BatteryTimer for the PocketPC allows you to simulate patterns of usage, and automatically log the remaining percentage battery charge in main and supplemental batteries*. Its intended use is for feasibility studies and project planning where the suitablility of a given Pocket PC device needs to be established for a particular usage scenario.

Our recent article examines a hypothetical scenario consisting of the proposed use of a Compaq iPaq running a data collection application for mobile use in a hospital ward, where the device is required to be available for immediate use at all times during the working day (9am to 5pm). The article shows how to model whether the battery life of this device is adequate for the scenario using BatteryTimer.

Another example: if you use your PocketPC for playing audio files for 2 hours a day you can set it to play a track in a continuous loop, then start BatteryTimer to 'on for 2 hours off for 24 hours'. After 2 hours it will shutdown the PocketPC with an instruction to wake up again in 24 hours. This process will repeat, logging data at an interval you specify until the battery charge reaches critical level, at which point the program stops and puts the PocketPC into shutdown mode.

Feasibility Studies

If you're planning a project involving mobile data collection one of the first things you'll need to establish is how long the mobile device's batteries will last, and whether this fits with expected usage patterns, and opportunities for recharging.

Tired Batteries

PocketPC batteries become tired after many charge/discharge cycles, but without BatteryTimer it is difficult to measure how they are currently performing. With BatteryTimer you can fully charge your PocketPC then leave BatteryTimer running in 'Always on' mode and it will automatically log when the battery reaches critical level and then switch off.

BatteryTimer arose from the need to answer questions like:

* 'how long would the PocketPC last without recharge if it were used for 15 minutes or so every 4 hours?'

* 'what if it had the extra power drain of a wireless LAN card, but had the extra battery backup of the PCMCIA jacket?'

* 'what difference would it make if we forced the backlight to low-brightness as opposed to automatic?'

Until now most of these would have involved laborious field trials, but with BatteryTimer you can begin to evaluate the suitability of different devices and configurations for your needs. Our latest article shows how to do this by evaluating a typical scenario.

Installation

1. Download the zipped file from the link above.

2. Unzip it to a folder on your hard drive eg c:atterytimer

3. Copy the appropriate executable for your processor from the folder above to your PocketPC using Windows Explorer. (Note: If you want it to appear on the Start Menu of your PocketPC make sure to copy it to My Pocket PCWindowsStart Menu).

Operation

In operation BatteryTimer allows you to configure On-time Off-time and logging interval. Output is to an ANSI .csv (comma separated variable) text file suitable for importing into Microsft Excel or similar spreadsheet application.

Update Description

New version. Minor code enhancements.