In March, MET Labs attended a CTIA Battery Certification Program meeting at Verizon Wireless in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The meeting was attended by carriers (AT&T and Verizon), CTIA-Approved Test Labs (CATLs) and a few vendors. The focus of the meeting was to address pending issues and update the battery certification program requirements and management documents.
CTIA manages a program to permit operators and their suppliers to validate a lithium ion battery’s compliance with the IEEE Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Cellular Telephones, IEEE Standard 1725 – 2011, and the IEEE Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Multi-Cell Mobile Computing Devices, IEEE Standard 1625 – 2008.
Some of the main discussion points were as follows:
Thermal Validation
The temperature sensing device (e.g. thermistor) will be tested to ensure it meets the manufacturer or the battery pack vendor stated temperature range. The purpose of this validation is to ensure that a thermal sensor either in the battery pack and/or host monitors cell temperature and works with the system to limit operation within the cell’s safe thermal specifications. This is to mitigate potential hazards, such as shutdown, or disabling of charging and/or discharging, or other protective action.
ESD
The test voltage for ESD will be at the minimum level 2 (2Kv or 4KV) and can also be higher (e.g. 8Kv) depending on the battery casing material.
Site Evaluation
CTIA will revise and clarify procedures for site evaluation to ensure all CATLs follow the same guidelines for site evaluations. CATLs will evaluate systems, subsystems and manufacturing sites using criteria set forth in the certification requirement document (CRD) in accordance with the applicable version of the Certification Requirement Status List (CRSL).
Non-Embedded Packs
For non-embedded packs, the worst case test condition shall be used for testing.
Coin Cell Inclusion
IEEE 1625 and IEEE 1725 will be reviewed to include coin cell batteries in the program.
Challenges
A new section in the Program Management Document (PMD) covers issue resolutions and challenges regarding site recognition or certification. The introduction of this section will mean the validity of site recognition or a certification of a product could be challenged by another CATL or Vendor. If a challenge is successful, the operator members of the CATL review committee may place the CATL or Vendor who was challenged on probation, suspension or revocation, depending on the severity of the findings.
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