SPARCbook Portable Workstation User Guide
4-5
Power Management
The Internal Battery
Replacing the internal battery
Before removing the battery, first ensure the system is powered off and
that the external power supply is disconnected. See “Installing the
Caution
Do not remove the battery while your SPARCbook is running or data files may
be corrupted and, in extreme cases, you may be unable to restart your
SPARCbook.
Battery behavior
Your computer contains a sophisticated battery management system to
ensure optimal performance from your batteries. However, for a new
system or a system that has been in storage for an extended period of
time, you should note the points below.
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Self Discharge
An inherent characteristic of the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) internal
battery supplied with your computer is self discharge. This causes the
battery to become exhausted after several weeks of storage even if it is
not fitted into your computer.
Also, when it is installed in your system, the internal battery will
discharge while your computer is not in use. This may take up to 3
weeks depending on the level of charge when the system was last used.
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System behavior with an Exhausted Battery
The charge percentage may not be shown on the status display if the
battery is completely exhausted. However, the percentage appears when
the battery has been characterized by the battery management system
after it has been fully charged.
Battery conditioning
A new battery, or one that has not been used for a long time, will store
less charge than expected for the first few charge and discharge cycles.
This is normal. Over the course of five charge and discharge cycles, the
capacity of the battery will rise to its correct value.
S3UG4_Book Page 5 Friday, August 8, 1997 11:37 am