Checking Batteries using Labview

[word505]

I have alot of batteries that I purchase and they say that their suppose to last 3 years. I was wanting to make a program using a USB-6009 and labview to test the lifetime of the battery. Which direction should I go.

[johnsold]

First, you should choose the Board to which you post more carefully.  Posting a LabVIEW/Analog Input question to the Counter/Timer Board might result in your batteries running down before you get a response.

Now, for the good news.  I have built and operated a battery life test using the USB-600x devices.  Battery = copper and zinc strips in lemon juice in glass flask.

Do you intend to load the batteries or just monitor the voltages of unloaded cells? Do you want to calculate the delivered capacity?  How will you handle power outages? Do you want to start testing of different batteries at different times? What data do you want to save and how often?

Lynn

[word505]

Im new to this, I just posted it, I use alot of Batteries that I use for work in multiple things and the manufacturer said that the battery suppose to last for 3 years, well I know thats not the case. I just want something that will record the voltage or current and send to an excel file so I will know how much power it is using and how long it will approximately last.

[word505]

Do you intend to load the batteries or just monitor the voltages of unloaded cells? Do you want to calculate the delivered capacity?  How will you handle power outages? Do you want to start testing of different batteries at different times? What data do you want to save and how often?

I proabaly will just monitor the voltages of unloaded cells.  My device that I have comes on three times a day and only is on for approximately 5 minutes. Just going to test one new battery so I would have a range of what is expected when it comes to life of battery. I just want the data sent to an excel file so that I can see how much power it is using.

[crossrulz]

Start with the LabVIEW Example Finder and do a search for DAQmx Analog Input or something like that to find some examples of how to read the voltages.  Once you get that, then use the Write to Spreadsheet File VI so save the data in a tab delimited file that Excel can read.

[johnsold]

I agree with what crossrulz suggested.  Set it up in a loop to record data about once per hour. Close the file after each write.  This is not the usual recommendation but here you want to be sure the file is closed so that if the computer gets shut down or the power fails, the file was closed.

Depending on how fancy you want to be, you could set up the program to run automatically when the computer boots so that you are not dependent on an operator to run it.

Lynn

[apok]

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@word505 wrote:

Do you intend to load the batteries or just monitor the voltages of unloaded cells? Do you want to calculate the delivered capacity?  How will you handle power outages? Do you want to start testing of different batteries at different times? What data do you want to save and how often?

I proabaly will just monitor the voltages of unloaded cells.  My device that I have comes on three times a day and only is on for approximately 5 minutes. Just going to test one new battery so I would have a range of what is expected when it comes to life of battery. I just want the data sent to an excel file so that I can see how much power it is using.

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listening to everybody's suggestions, i came up with this vi....enter the times and days of the week to check the batteries, will create file where this vi is saved. if you want to record for a length of time....add an elapsed timer and bool shift reg to hold the case structure for that length of time  saved as LV 9.0

use windows scheduled task to open this vi automatically and set vi properties in execution to run when opened, if needed without operator......

Spoiler

[word505]

I just looked at your vi. It looks good. I can place the time and sate that I want to test the battery then I can add input that would test how long the battery is on.  I will follow your instructions. Thanks. I assume I will need to add some inputs that will read the voltage and current from the battery so that it will print onto a excel file.

[apok · Accepted solution]

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@word505 wrote:

I just looked at your vi. It looks good. I can place the time and sate that I want to test the battery then I can add input that would test how long the battery is on.  I will follow your instructions. Thanks. I assume I will need to add some inputs that will read the voltage and current from the battery so that it will print onto a excel file.

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glad i can help, please kudo those who have helped and mark as solution if solved to let others know that have similiar questions and problems here on the forum.... 
 

yes, you will use the Daq analog input to read voltage or current (shunt resistor needed). pull drag an extra input for the 'format into file' and add the date to it off of the 'get date/ time string'. i only had the time and AI voltages connected.

Spoiler

[word505]

Ok. I have an  NI USB- 6009 that will read the analog inputs so how would I do that? I see that I can run the program and set the time and date that suppose to test the battery. but I quite do not understand the direction of the below

glad i can help, please kudo those who have helped and mark as solution if solved to let others know that have similiar questions and problems here on the forum....   

yes, you will use the Daq analog input to read voltage or current (shunt resistor needed). pull drag an extra input for the 'format into file' and add the date to it off of the 'get date/ time string'. i only had the time and AI voltages connected.