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Accurate Reading of Remaining Battery Life
Sanyo Electric Co. has developed a 16-bit microcontroller
to accurately measure and display remaining capacity
of rechargeable batteries for portable devices.
Existing microcontrollers for this purpose gauge
the voltage in a battery, but the voltage tends
to fall precipitously as the remaining capacity
diminishes. The new device gives a more accurate
reading of remaining battery life because it calculates
the remaining capacity.
The firm will begin mass production of the device
next spring for sale to companies that use rechargeable
batteries in products such as computers and digital
cameras.
The microcontroller is mounted on a printed circuit
board within a battery pack. It contains flash
memory, so programming can be changed even after
installation.
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