
Preliminary
Frequently Asked Questions
EnerChip EH CBC5300
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I am not sure if I have enough input power to charge the battery?
Probe right side of the tantalum capacitor (brown bar side) on the CBC5300 module. Voltage should
be between 4.5V and 9V depending on input power and battery state-of-charge. This test
verifies operation of the boost converter.
What if I short-circuit the output?
The disconnect circuit will disconnect the battery from the output after the capacitor is discharged
below about 3.0V. This prevents the battery from being discharged too deeply. The battery will
automatically reconnect after the capacitor is recharged.
What happens if I want to run a larger pulse current application?
See application note AN-1025. The output capacitor can be sized to drive almost any load as long as
the duration is not too long. AN-1025 describes how to calculate the capacitor size.
Are the batteries on the board safe and ‘green’?
Yes; there are no safety issues with the Cymbet EnerChip. All of the components are ‘green.’
What happens if the cell is short-circuited? Will it explode or leak harmful chemicals?
No. There are no harmful chemicals to leak and the battery will not explode.
The VBAT line and the VOUT2 line are at different potentials. Why?
The VBAT line is the raw battery output. The VOUT2 line is down-regulated to provide a lower voltage for
3.3V +/- 10% applications.
How long will the CBC5300 module operate with no ambient light?
This depends on many factors, including power consumption, EnerChip state-of-charge, operating
temperature, etc. The on-board EnerChips provide 100μAh of discharge capacity when fully charged.
How long will the CBC5300 module last if I use it every day and input power is available most of the
time?
The CBC5300 module should last at least 10 years.
How long will the two cells on the CBC5300 module hold a charge, assuming no input power?
The self-discharge of the cell is a function of several parameters, including temperature. For the self-
discharge specifications, see the product data sheets at http://www.cymbet.com/content/products.
asp .
What happens if the cell is left in a discharged state for a long period of time?
Leaving the cell in a discharged state is not detrimental to the cell performance.
I see no voltage on VBAT or VOUT2.
Make sure there is sufficient input power to operate the boost converter and that the output is not
short-circuited.
DS-72-06 Rev06
?2009 Cymbet Corporation ? Tel: +1-763-633-1780 ? www.cymbet.com
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