V2.0

BITS manual

p1/31

1. TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 2

2.1. First Contact .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 3. Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5

3.1. How to move and delete curves. ...................................................................................................................... 6 3.2. How to monitor a test in real-time.................................................................................................................. 6 3.3. How to work with remarks ............................................................................................................................... 7 3.4. How to work with multiple devices simultaneously. ................................................................................... 8

4. Frequently asked questions ....................................................................................................................................... 10 5. Reference ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11

5.1. The interface ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 5.2. The menu and toolbar ....................................................................................................................................... 11 5.3. The File menu ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 5.4. The Report menu ............................................................................................................................................... 14 5.5. The View menu ................................................................................................................................................... 20 5.6. The Communication menu ............................................................................................................................... 20 5.7. The Device menu ................................................................................................................................................ 21 5.8. The Options menu ............................................................................................................................................. 25 5.9. The Window menu ............................................................................................................................................ 29 5.10. The status bar ...................................................................................................................................................... 29

6. Battery and charger behavior. ................................................................................................................................... 30 6.1. Peukert Calculations .......................................................................................................................................... 31

p2/31

2. INTRODUCTION

Although the BITS software was created according to traditional Windows® guidelines, we encourage reading

this manual before using the program.

You can begin with the 'getting started' section to start working in just a few minutes.

BITS is short for Battery Information and Test System.

Primarily it enables you to retrieve, store and evaluate battery and charger test results. Printed reports make

it easy to communicate results with others.

As a secondary function it allows you to control and communicate with some various test devices.

This help file holds all the detailed information you need to work with the program.

2.1. FIRST CONTACT

Start the program.

The software is equipped with a multi-document interface. Therefore, multiple reports can be opened

simultaneously. You can switch between them through the ‘Window’ menu.

Any menu command you invoke has effect only on the active report. When multiple reports are visible at

the same time, the active report can be recognized by the blue title bar on top of the report.

In the screen shot above, the active report is maximized. In this case the window’s title bar is superimposed

on the applications title bar on top of the screen.

A report is always coupled to a database to store report data. While you work, this is a temporary database.

When you save or close your report, the temporary database is copied to its original location.

The database format used to store the results is the Access database format. This brings the advantage that

you can import the test results also into popular applications such as Access, Excel, Word, … where you can

perform various operations on the data.

p3/31

Reading a report

In the picture below you can see the report for a simple battery capacity test. Because the battery is

discharged you can see the voltage decrease (solid blue line) over time (horizontal axis). The voltage is a solid

blue line and corresponds with the solid vertical axis. The current (blue dotted line) is at a fixed 15A level

(AlfaBat Pro) and corresponds with the dotted vertical axis. Various line styles will allow you to match a

curve to an axis

The dashed red & green line form a passband between which a healthy battery should be. In this case the

lines are at 60% (red) and 100% (green). The level of the red line can be set by a parameter in the profile of

the AlfaBat.

This battery showed a capacity of 88.22%, which indicates that it is of good health. The yellow tooltip-style

window helps you to see the results of a test, especially when multiple curves show one after the other as in

the example below.

On the picture below you can see an example of two consecutive tests. The two curves are for (1) a discharge

and (2) a recharge. This test was done with an AlfaBat, the battery is 7 Ah and the charger is 2.7 A. Because

the time it took to discharge the battery is proportionally small in comparison to the recharge time, the

discharges curve appears at the very left side of the grey report area. As you can see, the results shown on

top of the gray report area are incomplete (they only show for the part of curve 1). In those cases the pop-

up window helps to read the report.

p4/31

Note that remarks have been added to increase the readability of the report (e.g. "Discharge", "Constant

Current", "Constant Voltage", "Trickle Charge").

p5/31

3. DEFINITIONS

Throughout this document, you will come across program specific words such as report, curve, series,

dataset, etc.

We compiled a lexicon of these terms, so you can better understand them.

- Dataset: This references to a complete file of test data.

- Report: A report holds the data of a single dataset, with additional information to make the report

more readable (such as customer and battery details, …). A report can hold an infinite number of

curves.

- Curve: A curve is a single test. It holds all the data of one test. It can exist out of one or more series.

- Series: A series is a string of data. In theory a curve can hold an infinite number of series, such as

voltage, current, capacity, temperature, … The samples that build a series can be edited through the

DataMatrix. The datamatrix is a table which allows you to view/edit the numeric test data.

- Sample: A sample is a single point of the line that build a graph (or series). In fact, the software

connects all the samples with lines, thereby drawing a series. The test device ‘samples’ or reads the

information during a test and stores it. BITS – How to make a report

Creating reports

Before you can make a report, you have to do a test. Read the device’s manual to learn how to test a battery

or charger.

When the test is finished, a few actions are required to make the report.

1. Connect the test device to the PC and apply power to both.

2. Run the BITS software.

3. Transfer test results from the device’s internal memory to the PC. Click this button to open the

transfer dialog:

Your device has an internal memory to store multiple tests.

A list will show the available test results. The most recent test results have been pre-selected. Click

on OK to accept, or select the tests you want to download.

Remember that voltage and current for one test hold up two memory spaces.

4. Add details and remarks to the report to make the report complete and clear.

You can access the details by clicking the button, or by choosing details from the report menu.

5. Save the report.

Click the button, or click save from the file menu.

6. Print the report.

Click the button, or choose print from the file menu.

You could check with Print Preview to make sure the report looks exactly the way you want to,

before sending it to the printer.

For reports that hold multiple curves, you should decide whether you want them to show on top of each

other or one after the other. You can specify this in the details dialog.

- Showing curves on top of each other is useful when you are cycling a new battery, and you want to

show capacity increasing over the first few cycles.

p6/31

- Showing them one after the other is better for complete cycling tests where both the charge and

discharge curve appear.

3.1. HOW TO MOVE AND DELETE CURVES.

A report can hold any number of curves, a curve being a single test. You can switch the sequence of curves

through the ‘curve manager’. This tool will also allow you to delete & import curves.

Attention: deleting a curve removes the data permanently from the database. You cannot (temporarily)

hide a curve.

Click this button to access the curve manager. This function is available only for reports containing a

minimum of one curve (tests).

The window looks like this:

The list shows all the available curves by reference.

To switch the order of two curves, select the curve you want to move, and press the up or down arrow.

Repeat this operation to move a curve through a longer list of curves.

To delete a curve, select it from the list, and click the ‘delete’ button.

To import a curve, click the import button. A file open dialog will appear. Select the report that holds the

curve you want to import & click open. Now a list of curves available from this report will appear. Select the

curve you want to import. The curve will be inserted below the active curve on the curve manager.

3.2. HOW TO MONITOR A TEST IN REAL-TIME.

Real-time is synonym to the present. If you are running a test on a battery or charger you can check progress

on your PC during the test.

Others might refer to this as on-line testing, because the software is checking constantly for test updates.

Advantages: As you get experience by working with the software and by interpreting reports, in some cases

you will be able to distinguish a faulty battery during the test. If you have a lot of batteries / chargers to test

you could abort the test to gain time.

p7/31

Disadvantages: Be careful. It’s not because a battery reaches 50% capacity, that it will also reach 80%. Make

sure you don’t become convinced a battery is good, until it’s been completely tested. The same goes for

chargers. We recommend running each test until the testing device automatically stops.

Why monitor a test?

In most cases a transfer of test results after the test is finished is perfect. But this requires the device’s

memory to hold all the data until you collect (transfer) it.

Example 1: When you discharge a battery, and record both voltage and current, two memory banks are used

in the device. The data can be transferred after the test.

Example 2: When you cycle a battery and charger, even for a few cycles, the data that becomes available can

be too much for the device to store. In this case a ‘monitor discharge’ is necessary to collect and save all the

data that becomes available.

How do I monitor a test?

First make sure you have a report open, ready to receive the data. This can be a new report or an existing

report. In the latter case the data will be appended as a new curve to the existing report.

Then make sure the testing device is already working (charging, discharging or recording), and is properly

connected to the PC.

Then click this icon to start the monitor discharge (or pick the corresponding menu item from the

communication menu).

The camera button will appear depressed during the recording. To stop monitoring a test, click the icon

again.

A progress bar will appear below the report. When it expires, new data becomes available, and the report

will be updated. Depending on the overall length of the curve the time between updates (sample period) is:

- 1 minute, Curves of 0-59 minutes (less than one hour)

- 2 minutes, Curves of 60-118 minutes (1-2 hours)

- 4 minutes, Curves of 120-236 minutes (2-4 hours)

- 8 minutes, Curves of 240-472 minutes (4-8 hours)

- 16 minutes, Curves of 480-954 minutes (8-16 hours)

During a monitor discharge most menu functions will be disabled (e.g. you cannot add details to a report, if

a monitor test is busy).

3.3. HOW TO WORK WITH REMARKS

A remark is a line of text, which you can add to, move along or delete from a report.

It allows you to give the reader of your report more information about specifics that require extra attention.

The ‘Getting Started Example.MDB’ has a few remarks. When you start to use them, you will quickly learn

that they increase the readability of your report.

How to add remarks to a report.

p8/31

Like most functions in the software this feature is available both through the menu as well as directly on the

report.

You can also add a remark from the report menu. This remark will then be added to the center of the screen.

1. Double click the left mouse button on the central grey area of your report. -> A remark will be

added.

2. Double click the new remark to start editing it.

3. Use the traditional edit keys (End, delete, backspace, arrows, …) to change the text of the remark.

4. Press [Enter] to stop editing.

Each remark is bound to the curve it is in. Moving a remark across different curves, will allocate it to the new

curve.

How to move remarks to a different location.

To drag a remark to a different location, keep the left mouse button depressed while the mouse pointer is

over the remark.

Now move the mouse to drag the remark to its new location. A rectangle indicates the length of the remark

to allow you to place it where you want it.

Small drag operations might have no impact on the position of the remark. Try moving it away from its new

location, splitting the drag operation in two steps.

How to delete remarks.

To delete a remark, move the mouse pointer over the remark, and click the right mouse button.

3.4. HOW TO WORK WITH MULTIPLE DEVICES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

To connect multiple devices in series, please refer to the device manual.

For each device, a communication port must be available. Most desktop computers are equipped with two

ports. Other alternatives are "USB to Serial hubs", and "Serial Ethernet hubs". A maximum of 8 devices can

be connected to one PC.

Under normal conditions the communication port is set to one specific port (and stored in the computer's

registry). To communicate through multiple ports simultaneously, you can run an instance of the software

for each port in use. Make sure to specify the command line parameter "/C:COMX" (without quotes, where

X is the communication port between 1 to 8).

We would recommend to create multiple shortcuts on your test computer's desktop, each with different

communication ports specified in the shortcut (see picture).

p9/31

p10/31

4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

- I have a problem with the software, what do I do?

o Before you contact your dealer, make sure you have the latest version of the software.

- I want to add more information to the printed report.

o You can do this in two ways: Click on the captions of the second tab on the details form, or

double click the report twice to add a remark and change it.

- My machine (e.g. AlfaBat) seems to take longer to test a battery than another device.

o The time it takes to test a battery depends on two factors: 1- the available capacity and, 2-

the discharge rate. Discharging a battery with 10Amp takes at least twice as long as

discharging it with 20Amp.

- My question is not here.

o Your dealer has a lot of field experience with your device. Surely he will be able to help you,

or give you a hint, etc.…

p11/31

5. REFERENCE

Whereas ‘Working with BITS’ is a ‘How to…’ section, this part of the help file will take you through all the

functions of the software. You can read it to help you do your job faster, or use it as a reference in case you

need to find out exactly how a function works.

5.1. THE INTERFACE

Similar to other Windows programs, BITS has a menu-driven interface and a toolbar for popular functions.

Both the menu and toolbar reside on the top of your screen.

On the bottom you will find a status bar that can hold various information, like the date and time, the status

of your caps key and scroll lock, but most important, to the left, a program and communications status panel.

Report specifics

Battery capacity tests additionally show a red and green line, next to the curve’s activated series. They form

a band between which a healthy battery should be. A battery that crosses the lower red line, does not live

up to the minimum requirements as specified in the profile (Look for the Pass-Fail threshold, e.g. 60% or

80%).

It is not unusual that a battery reaches more than 100% capacity. In this case the discharge voltage will cross

the green line.

Green and red are the default colors for the pass and fail line, but they can be changed through the ‘Report

options’ dialog.

5.2. THE MENU AND TOOLBAR

This help file contains a detailed description of all the functions of the software. Note that some menu options

have a shortcut using the [CTRL] or [Control] key.

Example: Pressing [CTRL] + [O] simultaneously, will do the same as if you choose the Open function from

the File menu.

Some popular functions can also be triggered from the toolbar.

If the icons are not clear to you, try ‘parking’ your mouse over a button for a few seconds. A tool tip will

appear, showing the menu function that corresponds to that button.

From left to right they are:

File New – File Open – File Save – Print – Print Preview – Curve Manager – Details – View All – Zoom in –

Zoom out – Transfer Testresults – Monitor Test – Profiles – Help Topics – File Exit.

As you work with them you will automatically become more familiarized with the buttons you use most.

Some buttons will appear dimmed at certain times. That means the function is unavailable at that time.

p12/31

5.3. THE FILE MENU

- New

Opens a blank report.

Usually this option is used before a ‘transfer test results’ or ‘monitor discharge’.

- Open

Displays the ‘open file’ dialog.

By default, it refers to the folder where the last document was opened.

We recommend creating a separate folder for your reports.

- Search

This feature searches the content of all files in the specified folder, and displays the list of matched

files in the right pane. You can select multiple files, and then load them, with the Open button.

- Save

Saves the active report to a file on disk.

The filename used to save the report, is the same name used when opening the file. When a new file

is saved, the program will continue similar to ‘Save As’.

Reports that you do not save will be lost when you exit the software. The status bar indicates the

success of the save operation.

- Save As

Displays the ‘Save As’ dialog box, where you can specify the filename you want to use to save the

report to disk.

When you click ‘OK’, the active report is saved.

p13/31

The ‘Save As’ dialog suggests a default name in the format yyyymmddxx.mdb.

o yyyy: stands for the current year (e.g. 2002)

o mm: is the current month (e.g. 02)

o dd: is the current day of the month (e.g. 26)

o xx: is a number (00 to 99) to allow you to make up to 99 reports a day.

Using this format automatically sorts reports by date.

- Import

Some of you may have old BatTest reports they want to be able to read. The import function will

read a ‘.TST’ file, and converts it into an '.MDB' file.

- Print Preview

Before you print a report you can check whether the report looks exactly the way you want.

A toolbar on top of the screen allows you to switch between the various pages of the report.

- Print Report…

A printer selection dialog will appear.

When you select the printer you want, the report will be printed.

Check to make sure any printer settings you want to change are set, such as paper tray, orientation, ...

- Printer Setup

Use this function to change printer settings without actually printing anything. You can also change

the default printer here.

- Exit

To stop the program, and return to your desktop. Don’t forget to save your work first.

p14/31

5.4. THE REPORT MENU

- Curve Manager

The curve manager allows the user to sort, import and delete curves within the active report. For

more information on how to work with the curve manager, please read the ‘How to move and delete

curves’ topic.

- Details

The details form is the most frequently used part of the program. Use it to store a variety of

information with the curves in your report. Customer name, battery reference, installation date &

date stamp, …

The details form has three parts, accessible through the tabs on top of the form.

On some reports an extra button becomes available: Calculate Peukert.

Read more about this special function in the ‘Peukert Calculations’ topic.

Part 1: Details: ‘For This Set’ tab

p15/31

o Display:

This is an important visualization parameter for the report. As the items explain: curves can

be drawn on top of each other (e.g. useful for ‘cycling up’ a new battery), or one after the

other (e.g. for charge curve analysis).

o Fields:

These fields are for the entire report. The report title is located on top of the report. If you

don’t want a title, simply clear the title, or put some spaces in. The X-axis is the single

horizontal axis on the bottom of the report. Usually ‘Time’ is the best caption for it.

o Details:

This is an open area where you can type whatever you want that is relevant to the entire

report.

None of these fields is shown on the printed report, except the title and X-axis caption.

Part 2: Details: ‘Per Curve’ tab

This tab allows you to edit information per curve.

p16/31

o Curve:

Specify here for which curve you want to view/edit data by typing into the textbox (and press

enter), or by using the “<<< Previous” and “Next >>>” buttons.

A number of fixed fields allow you to enter important information for the selected curve.

None of these fields are used by the software to interpret the data, so feel free to type

whatever you want. The text fields are not limited to the visible part of the textbox, but by

the available space in the database. For text fields this is 255 characters. When the visible

part of the textbox is full, it will automatically scroll. Trying to enter more characters than

the available maximum will cause an error.

Some fields will speak for themselves, but other have a specific function as explained:

o Result:

Depending on the type of test (battery or charger test) the result will automatically contain

information on the quality of the tested product.

o Reference:

This field should be specified by the user. Nevertheless, it is an important field to allow the

curve manager to work properly.

o Customer:

Put the name of the owner of the tested product here.

o Dealer:

You could put your company name here, or the name of a sub-dealer, if you are a distributor.

o Battery:

This is where you enter the name of the tested product.

o Timestamp:

This field is automatically filled in from the test devices memory. It stores when the test was

made.

o Mfr.Ref:

The manufacturer’s reference of the tested product can be put here.

p17/31

o Author:

Put the name of the person that tested the product here.

o Test duration:

This field is automatically filled in from the test devices memory.

o Production date:

The production date is an important factor for warranty decisions.

o Installation date:

Same goes for the Installation date. Both fields are to be set by the user.

o Temperature:

This field is an indication of the environmental temperature during the test. The value is not

used to compensate the readings. The testing machine measures the temperature before the

data is downloaded. It uses this temperature to compensate the readings after the test is

finished.

Double clicking a textbox or single clicking the captions before it, underlines the caption,

indicating it will be put on the printed report. The selected captions are stored in the

computer’s registry for future reports.

Extra Curve Properties: All the test’s profile parameters are stored here. A profile is a set

of parameters that describe for the test device which test to perform and exactly how to do

it. Read more about profiles in the ‘Device Menu’ topic.

If you want to store additional information per curve such as acid color or battery terminal

type, you can add fields for these extra parameters yourself through the report options (see

'Options menu').

Part 3: Details: ‘Data Series’ tab

This tab allows you to edit series information per curve. Each series is coupled to a vertical axis.

Some series use the same axis (Series with identical Min, Max and Unit values)

o Curve:

p18/31

Specify here for which curve you want to view/edit data by typing into the textbox (and press

enter), or by using the “<<< Previous” and “Next >>>” buttons.

o Data Series:

Each curve holds at least one data series (such as voltage).

Five columns will influence the look of your report:

Active

Active series are shown on report. Toggles with the ‘Activate’ button or by double

clicking the cell.

Series

This is a name you can give to the series as a reference.

Min

This indicates the minimum value for the corresponding vertical axis.

Max

This indicates the maximum value for the corresponding vertical axis.

Unit

This makes an axis unique. Units are printed next to the axis. Make sure to always

specify a unit.

Both the Min and Max values can be both positive as well as negative.

o Details:

Similar to the details textbox on the first tab, this textbox can hold general information, but

is coupled to the specified curve, rather than to the entire report.

Note that the Min and Max column have a special syntax in a way that “9” and “9.0” are not

the same. In fact, “9.0” will indicate that you want a higher accuracy axis! The more decimals

you add, the higher the accuracy. Nevertheless, the software does limit this to make sure

the labels on the axes can be properly visualized.

- Datamatrix

The datamatrix holds all the information of a single curve. You can specify the curve by typing in the

textbox, or by using the “<<< Previous” and “Next >>>” buttons.

For each series in the curve there is a column in the matrix (voltage, current, capacity).

p19/31

If you click a cell, a cursor shows up, and allows you to edit the data. This operation overwrites the

original data. It can’t be undone.

- Title

The title on top of the report can be edited in two ways.

1. Select title from the report menu. A cursor appears in the title and allows you to edit it.

Press enter when you are finished.

2. Double clicking the title with the left mouse button also allows you to edit it in the same

way.

You can also specify the default title for new report. Refer to the ‘Options menu’.

- Add Remark

Remarks increase the readability of your report. For more information, read the ‘How to work with

remarks’ topic.

p20/31

5.5. THE VIEW MENU

- View All

This function resizes the horizontal axis so that all the curves become visible.

It is automatically invoked during a monitor test, after new data becomes available.

- Zoom In

This function decreases the size of the horizontal axis, and zooms in on the data.

A 1:2:5 step is applied when you zoom for less than 1 hour X-axis lengths, but above this limit the

software decreases the length in steps of one hour.

- Zoom Out

This function increases the size of the horizontal axis, until all curves are visible. Again, a 1:2:5 step

is applied when you zoom for less than 1 hour X-axis lengths, but above this limit the software

increases the length in steps of one hour.

When only part of the available curves is visible, a scrollbar pops up below the report, allowing you to scroll

through the report from left to right. Use the arrows to move with small increments, or click next to the

position slider to move with bigger steps. You can also drag the slider to a different location for fast scrolling.

5.6. THE COMMUNICATION MENU

- Transfer Testresults

This function downloads test results from the test device’s memory into the PC. This is required to

start making a report. The data that becomes available will automatically be integrated into a graph,

called a curve. Each curve can hold multiple series, and usually will (voltage and current)!

Before you start this function, make sure you have the testing device switched on and connected to

the PC. The communication will only work when the communication port is set correctly (See

‘Options Menu’).

Before the data is downloaded you have to select which part of the test device’s memory you want.

Therefore, after selecting the ‘Transfer Testresults’ option from the communication menu, or by

clicking on the corresponding button, a memory block selection window will appear.

When you start this function, the status bar will indicate the pre-read progress.

In the example above, both voltage and current were recorded for the last test. The software will

automatically select the most recent test results (blue lines). To select a line in the list (or a memory

p21/31

block in the test device) simply click on the list item. Multiple selections can be done by keeping the

[CTRL] or [Control] button depressed while clicking the desired items.

Then click on the download button to download the complete test results.

For more information, check the “How to make a report” topic.

- Monitor Real-time

Whereas ‘Transfer Testresults’ can be compared with a snapshot of the test device’s memory,

‘Monitor Test’ is like a film that’s made while a test is running.

It is quite exciting to see a test evolve as it takes place. Predicting the final outcome soon becomes a

sport.

A detailed description of this feature can be found in the “How to monitor a test in real-time” topic.

5.7. THE DEVICE MENU

The device menu gives the user access to test-device specific operations.

- Device Selection

The BITS software can be used in conjunction with several devices.

The program’s behavior will vary depending on which device is attached.

You can select your device through the first ‘Device’ menu option. It opens a device list, where you

can pick your device. If you are not sure, check the device’s model and type on the corresponding

label.

- User's Manual

Click this option to read the Selected Device's user manual.

- Profiles

The behavior of a test device is dependent on a number of parameters. E.g. the AlfaBat has 26

parameters that tell it what to do, and how to do it. You could say that our testing devices have

several functions. To define a function, you create a profile. It is possible the number of parameters

increase when we add new functions to the device in the future.

You can prepare as many profiles as your computer can store. The profiles are stored in a separate

database (BITS Device profiles.DB) in the BITS application folder

You can create, change and delete profiles both with or without the test device being switched on

and connected, but of course you can only upload them to the device with the device enabled.

p22/31

To manage your profiles, select the ‘Profiles’ item from the ‘Device’ menu, or click this button .

A window pops up (without a device connected you might notice a small delay).

There are two sections in the window:

o The upper section shows the profiles which are currently present in the device. To change

them, open the drop down list, and select the profile you want for that profile memory bank.

The above form is a screenshot for the AlfaBat and AlfaBat Pro, devices that have three

profile memory banks.

o The lower section contains a list of the available profiles.

Profiles with a leading period (.) are default profiles which we have included as a reference.

They allow you to do common tasks such as battery capacity testing, cycling, Peukert factor

calculation test, ... These default profiles can’t be deleted, nor changed with the properties

window.

o In between the two sections are some buttons.

Add:

This will add a profile to the bottom of the profile list. Make sure to fill in the name

and description field.

Delete:

This will delete the selected profile from the list. The selected profile can be identified

by the record selector located in front of the profile name.

Properties:

Clicking this button will open the profile properties window. Look for a detailed

description below.

Upload to device:

When you have selected the profiles you would like to have available from the test

device, upload them with this function. Remember you cannot perform a test

according to a specific profile if it is not available from the device’s profile memory

banks.

p23/31

In the profile properties table, you can only change the rightmost column. The other columns are

locked. Most parameters are self-explanatory, but the device’s manual has a description of each

parameter.

Profile properties control the way a device performs a test. Wrong settings can lead to incorrect

test results, with possible damage to the battery. To edit the above properties, fill in the password

(obtain it from your dealer), and click the Unlock button.

- Set Internal Clock

Every test is date stamped internally in the testing device when it starts the test. This date stamping

is done from an internal clock. This clock can be synchronized to your PC’s system clock, simply by

selecting this option from the ‘Device’ menu. A simple message box will confirm the success of the

operation.

p24/31

- Firmware

Firmware files are relatively small (max. 4Kb), so they download quickly.

When you select a file, the ‘Upload selected firmware to the device’ button enables. A single click

will start the upload. Make sure your test device is switched on and connected to the PC.

A progress bar (still at 0% in the example above) indicates the process of the upload. It takes a few

minutes to upload and compare the data.

Approximately 1000 write operations are possible on the integrated processor.

o Important note:

Should the upload fail, your device has no valid firmware to run and cannot function properly.

It might not even work at all. To salvage this situation, first you have to run the hard-boot

procedure for your testing device.

To hard-boot your device, perform this operation:

Press the Up and down arrow simultaneously, while switching the device on with the

enter key. The display will light up, but remain blank. This is correct.

Then, rather than simply clicking the ‘Upload selected firmware to the device’ button,

keep the [Shift] key depressed while you click the ‘Upload selected firmware to the

device’ button.

p25/31

5.8. THE OPTIONS MENU

- Program Options

o Show Intro:

A flashy introduction keeps you entertained while, behind the scenes, the software prepares

to create reports.

o Create log file:

If a problem should occur with the software, and we cannot reproduce it, it might be due to

a problem that exists on that PC only. To better understand your configuration and the exact

circumstances in which the software fails, you can record your problem into a log file. When

we receive the log file, we will be able to help you better.

The log file is automatically erased each time you run the software.

Writing the log file will reduce the operational speed of the software, but this behavior is

normal.

o The log file is named BITS.LOG and can be found in the applications folder, by default

“C:\Program Files\BITS”.

o Option button °C / °F:

Set the system’s temperature interpretation to the unit you are familiar with.

o Extra curve properties:

o As indicated in the Report – Details section, you can add an unlimited number of parameters

per curve. Acid color, lid type, terminal type, internal reference numbers etc.… are all good

possibilities. You can even specify a default value.

p26/31

o Depending on which check boxes you activate these properties will

not be used

used only for new reports

used on all reports

o Please note that in the third case the properties will only be added as you open them.

o Communication port:

The physical port where you connect your testing device to, has a number. Laptops usually

have only one port, desktop PC’s have usually two.

You can have up to 8 ports (and 8 test devices) attached simultaneously. More than two

devices will always require additional PC hardware.

You must specify to which port you have your device attached.

If you are not sure you can connect your device to an available port, switch it on, and click

on the ‘Automatic’ button. The software will then scan for available ports, and then look for

testing devices on these ports.

o Series & Units:

This table holds all possible series. You can add and delete series with the corresponding

buttons. These series are stored in the computer’s registry.

The columns in the table have the following meaning:

Active: Each time a test result is transferred from the testing device, all available

series are downloaded, however only the activated series will be displayed.

Deactivated series can later be activated on the data series tab of the details window.

Activating a series can be done by clicking the leftmost cell of the series, or by

selecting the row, and clicking the activate button.

Series: This name is useful to identify the series.

Min: This is the default minimum value for vertical axes with the corresponding unit.

Max: This is the default maximum value for vertical axes with the corresponding unit.

p27/31

Both Min and Max values are multiplied by the number of 2V cells for voltage series.

Unit: The unit is important because it makes the series unique.

Device: Indicates whether that series should be queried from the testing device. A

letter codes the device type. The available codes are listed on the form.

o Visible Report Details:

The selected details on this tab will show on each new report created.

- Report Options

Each curve has its own color. The ninth curve has the same color as the first one. To change a color,

select the radio button next to it, and click the ‘Change’ button. A standard windows dialog will

appear and allow you to specify a different color.

The ‘Pass’ and ‘Fail’ lines are somewhat special lines: see ‘The interface’.

p28/31

This tab allows you to change the default title report and axis caption.

Every new report you create will have the captions you specify here.

Both colors and captions are stored in the computer’s registry.

p29/31

5.9. THE WINDOW MENU

The window menu allows users to switch between the multiple documents that can be open simultaneously.

The active document is indicated with a (v). The name of the active document can be found in the window’s

title bar. For existing reports, the filename is added to the title bar.

5.10. THE STATUS BAR

By default, the status bar is empty. When you try to do something with the program, the success of your

operation is displayed in the leftmost panel of the status bar.

Example 1: When you save a file to disk, the program status panel indicates: ‘Saved 2002022601.MDB.’ It

then flashes a few times to attract your attention.

he second leftmost panel displays communications success. When communication is successful it shows a

green arrow, otherwise a red arrow will appear.

Example 2: When you try to download test results from a test device, but you forgot to connect it to the

PC, the status bar will indicate ‘No device connected.’. In this example also the communications status panel

will show a flashing broken red arrow.

p30/31

6. BATTERY AND CHARGER BEHAVIOR.

A lesson in battery physics.

- Introduction

Batteries are far from ideal energy storage media, and they have a lot of non-linear properties.

We have worked hard to integrate all these physical facts and our battery knowledge into the testing

equipment. Making sure at the same time that our hard- and software is easy to operate, yet

professional and accurate.

- Interpreting battery capacity

It would have been nice if one could say that a battery has a nominal capacity of e.g. 100 Ah (Ampere-

hour). Unfortunately, this statement is incomplete. In fact, the available capacity from a battery

changes with the rate at which it is discharged.

o Example: Take two identical, fully charged 12V batteries A and B with a rated capacity of 100

Ah.

Battery A is discharged with a current of 20 Amps.

The maximum run time of the discharge would then be 100 Ah divided by 20 A, which is 5 hours.

Battery B is discharged with a current of 5 Amps.

The maximum run time of the discharge would then be 100 Ah divided by 5 A, which is 20 hours.

If you were to do this test, you would find out that it is not true.

o Explanation:

You could say that a battery converts its stored energy with a certain efficiency. This

efficiency changes for different load conditions, i.e. battery B will run longer than 20 hours,

because it operates under a lighter load.

This means that in the example above battery B could well return a total amount of energy

of 125 Ah.

o Solution:

Clearly, “100 Ah” is not a good way to define the available energy this battery can absorb,

store and return. Therefore, a better unit is used: Battery A returns a capacity of 100 Ah/5h

and battery B a capacity of 125 Ah/25h.

Basically this means that battery manufacturers should have to specify their battery capacities

at various discharge levels, but of course the infinitely number of possible discharge currents

don not allow this. Only a few popular units can be found on battery labels (Ah/1h, Ah/2h,

Ah/5h, Ah/10h, Ah/20h, Ah/100h).

Some manufacturers make ‘fan curves’ that specify the available nominal capacity at various

discharge levels.

The relation between the available capacities at different discharge rates can be expressed

by a single constant, known as the Peukert value. Each battery type has its own Peukert value.

The Peukert capacity of a battery is the net available capacity at a discharge rate of 1 Amp.

Some battery manufacturers have Peukert values available for their products, but those

values can also be found on the Internet. If you cannot find it published anywhere, BITS can

calculate it for you, based on a specific test. Read the ‘Peukert Calculations’ topic to learn

how to do this.

The Peukert factor has a large impact on the test accuracy.

Batteries typically have a Peukert factor between 1.10 and 1.36. The lower it is, the better is

the battery, so the Peukert value will also tell you something about the quality of a battery!

The standard Peukert value is 1.20 and test results normally don not differ much from this

value. If you want to know the exact Peukert value, you can calculate this with the AlfaBat.

The Peukert value is also a criterion for the quality of the tested battery. Batteries typically

have a Peukert factor between 1.10 and 1.36.

p31/31

The perfect battery (which does not exist) has a Peukert value of 1. The closer the Peukert

value gets to 1, the better the battery.

6.1. PEUKERT CALCULATIONS

- Getting the test results

1. Make sure you have a ‘Peukert Calculation’ profile available. We have created one for you,

but if it has been removed from the table create one with the ‘Peukert Calculation test’

parameter set to ‘1’.

2. Upload the profile to a profile memory bank in your test device. The Peukert value that you

specify during this test is not important, leave it at the default Peukert factor: 1.20.

3. Run a test with both the battery and a properly sized charger connected. The battery should

be new or recent. The test cannot be run on a faulty battery.

4. First of all, the battery will be charged, then it will be cycled, at least twice, at different

discharge levels. Because it is the same battery at different discharge rates we can deduct the

Peukert value.

5. Make sure that during the initial charge phase, you start to monitor the test. The devices

memory might be too small to hold all the data.

- Analyzing the test results

This is the easy part: open the details window and click the ‘Calculate Peukert’ button. A progress

bar will indicate the calculation’s progress per set of two discharges. After a few seconds the exact

Peukert value is shown in a message box.

From now on, use this Peukert value for every test on this type of battery.