Computerized Battery Analyzer
$181.00 – $199.00
The computerized Battery Analyzer is much more than a simple battery voltage tester or a battery load tester. It will test virtually any type or size of battery, any chemistry or number of cells, u...Read More
Product Overview
To run a test:
- Install the CBA IV software
- Connect the battery tester to your computer
- Connect a fully charged battery to the battery tester
- Click the "New Test" Button
- Choose to either overlay the graph on your previous graph or start a new one
- In the New Test window do the following.
- Click the "Detect" button
- For an FRC Battery it should fill in 13.2V, 6 Cells, 10.5V Cutoff
- If it does not, the battery is not connected or is dead
- Enter the Ah of the battery
- Usually 18 for FRC batteries
- Enter a name for the battery and label the battery with this name for future comparison
- Set the "Test Amps" to 7.5
- This is the highest the tester can do on an FRC battery and will result in the fastest test
- Click "Start"
- Click the "Detect" button
- The test will now run for anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours
- Do not move or touch the battery at all during the test
- Pausing the test will result in a bad portion of data around the pause
- When the test is complete a dialogue box will appear informing you of the result and the graph will be complete
- Click "OK" and repeat the test for another battery.
The critical number to look for is amp hours (Ah) after the test. If the graph crosses the 10.5V at less than 12Ah after 2 consecutive tests from a fully charged state we recommend not using this battery in competition due to the increased risk of brownouts, especially near the end of a match. Such batteries should be marked and only used for things like practice, demos, or testing.
Further Reading:
FRC 1640 has published their procedures and best practices regarding this tester.
https://team1640.com/wiki/index.php/Battery_Management#Battery_Testing
Recommendations
5 reviews
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Great addition to Team 4576.
After being plagued with battery issues last year, we got some insight from FRC Team 16. They used their CBA to test some of our batteries, and we found that a battery beak does not tell the full story about the condition of a battery. We have now tested and logged data on our batteries and will be adding several new ones to the fleet this year. After the quick creation of an adapter cable, we found the software very easy to learn. After discovering an issue with the software, we contacted the developers and got a fast and friendly response. Great product, easy to use, and great service from the manufacturer make it a 5 Star purchase.
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Awesome Product
Works amazingly well. Highly recommended.
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Team 2706. Very happy with this battery analyze...
Team 2706. Very happy with this battery analyzer. Provides excellent data to determine which batteries are best for competition and which batteries should be downgraded to non-competition and/or be taken out of service.
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No software
This does not come with software. It is difficult to find it online. Need to pay extra for advanced software . Still trying to figure it out. Says you can test 40 amps but option is greyed out.???? --- AndyMark Response: The test software and maximum amperage are both listed on the product page above under the "To run a test:" section.
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Great Product
I highly recommend this device. We have used a handheld CCA Load Tester and Battery Beak for years, but still always had disagreements over which batteries were "good" and which were "bad". This tool takes out all of the mystery and myth and provides clear engineering data to quantify all of your robot batteries.
