>-----Original Message-----
>From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] 
>Sent: 15 August 2005 17:28
>To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
>Subject: Re: [EE] Detection of Alkaline batteries in a charger
>
>
>> Anyone know of a method of detecting if a battery that is inserted 
>> into a charger is alkaline or nicad/niMH?
>
>Drive the battery with AC.
>Mount a capacitive plate facing the side of the battery.
>If the received signal from the plate is in phase with the 
>positive pole, it's alkaline.
>
>This works because the outer case of alkaline batteries is 
>positive, nicad/nimh have negative case.
>
>Whether you can get it to work in practice is an excercise 
>left to the experimenter.
>
>What do you want to bet someone has attempted to patent this 
>idea already? If not, the piclist will count as prior art, 
>please give me credit :)
>
>-Bob Blick


Bob,

I'm wondering if the very low internal impedance of nicd/mh would cause problems, as the positive and negative would be very closely coupled.

Regards

Mike

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