BatteryCare
Power supply life span
The device's increased autonomy is provided by the patented BatteryCare® technology, which is a method designed to increase and/or prolong prime battery life.
The main component of the unit is a supercapacitor, whose operating algorithm is based on receiving commands from a microcontroller and transferring a certain amount of energy from the prime battery to the supercapacitor until it is fully charged.
Energy for internal use is supplied by a supercapacitor rather than a prime battery, for instance, for transmitting data over the air or reading data from a metering device.
During data transfer or reading, the charging cycle is repeated or the supercapacitor is recharged, based on the amount of electrical energy remaining after the supercapacitor has been discharged.
Depassivation
Passivation is the process of forming a thin but durable film that slows down the chemical reactions between the electrode and the electrolyte of the prime battery. This leads to a decrease in the battery's load capacity, which can cause devices with this type of battery to stop functioning.
During storage and transportation the OrionMeter ORN-TWM-LW868 is in «Warehouse» mode and does not transmit data to the LoRaWAN network. After a prolonged period in this mode, it is necessary to depassivate the electrode surface to avoid the formation of a denser layer.
For this purpose, periodic depassivation of the device's battery is implemented – the removal of the extremely thin insulating film from the electrode surface.
The depassivation process occurs once a week. The load is provided by the device's LED turns on twice:
| Number of blinks | Glow duration | Functional response |
|---|---|---|
| Two blinks | 2550 ms 120 ms 2550 ms | Depassivation of prime battery |