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7.5 Program Steps

Program Steps using XMLNotepad editor

Step_Note

 This is just any helpful comment used to document the step

Function

 Define one of the following Step Functions:

  • unused – This means the step is not used and all subsequent steps following the first unused step are ignored and will not be loaded into device.
  • stop – This step is the same as Pause step however the Step Time and Total Time clocks will not increment. Use Stop steps to wait for certain conditions to be met. They can also be used as interim steps to examine data for conditional routing. Use termination statements to advance to other steps.
  • charge – Charge battery with maximum current limited to Ireg and maximum voltage limited to Vreg. Specify Vreg_V and Ireg_A.
  • discharge – Apply a constant current discharge to the battery. Specify Vreg_V and Ireg_A when using the discharge function.
  • dcrgcp – Discharge battery at constant power.
  • dcrgcr – Discharge battery by applying a constant resistance load.
  • pause – This will stop all charge and discharge current. Use Pause steps to wait for certain conditions to be met. They can also be used as interim steps to examine data for conditional routing. Use termination statements to advance to other steps.
  • irtest – Use to perform a Internal Resistance test. This is a two pulse test where IR is calculated as: R=∆E/∆I. The result is reported in mΩ. Note that an irtest will still need a termination statement to terminate the step and specify the next step. The IR test only takes a few mS so step termination could be based on step time. eg. if steptime>0.1 GoTo x

Vreg_V

 The upper voltage regulation limit. The voltage will be regulated at or below this value during charge . This is the Voltage regulation value used for Constant Voltage(CV) charging. When managing batteries that only require constant current (eg. NiMH,NiCD,Primary etc.) set Vreg = 65(max). For discharge where Vreg is not required set Vreg = 65(max). No current will flow if Vreg is set below actual battery voltage.

Ireg_A

 The maximum charge current allowed. This is the charge current value for constant current charging. This is also the initial current when charging batteries that require voltage regulation (eg. LiIon,LiPO, SLA etc.)

Green_LED

 Specify the desired Green LED action for this step. Each step can have it’s own unique led operation. Select from: off, on, slow, med fast, alt, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Yellow_LED

 Specify the desired Yellow LED action for this step. Each step can have it’s own unique led operation. Select from: off, on, slow, med fast, alt, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Beeper

 Specify the desired Beeper sound for this step. The audio indicator can inform the user that tasks are complete or to sound an alarm as the situation may dictate. Select from:off, on, once, toggle.

Vector

 Specify a step number to over-ride the default Vector setting. Vector is the step the routine will route to when the on screen Start button or hardware Vector push button is used. This provides for control and flexibility for the user to force the routine to move to another step as the application requires. If this value is 0 then the default Vector, as specified in Details, applies to this step.

Save

 Specify if the routine should save Results Data for this step. Data that is saved will appear in the Results Data section of the main screen when the step terminates. Not all steps require data to be saved for display. Only steps where actual battery management activity is occurring will need to be saved. Many steps are just used for routing, control, messaging or to manage the LED & Beeper indicators.

User_Instruction

 Specify a text message to instruct the user or inform them about what is happening. Each step can have it’s own unique user message. Enter the number of the text message required. See Program Messages section for the list of standard messages or specify 1 of the 4 custom message numbers. The user messages appear in Section 3 on the main screen, while the step is in progress.

Terminations

 Assign the routing statement number(s) for all statements that should be used as terminations(term) on this step. Separate numbers with comma. (ex. 3,8,12)

Conditions

 Assign the routing statement number(s) for all statements that should be used for conditional(cond) routing on this step. Separate numbers with comma. (ex. 5,6,14)

Messages

 Assign the routing statement number(s) for all statements that should be used for message(mess) calculation on this step. Separate numbers with comma. (ex. 2,9,13)

Pulse_Span

 Enter 0 when not assigning pulses. To assign pulses enter start and ending pulse number separated by a comma (ex. 3,5) to turn on pulses 3 to 5 repeatedly. Pulses are defined in the Pulsing section of the xml file.

 

Additional Step Notes:

  • Only steps up to the first unused step are loaded into the device.
  • Interim Steps reserved for future use during development can just be assigned a function stop or pause.
  • To make LED’s alternate, set Green_LED=alt and set Yellow_LED= slow, med or fast to control the rate of alternation.
  • To make LED’s flash simultaneously, set both LED’s to the same frequency. (ex. slow, med, fast).
  • The LED’s together with the audio Beeper allow for many, many different output combinations to indicate:
    status, operation, warnings, errors, alarms, pass, fail, marginal, complete ready, charged, discharged
    or whatever the situation requires. These indicators are especially useful when using the device in stand alone mode. In a production environment they can prompt the operator to take action as required. Once programmed, the device does not need a PC connection so it can be used in stand alone mode. This allows the device to be portable and used in a wide variety of applications.