New Microsoft Tech Makes Battery Changes a Breeze

People where I work are kicking themselves that we did not think of this. It's such an obvious idea.

After sending this info onto to a few private associates, some didn't understand how it worked, I found this page to be a much better explanation:

this is brilliant, takes a bit of reading to understand how it works, but it allows batteries to be inserted into any gear either way around.

all done in the connection contacts, no circuitry involved.

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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These products will reduce in price by 5% every month:
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/minus-5-every-month.html

Exactly... we use the same general 3D shape to provide battery reverse polarity protection all the time, it's silly we never thought to do this. So obvious once you see it!

It doesn't quite meet the "not obvious" criteria -- it makes you wonder why Microsoft is even bothering with a patent.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Just wonder how tested against little children and preying fingers they are.

Did Micro$oft test them to the nth degree like they did with Vista? :-)

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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These products will reduce in price by 5% every month:
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/minus-5-every-month.html

Because they can and because they appear to be only licensing it royalty free for certain classes of devices. That is to say certain ones that don't compete with the thing they developed it for which appears to be wireless keyboards and mice.

-p

--
Paul Gotch
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I have an alternative idea. Redesign batteries so that they have a positive terminal at each end and the body is negative. Bring in O.H & S legislation to ban the old batteries and the electronics industry will make millions selling new equipment with the new batter holders to replace what everybody already has.

I thought this was such a good idea I couldn't wait until April 1st to share it ;-)

Cheers, Chris Burrows CFB Software

Why am I expecting cheap Chinese gear to start appearing with this idea soon? :-)

On a technically related subject, one problem that comes to mind, is I've seen suitable-for-tagging rechargeable batteries, untagged, but with rather flat "nipple" ends as you would normally expect.

However, I've seen them being sold every so often as-is (untagged).

This idea would preclude this type of battery from being used, because the nipple end would short across both the contacts. However, if the primary market is wireless keyboards and mice, I'm guessing most are going to use normally structured alkalines rather than rechargeables.

r a

yeh, someday the tolerances won't be quite right the battery will short and set something on fire, a clever idea but I'm not sure it will work

-Lasse

"John Tserkezis"

** Sanyo " N600AA " Ni-Cd cells are made like this - the plus button is 7 mm in diameter instead of the usual 5.5mm. ** I doubt it would do that as the button contact is recessed behind the end contact.

What WOULD likely happen is worse, soon as the cell is installed it will be SHORTED end to end - cos the "InstaLoad" scheme requires the two button and two end contacts for EACH cell to be linked together.

** Irrelevant to the serious hazard of placing a dead short on a AA Ni-Cd cell.

Expect 50 amps or more current resulting in burnt PCB tracks, smoke and flames from any PVC coated wires and a possible explosion or fire in the battery compartment in a few seconds.

Another and far more insidious outcome is that folk will get the idea that cell polarity is a thing of the past and FAIL to pay attention to it when loading cells into devices made the normal way.

THAT alone is enough reason to ban the silly idea.

... Phil

You could always state no NiCads or NiMhs, and once the market sees that, sales will bottom out. Believe it or not, there ARE people out there who use rechargeable cells you know.

I've always seen that as a cheap cop-out. It's a cheap design that can't deal with the lower nominal voltages of rechargeable cells, and an even cheaper cop-out when you're precluding those types because your brilliant idea could cause a fire.

Don't get me wrong, it's an apparently simple idea that would well most of the time.

It's just unfortunate that "most of the time" doesn't translate to always. Kinda like designers who use the "typical" spec, rather than the actual tolerance - and get an odd batch of components that are still within spec, just not so close enough to make the thing work.

I can hear the complaints - "I bought batteries from XYZ and they've worked for me for all my devices. With InstaLoad, all they did was get hot and melt the plastic. Why is Microsoft not replacing my fried device?"

If "you're holding it wrong" works for Apple, then I suppose "you've inserted them wrong" will also work for MS.

He with the highest paid lawyers, wins. Indeed.

I brought this up in another message in this thread. Relying on a "typcial" rather than a larger scope of what you get out there in Real Life isn't a good idea.

More so, the selling point that the user doesn't *have* to pay attention to polarity wouldn't work.

We've become so accustomed to polarity sensitive devices, that we

*actively* look out for the little symbols, be they icons, or +- characters. If you come across this and are not aware of "instaload", you'll spend MORE time than need be looking for symbols that are not there.

Is this really Technology? All you need is 4 Diodes and put them on 20 year old Battery Radio and it will work. The only reason they weren't was the cost of the 4 diodes.

2> D>>> >>>> New Microsoft Tech Makes Battery Changes a Breeze

And the voltage drop across the diodes. If they've come up with battery holders that will, with existing batteries, only contact the "right" parts to have proper polarity, it is (I hate to admit it) pretty cool.

--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

"John Jerkezis"

** Sanyo " N600AA " Ni-Cd cells are made like this - the plus button is 7 mm in diameter instead of the usual 5.5mm. ** I doubt it would do that as the button contact is recessed behind the end contact.

What WOULD likely happen is worse, soon as the cell is installed it will be SHORTED end to end - cos the "InstaLoad" scheme requires the two button and two end contacts for EACH cell to be linked together.

Expect 50 amps or more current resulting in burnt PCB tracks, smoke and flames from any PVC coated wires and a possible explosion or fire in the battery compartment in a few seconds.

Another and far more insidious outcome is that folk will get the idea that cell polarity is a thing of the past and FAIL to pay attention to it when loading cells into devices made the normal way.

THAT alone is enough reason to ban the silly idea.

... Phil

Leverage. Royalty free, aka you can just have it, but we get a dodgy patent that it is not in the financial interest of anyone to challenge. From this we can build other dodgy patents that will earn them real money.

Most Equip, works well below the Battery Volts. Depending on the Power Req. can be .2 to .6 voltage drop X 2

But the amount of Mice I find with batteries inserted the wrong way, It can only be a good thing.

As already mentioned, the voltage drop across the diodes will cause some fairly significant trouble. With one bridge rectifier, you'll typically lose 1.4v, and when you're talking 3v native at the battery source, that's just too much. You can use schottky diodes, but they cost more, and there's better ways of doing it in any case.

It's actually a big of a challenge to provide polarity protection AND not have the circuitry be a power hog in the process, AND still be cheap enough that the project manager isn't going to have kittens.

InstaLoad does all of that and more, providing you use a battery of the correct specific dimensions of course. If not, things get really bad. (this was outlined in another cross thread).

Can you see anybody buying a product because of this USP?

I can't.

It's a nice gimmick, but not one that translates into money IMHO.

tim