Handling LiPo Batteries

Please take proper care of the batteries. Failure to do so will shorten their lifespan and could even be potentially dangerous (if not handled properly, they may expand, explode, catch fire...).

Discharging

DO NOT OVERDISCHARGE. Our batteries should never be discharged beyond a voltage of 12 V. The safe minimum operating voltage is about 3 V per cell. These are 4 cell batteries, hence a total of 12 V minimum. Letting the battery discharge to voltages below 12 V will cause permanent damage, so don't let it happen. An indicator that the voltage has reached this point would be when the Jetson shuts down. A better indicator would be one that comes from battery monitoring circuitry (has yet to fully be implemented). Regardless of how you determine when this point has been reached, be sure to act promptly if you do get to this point. It is best if you could avoid reaching this point altogether. Being proactive and recharging the battery when it gets low (before it reaches 12 V) is the best way to keep the batteries healthy.

Note: If you discharge the battery to a voltage low enough, you may have trouble recharging it. The chargers we have will refuse to charge batteries that have gone beyond the safe minimum voltage. There are ways to recover the battery (we won't discuss those here), but bear in mind that these methods can be somewhat dangerous and require close supervision and care.

Charging

Use the LiPo mode on the smart balance chargers. Ensure that the capacities and charge currents are set appropriately for the battery you are charging. It's also best to keep an eye on the batteries as they charge. Do not leave a battery to charge unattended. For more details, check out this article.

Storage

Do not store a fully charged battery for long periods of time. If you will not be using the battery for a while, put it on the charger and use the Storage mode to properly balance the battery for storage.