Introduction

With the increasing prevalence of wireless technology and IoT devices, the need for rechargeable batteries that perform consistently over multiple charge cycles has grown exponentially. Consumers want to be certain that IoT controlled thermostats, lighting, security systems, and other appliances will continue operating long term and not degrade significantly over time. Thus, supplying safe, stable batteries to power these devices and meet the increasing demand is paramount.

One of the ways that batteries are exercised to determine reliability and lifespan is via battery cycle testing. Battery cycling involves charging and discharging a battery repeatedly for a specified number of cycles to determine its performance over time and after heavy usage.

This app note will discuss some of the features available starting in version 2.11.0 of the KickStart Software Battery Simulator App. This version of the Battery Simulator App introduces the new battery cycling functionality, and source measure unit (SMU) support allowing for both battery simulation and model generation in a one-box solution. In addition to discussing these new features, we will demonstrate the Battery Simulator App’s ability to test batteries and generate and simulate battery models using a wireless Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Security Camera.