Validating the battery life of low-power devices with emulation
Validating the battery life of low-power connected devices requires measuring system-level power consumption with specific combinations of hardware, software, and firmware under varying conditions, including ambient temperature, battery charge level, and battery age. Emulating the battery enables engineers to test how these factors impact battery life, especially for applications with complex power states. Engineers can quickly test a wide variety of scenarios by adjusting the battery profile to determine how a software or hardware change impacts current draw at different charge levels.
Engineers use a DC power analyzer and battery emulation software to perform run-down testing, emulating the real current draw of various device subsystems for specific events to determine the battery's expected lifespan. A battery emulator can set the state of charge (SoC) for a specific test, eliminating the need for charging and discharging to a specific SoC, while providing insight into device power consumption under various real-world scenarios. The data gathered is used to revise the hardware, software, or firmware elements of the design to achieve longer battery runtimes.
Battery life test solution
Designing a portable device with complex power states that meet target battery life design objectives requires insights into the device's power consumption. The Keysight battery life test solution includes Keysight battery drain analyzers connected to the Keysight DC power analyzer mainframe. This setup enables simultaneous measurement of battery voltage and current drain. Engineers can use battery test and emulation software to quickly create a wide variety of known battery states, simulate environmental parameters such as temperature and battery age, and even emulate specific device-under-test events to measure their cumulative impact on overall battery life. Combined with measurement and analysis capabilities, engineers can achieve longer battery life for low-power devices using the Keysight battery test and emulation solution.
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