Figuring out a LiPo battery with no Datasheet

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imzack

Joined Nov 3, 2010
73

bountyhunter

Joined Sep 7, 2009
2,512
LiPo are so dangerous to consumers that the battery packs contain isolation/protection circuitry that has to b enabled to allow them to work.

If there are only three terminals, they are probably:

+ power, - power, and enable (control)

BTW: the ad says "Li Ion", not "Li Po" which is Lithium Polymer. They are not the same.
 

WTP Pepper

Joined Aug 1, 2012
21
More likely to be +ve, thermistor to ground, ground. If they have been left for any length of time uncharged or with low charge, then the low discharge protection circuit will have kicked in and they will need trickle charging, say 10mA for a few hours to bring them back up. Then you can charge them using a proper Li-ion/Li-polymer charger. Constant current until 4.2V then constant 4.2 voltage until the charge current drops to below C/10 where C is the Ah capacity of the battery.
The protection circuit on the cell is to protect the cell. Full discharge of Lithium cells ruins them.


You can ignore the thermistor for most uses as it's included for extra safety to prevent the cells being charged at very low temps where they can explode. At room temp, ignore.
 
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