What feeds the player?

[µcris]

Hi there!

I bought an A3000 and till now I’m a very happy user.

Because I like it so much (and because it is a little bit expensive toy) I want treat it like… don’t know… like it should be treated. For that I need to know a few things:

When the player is connected to the AC adapter and the battery is full, what is feeding the player? The AC adapter or the battery?

If I let the player connected to the AC adapter for, let’s say 2 days. It is bad for the player?

I'm asking this because I stay allot of time at home and instead of charging the player's battery every +/-20h I could let it connected to the AC charger. In that way I could spare some battery life.

Thanks for your time

Edited February 7, 2006 by µcris

[MDX-400]

I always hate when people refer to an AC adapter as a charger. The AC adapter is simply that, nothing else. It provides voltage to the player but the actual charger is located in the unit in the form of a charge control circuit...

Anyway, this exact same circuit is responsible for power control and charging; if the unit is plugged into the adapter the control circuit will indeed power the player from that instead of the battery. The charge controller/design of the unit may still be such that the battery is buffering the power supply to the unit, but that's fine you aren't really going to lose any capacity that you've charged up.

The charge circuit is also always monitoring the battery, particularly in the case of a Li-Ion battery. Li-Ion can typically only "quick" charge to around 80-90% of their capacity before they must be tapered off to a slow charge to top it off, to be charged safely. (This is exactly why they have the option to quick charge the unit to 80%, because that's all Li-Ion will allow for safely.) The answer to the second question, then, is that yes it is fine to leave the unit plugged in for several days, the charge controller will keep the Li-Ion cell topped up properly and at full charge.

The only problem I'd see in doing that is heat. Li-Ion typically does not like heat--that is one of the main causes of Li-Ion life-shortening. But if the unit isn't staying warm after it has completed the charge (and it shouldn't really) I wouldn't worry about it.

[µcris]

Thank you for your quick (and complete ) answer.

I only refer AC adaptor as charger because in normal language it is used to recharge the battery. But you are right. The AC adaptor only “transforms” 230V AC(in my case) in 5V DC and that’s all.

From what I saw, it only warm up while the battery is charging. After the battery is charged the unit begins to cool down and stays cool.

So, my doubt is gone.

Again, thanks for the answer and sorry for changing the name of the AC adapter

[Guest Stuge]

I have also have some confusion here .I f we remove the battery & use A/c adapter will the player still work .I`m not sure ???????