Vencon UBA 5 Let's Get Started Manual
The UBA (Ultimate Battery Analyzer) is a battery analyzer, charger, discharger and reconditioner. It’s also a data
logger, thermometer and electronic load . Wow! That’s a lot of stuff in such a small box. How do we do it? Easy. We
get the PC to do most of the work.
The first three chapters in this guide show you how to setup the UBA then takes you step by step through a complete
battery analysis. Once you’ve done your first battery analysis, you can use the online help that comes with the UBA
Software to learn more. We recommend that you read these first three chapters before you run your first battery
analysis (it won’t take that long).
Notes:
●
The latest version of software and online help is available at the private area of our web site. To get there, run
UBA Console and click on Get latest news on Vencon Website (Help menu), or go to:
http://www.vencon.com/UBA4News/B-0.96.html, or use the shortc ut on the installation CD.
●
If you need help using the software or testing batteries, don’t hesitate to call or email us. You can also email
us your battery analysis results for assistance in interpreting them.
Printed September 2007 for UBA Console version 1.0.
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page i
Batteries are electro-chemical devices that have the potential to burn, explode, or emit harmful chemicals.
Please read these safety warning s:
Safety Warnings:
●
Observe battery temperature. Allow cold batteries to warm up and hot batteries to cool
before charging. Stop the battery test if the battery becomes very hot.
●
Do not attempt to charge non-rechargeable batteries such as alkaline, carbon-zinc,
or non-rechargeable lithium batteries. Attempting to charge them may result in explosion.
●
Do not short the positive and negative battery terminals together.
●
Do not exceed the battery manufacturer’s recommended charge current and voltage limits.
Doing so may damage the battery and result in venting or explosion.
●
Charge and discharge lithium batteries in a fire proof container.
●
Double check the settings before starting a battery analysis.
Page ii The UBA Let's Get Started Guide
Table of Contents
1.Setting Up The UBA.........................................................................................................................................................1
1.1.Connecting the UBA to a Power Supply..................................................................................................................1
1.2.Connecting the UBA to a Computer........................................................................................................................2
1.3.Connecting More than One UBA to a Computer.....................................................................................................2
1.4.Extending the Serial Cable......................................................................................................................................2
1.5.Ventilation................................................................................................................................................................3
1.6.Battery Cables..........................................................................................................................................................3
2.UBA Console Installat ion instr uctions..............................................................................................................................4
2.1.Installing UBA Console............................................................................................................................................4
2.2.Starting UBA Console..............................................................................................................................................5
2.3.Initializing the UBAs.................................................................................................................................................5
2.4.Locating and Installing the UBA Calibration File(s).................................................................................................6
3.Is My Battery any Good? The Battery Analysis...............................................................................................................6
3.1.The Multitester.........................................................................................................................................................6
3.2.Setting Up the Bat tery Anal ysis...............................................................................................................................7
3.3.Starting the Battery Analysis..................................................................................................................................10
3.4.Monitoring the Battery Analysis.............................................................................................................................11
3.5.Interpreting the Results – Is My Battery Any Good?.............................................................................................11
4.Creating a Battery Analysis Routine.......................................................................................... ....................................13
4.1.“Advanced” BAR Concepts....................................................................................................................................17
4.2.BAR Actions...........................................................................................................................................................19
4.3.BARs Included with UBA Console.........................................................................................................................19
5.Advanced Topics............................................................................................................................................................20
5.1.Choosing and Setting Up a Power Supply.............................................................................................................20
5.2.Importing Results into a Spreadsheet...................................................................................................................22
5.3.Warnings................................................................................................................................................................22
5.4.Current and Power Limitations..............................................................................................................................23
Appendix A – Troubleshooting..........................................................................................................................................24
Appendix B – FAQs...........................................................................................................................................................25
Appendix C – Included Battery Analysis Routines............................................................................................................27
UBA Accessories – Optional Temperature Probes...........................................................................................................29
UBA Accessories - Channel Combiner.............................................................................................................................33
UBA5 Specifications..........................................................................................................................................................35
Two Year Limited Warranty...............................................................................................................................................35
The UBA4 Let's Get Started Guide Page iii
Regulatory Compliance
FCC Class B Information
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential or
commercial installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
or more of the following measures:
●
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
●
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
●
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver in connected.
●
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CE Compliance for Europe
This equipment has been verified to comply with
CISPR22/EN55022 - Class B - Limits and methods of measurements of radio disturbance characteristics of
Information Technology Equipment and
EN50082-1 - Generic Immunity Standards, Residential, Commercial and Light Industry.
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page v
1. Setting Up The UBA
●
Unpack the UBA shipping box and check that you’ve received the following:
●
The UBA battery analyzer, charger, and conditioner.
●
Vencon UBA Console CD, which contains the software for the UBA.
●
A 2 metre 9 pin male to female shielded serial cable.
●
Two sets of test leads with alligator clips.
●
A printed copy of this guide.
●
A power supply (if you purchased a UBA Combo).
What you need to get started (in addition to the above):
●
A power supply (included with the UBA Combo).
●
A PC with a free serial port or a USB port and a USB to serial converter.
1.1. Connecting the UBA to a Power Supply
The UBA requires a power supply with a DC voltage from 15 to 24V (see section 5.1 “Choosing and Setting Up a
Power Supply” for more information). Connect the power supply output cable to the back of the UBA and plug the
power supply’s AC cable into a wall outlet. The battery red LEDs will flash once, the fan will spin a couple of times and
the power LED will turn on. If this doesn’t happen then check the voltage on the power cable: it should be at least 15V
with the centre pin positive.
If you use your own power supply ensure that it has a 2.1mm DC barrel plug that mates with the power input on the
back of the UBA. The UBA is reverse voltage protected, if you reverse wire the DC supply cable no damage will result,
but the UBA won't turn on. Also ensure that the power supply voltage is no more than 25V no-load, otherwise you risk
damaging the UBA.
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page 1
1.2. Connecting the UBA to a Computer
UBA
Vencon
To Additional
USB Converter
Serial cable
(1 per UBA)
USB
Port
Serial
Port
UBAs
PC
Vencon
UBA
First UBA
Figure 1: UBA serial port connections for one or more UBAs.
The UBA connects to any unused serial port the PC. You can use a USB port with a USB to serial port converter contact us for purchase information. Connect one end of the supplied serial cable to the UBA (the connector marked
“RS232 from Computer or other UBA”) and the other end to the PC serial port or USB converter.
Second UBA
1.3. Connecting More than One UBA to a Computer
If you are using more than one UBA, then connect the first one to the PC as described above and the second UBA to
the first UBA. No adapters or gender changers are required. Repeat this for any additional UBAs (the maximum is
253 UBAs per serial port, but performance and memory limits are reached before that). Each UBA requires its own
power supply or they can share a single power supply with enough current to power them all. You can connect the
UBAs while they are on, but you will have to re-initialize the UBA network for any new UBAs to be recognized.
1.4. Extending the Serial Cable
You can extend the UBA's serial cable with a shielded extension cable. We have successfully run the UBA with a 30m
(100ft) cable. Check for resent commands in the communication port display (accessible from the UBA Network
window by right clicking on the comm port). You really shouldn't have any, but if you do, don't worry as the UBA uses
advanced error correction so that any corrupted transmissions are resent.
Figure 2: Communication port display showing UBAs connected and the number of commands sent and resent
(commands are resent if there is a communication error). Here 21 million commands were sent without error.
This is an actual image from our burn-in station where UBAs are run for at least 12 hours.
Page 2 The UBA Let's Get Started Guide
1.5. Ventilation
Battery
The UBA can generate up to 90 Watts of heat during a battery discharge or charge. Do not obstruct the air holes on
the top or bottom. Be careful when touching the UBA during a high current discharge or charge, as it can get quite hot
(the fan automatically turns on when the UBA gets too warm). Avoid running a high power discharge or charge when
the UBA is in a hot environment (greater than 30 degrees Celsius).
It is normal for the UBA to get get warm (some might call it hot) before the fan turns on. You can check that the fan is
functioning by watching if it turns on when power is applied to the UBA or during network initialization or you can turn it
on from the Multitester instrument (described later). If you would prefer that the fan turn on earlier, there is an option
for this in the Options... menu (under File, click on Options... and select the General tab).
1.6. Battery Cables
-
+
Vencon
UBA
Figure 3: Connecting a battery to the UBA.
banana jacks for its battery connections and comes with two sets of battery cables with alligator clips. Additional plugs
or cables are available from us. Plug the cables into the front of the UBA and connect the red clip to the positive
terminal of the battery being tested and the black clip to the negative terminal of the battery.
NOTE: The UBA inputs are polarity protected, thus connecting the battery backwards will not damage your battery,
nor the UBA.
CAUTION: When the battery cables are connected to a battery but not plugged into the UBA, the banana plugs can
touch each other resulting in very high currents potentially causing burns or the battery might gas or explode. For this
reason, we recommend that the banana plugs be plugged into the UBA before connecting them to your battery. In our
lab banana plugs connected to a battery, when not connected to a UBA, are inserted into a piece of wood with 11/64”
(4.5mm) holes that keep the plugs safely apart.
The UBA uses standard
Figure 4: Using a block of wood to keep battery banana plugs from shorting.
Hint: If you expect to be testing cylindrical cells (like AA, AAA, C, ...) then consider using battery connectors
with magnets. Contact us for ordering information.
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page 3
2. UBA Console Installation instructions
The software that runs on the PC and controls the UBA is called UBA Console. Install it on a PC running Microsoft
Windows (Win95 or later) or Linux (we have an application note on our website explaining how to do run UBA Console
under Wine).
Windows 95 and NT users: If you will be installing UBA Console on a PC with a fresh install of Windows 95
or NT then you might have to install the HTML help application and some other upgrades to your operating
system. See the troubleshooting section at the back of this guide.
2.1. Installing UBA Console
Insert the UBA CD into the PC’s CD drive. Installation should start automatically. If it doesn’t, run SETUP.EXE on the
CD. If you’re installing from a file that you downloaded from our website, then run that file.
Important -- Data Location:
During the installation you will be asked where to locate the “application's database”. This folder, called VenconUBA,
is where the files containing battery analysis routines are stored as well as where the analysis results are stored. By
default it's put in the same folder as UBA Console, i.e.:
C:\Program Files\Vencon\Ve nco nUB A <- default (not recommended)
We recommend you choose a different location which is regularly backed up. For example on our PCs we put it in My
Documents:
C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\VenconUBA <- recommended
You can change the folder location after UBA Console has been installed by moving (or dragging) the VenconUBA
folder to the new location then specifying it on the Folder tab in the Options dialog box (File menu).
Figure 5: Example folder paths.
The following four folders are created in the VenconUBA folder:
AnalysisResults – Analysis results are stored here.
BARs – Battery Analysis Routines are stored here.
Page 4 The UBA Let's Get Started Guide
Database&Cal – Database, calibration, and sound files are stored here.
Logs – Log files are stored here.
2.2. Starting UBA Console
Start UBA Console (accessible from the Windows Start menu).
Figure 6: UBA Console - UBA Network not yet initialized.
If you don’t get this, see Appendix A - Troubleshooting.
Don’t be surprised if your version of UBA Console appears slightly different then this as we’re always improving the
software.
2.3. Initializing the UBAs
UBA Console is now running, but its not yet communicating with the UBA. For that to happen, you have to initialize the
UBA Network. Tell the software which comm port(s) to use on the Serial Port tab in the Options dialog box (File
menu). Only free comm ports are displayed. You can choose more then one comm port, UBA Console will check
them all for a UBA each time you initialize the UBA network.
You can initialize the UBA Network by clicking on the first icon on the main menu (the “on/off” switch) or by the other
ways shown below.
Four ways to initialize the UBA
network:
Right click here or here.
or click here or here
Figure 7: Multiple ways to initialize the UBA Network.
Either way UBA Console will try to connect to the UBA using the serial ports that you have selected. You can close the
UBA Network window by clicking on the Close button or the X (this does not close the UBA network).
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page 5
2.4. Locating and Installing the UBA Calibration File(s)
Every time UBA Console initializes a UBA Network, it reads the calibration file for each UBA that it detects. If it can’t
locate the calibration file in the VenconUBA\Database&Cal folder, it will put up a Calibration file not found dialog box.
Every UBA comes with a calibration file that can be found on the installation CD or it was emailed to you. Once
located, UBA Console copies it into the VenconUBA\Database&Cal folder so that it can find it next time.
Don’t lose the UBA’s calibration file, but if you do, don’t panic. We keep a copy. If you’ve made it so far you should
see this:
Figure 8: UBA Console with the UBA network initialized (icons are enabled).
UBA Console has now established communications with the UBA(s) and you can start any instrument.
3. Is My Battery any Good? The Battery Analysis
In this chapter, we're going for a quick tour of the UBA and to run a battery analysis. Start up UBA Console and
initialize the UBA Network.
3.1. The Multitester
Before starting a battery analysis, let’s do some exploring. Click on the third icon, which starts the Multitester. The
Multitester is a great place to start, as you can check the battery’s voltage and the operation of the UBA.
Figure 9:
UBA Console ready to start an instrument. Click on the circled icon to start a Multitester.
Page 6 The UBA Let's Get Started Guide
This is what the Multitester looks like:
Sets the load to the requested
current, or turns it off.
More options include:
constant resistance and power.
Sets the charger to the requested
current, or turns it off.
More options include:
Constant voltage and PWM
Quick Test page.
External load control.
Figure 10: Multitester Instrument. Use it to monitor the battery voltage while applying a
load or charge current, plus other functions.
With a battery connected, if the Multitester says 0V (zero volts) then check the connection to your battery – it should be
connected to channel one with the correct polarity.
For this test don’t use a battery pack that has any protection circuitry inside that might interfere with the testing. You
can test those batteries once you are comfortable using the UBA.
For this example, I am using a four cell 600mAh NiCd battery.
Enter a small test current (100mA for example) into the load or charge current edit boxes and click the corresponding
Set button. The battery voltage should rise a bit if you set a charge current or drop a bit if you set a load current. This
verifies that the UBA charger and load are functioning and that you have a good connection to the battery. Note, you
can’t run the load and the charger at the same time.
Besides applying a load or charge current, the Multitester can also do a constant voltage charge, a quick test
(measures battery internal resistance), or read the UBA temperature probes (if connected). Press F1 for more
information from the online help. Experiment with some of the options.
Warning: The Multitester does not check the suitability of the charge or load current that you are using. Unless you
know your battery’s condition, you should limit the charge and load current to just a few seconds so you don’t damage
it.
Close the Multitester window so that you can start a battery analyzer on that channel: it is not possible to run two
instruments on the same channel at the same time.
3.2. Setting Up the Battery Analysis
Open a battery analyzer by clicking on the battery analyzer icon on the tool bar.
The UBA Let's Get Started Guide Page 7
Start a battery analysis.
Figure 11: UBAConsole: Starting a battery analysis. Click on the circled icon.
This opens up the Start a Battery Analysis dialog box:
Battery Parameters
Choose a BAR
Choose filename to store results.
Figure 12: Start a Battery Analysis dialog box: Entering analysis parameters.
There are three sections that need to be filled in before you can start the analysis.
Battery Parameters: Number of Cells and Capacity
Enter the number of cells (in series) and rated capacity of the battery. For battery packs the rated capacity and
nominal voltage should be printed on the pack. Calculate the number of cells by dividing the nominal pack voltage by
the nominal cell voltage.
Page 8 The UBA Let's Get Started Guide
Loading...