Other
Wire
Frame side
AMP Super seal 1.5 series
282087-1
183025-1 or 282110-1
Seal 1 per wire 281934-2
1.5mm2 or 14~15 AWG
Motor side
AMP Super seal 1.5 series
282105-1
183024-1 or 282109-1
Seal 1 per wire 281934-2
Pin
Function
Color
1
+
Red
2
Sig
Yellow
3
–
Black
Cut a part of the isolation of the Red and Black wire and connect the BA910 red and black wires.
You may use the crimp elements from the Terminal Converter Set to make your Ion connection it detachable.
Test procedure
Fully Charge the battery before test.
During test, the charger must not be connected.
Then disable pre- and post charge in the start dialog.
Note that the battery must be kept active during test. Otherwise the battery will shut off which will terminate the measurement.
The battery gives no voltage
A battery can not be tested if the it needs communication to be active, which is normally handled by the display on the bicycle.
For the Bosch and Gazelle Panasonic batteries, we made special cables that activate the battery.
For other type, the battery manufacturer has not release the communication protocol. Testing is then only possible to make a T-connection on the Bat+ and Bat- wires on the bicycle (or the motor+ and – wires). Then bike keeps the battery active. But most bikes only keep the battery ON during 5 or 10 minutes after the last activity. So you will need to do some activity within that time.
Examples of this:
Shimano Steps
Sparta Ion (See also: “How can I test Sparta-Ion”)
Some batteries with CAN-bus protocol
We urge you to ask the manufacturer to release the protocol to us, so that we may support their product(s).
How do I activate a pre-release version?
There is a ‘Stable’ software version, and a Pre-release version. The Pre-release version is available for testing and using new features and improvements. We periodically make improvements and put this in the Pre-release version. If that all works fine, we move that to the ‘Stable’ version.
Note: Activating the pre-release version is rarely done by dealers, but by e-bike (system) manufacturers who requested or need new features. Normally, please use the well tested “stable” version only.
You may activate the Pre-release version in Options | Preferences. Look at the right side and set “Pre-release” to Yes. If a new feature causes problems, you may revert to the ‘Stable’ version at any time.
How do I turn off Automatic Printing?
After a test, the report is automatically printed. This can be disabled in “Options | Preferences”.
Then on the right side is “Measurement Settings”. Now set “Print after measurement” to False.
Generally, it is not a good idea to turn this off; it is a very convenient feature that reports are being automatically printed.
Does it matter what type of battery I want to test?
Not really.
Non-Lithium batteries can safely be tested with the standard settings of the analyzer.
With some batteries, you may want to change the limit of the empty-voltage. This is the voltage at which the test must end since further discharging may result in a deep-discharge.
What is Capacity in mAh or Wh?
Ah (Ampère hours) / mAh (mili-Ampère hours)
The battery capacity is the amount of current drawn from the battery, multiplied by the time it takes before it is empty. It is often expressed in Ampère-hour (Ah). For more accuracy it may be expressed in milli-Ampère-hour (1/1000th of an Ampère-hour).
To translate from mAh to Ah, just divide by 1000.
Wh (Watt hours)
Capacity can also be expressed as the amount of energy (Watt) drawn from the battery, multiplied by the time it takes before it is empty.
Some manufacturers put the capacity in Ah, other in Wh, and some put both numbers. Since the Ah is independent of the voltage, while the Wh does depend on voltage, measurement results will normally be a bit different between the two methods (up to some 3 to 5%).
How long will a test take?
A battery test can best be done at the current that is drawn during normal operation. That results in a battery time that is comparable to the usage time.
It is possible to speed-up the test by increasing the test current. However, care must be taken not to exceed the maximum allowable current for the battery under test.
Normal values are:
Capacity
Test Current
Test hours
10 Ah (360Wh)
6 A
1h35
14 Ah (500Wh)
6A
2h20
6 Ah (215Wh)
4A
1h30
If the test runs at full motor power the time may be calculated as Time = Battery capacity [Wh] / Motor power [W].
What is the principle of testing?
With the test, we want to determine the actual capacity of the battery to hold energy. This is done by charging the battery to 100% and discharge it with a constant test current. The time till 0% is measured.
The product of Time * Test current is the capacity in Ah.
Example: A test of 1h30 with a current of 6 A results in 9 Ah capacity.
Important: To determine whether a battery can handle the power of acceleration or up-hill driving, we provide a special test profile to simulate that.
The result of that test shows the real street performance of the battery.
What is a BMS?
A BMS is the Battery Management System. It is used in Lithium Ion batteries to protect the battery against short circuits and over-current. A most BMS’s also protect against deep-discharge and over-charging.
If a BMS fails, the battery may be damaged and can become dangerous, since it may ignite and burn into flames.
Some batteries have a BMS without connections to the outside world. Others provide connections to allow read-out by special electronics and software. Depending on the BMS protocol, the Battery Condition Test software V3, can read the BMS data, using our analyzers.
What is a C-rate?
Often, the maximum charge and discharge current of a battery is specified as 0.2C, 0.5C or 1C.
1C means that the full battery capacity used in 1 hour.
The table shows some examples of capacities, Currents and C-rates:
Capacity (Ah)
C-rate
Current (A)
Time (h)
Time (h:mm)
10
1C
10
1
1:00
10
0.2C
2
5
5:00
10
0.6C
6
1.67
1:40
10
2C
20
0.5
0:30
Checking the measurement accuracy
If there are doubts about the calibration of the Battery Analyser you can verify it.
This can be done by following the next simple steps.
The following items are needed:
A multimeter capable of measuring at least 10A DC
A fully charged battery (24V, 36V or 48V will work).
The standard battery cable as delivered with the Battery Analyser
Checking the voltage measurement:
Switch the Voltmeter to DC Volts
Connect the Volt meter to the + and – of the Battery
Do NOT start a measurement
Check if the voltage displayed by the meter is within 2% of the value displayed in the software at “Voltage Loaded”
Example: When the “Voltage Loaded” shows 41.15V the multimeter should show a value between 41.97V and 40.33V. If it does not, please contact battery Condition Test by filling out the contact form on this page.
Checking the Current measurement:
Switch the Current meter to DC Amp measurement
Connect the Current meter in the + lead
Note: Use Average current measurement NOT RMS
Start a Warranty Evaluation test and set the current to 5A. Click here for test settings
Disable the Pre-Charge in order to speed up the process
Check if the current, displayed by the meter is within 5% of the value as displayed in the software at “Current:”
Example: When the “Current” shows 5.00A the multimeter should show a value between 5.25A and 4.75A. If it does not, please contact battery Condition Test by filling out the contact form on this page.
My battery BMS has switched off. Can I reset it?
When a battery is deep-discharged, a BMS may decide that it is unsafe to re-charge the cells.
So if it has shut down the battery, think twice to ‘re-vive’ it.
If you sill want to try, use a Lab-power supply with adjustable current limit.
The power supply must be set to:
A voltage, equal to the charger voltage
Maximum short circuit current of 100mA
Connect this to the battery output Bat+ and Bat-, instead of the charger input pins
Warning: If you do not know how to do this, ask someone who does. Do not ‘just give it a go’, since you may easily burn down your office/home.
How can I test Sparta-Ion
Sparta Ion can be tested by making a T-connection between the Motor and the Frame (use a black wire instead of blue as on the picture).
The BA910 is connected to the Red (+) and Black (-) wires.
Connector types (AMP part numbers):
Side
Connector type
Body
Contacts
Other
Wire
Frame side
AMP Super seal 1.5 series
282087-1
183025-1 or 282110-1
Seal 1 per wire 281934-2
1.5mm2 or 14~15 AWG
Motor side
AMP Super seal 1.5 series
282105-1
183024-1 or 282109-1
Seal 1 per wire 281934-2
Pin
Function
Color
1
+
Red
2
Sig
Yellow
3
–
Black
Cut a part of the isolation of the Red and Black wire and connect the BA910 red and black wires.
You may use the crimp elements from the Terminal Converter Set to make your Ion connection it detachable.
Test procedure
Fully Charge the battery before test.
During test, the charger must not be connected.
Then disable pre- and post charge in the start dialog.
Note that the battery must be kept active during test. Otherwise the battery will shut off which will terminate the measurement.
What is an acceptable battery wear rate?
The decrease of capacity is caused by the use of the battery. When a battery becomes empty, after a 100% charge, 1 cycle is counted. Generally, most Lithium batteries wear about 30 to 40% in 500 cycles.
Whether a battery is still fit for the job, you need to consider the use of a battery that can do only 60 or 70 % of its original distance.
What is an acceptable internal resistance or impedance?
Most good batteries have an internal resistance and impedance between 120 and 200 mOhm. A lower value is even better.
In our test profiles we let a battery fail when the value exceeds 400mOhm. In this case, the battery will probable also fail on a low capacity due to the high loss of voltage in the internal resistance.
Which test conditions should be observed?
There are 2 test conditions that are of interest:
Test for normal use
In this test you want real life conditions, meaning a constant load of 100% of the motor power (often 250W) and peaks for acceleration and hill climbing (up to 1.8 times the normal power).
So a 36V battery should be tested at about 7 Amp with peaks to 12.5 Amp.
Test for manufacturer warranty
Most cells are specified at a discharge of 0.2C, meaning 0.2 times the rated capacity.
So a battery of 10Ah should then be tested with 10 x 0.2 = 2A.
Here you can see the requirement for a good battery tester. It must be capable of testing at higher power to reveal possible battery problems.
The BA910 testers all handle this nicely.
