Manuals

Power Sources: Dell Latitude CP and CPi

Power Sources: Dell™ Latitude™ CP and CPi

AC Power Adapter

Connecting the AC adapter requires a 110- or 230-VAC wall outlet.

You can connect the AC adapter to the computer with the computer turned on or off.

The AC adapter plug connects to the DC power connector on the back of the computer.

Lithium Ion Battery

The lithium ion battery provides power when an AC power source is not available. The lithium ion battery provides the following features and advantages:

Built-in charge gauge (consisting of 5 indicators on the battery's rear surface)
Self-test capability
No battery memory effect (the battery can be charged without fear of reducing its charge capacity)
Longer operating times than NiCad and NiMH batteries of the same size
A life span of up to 500 charge/discharge cycles (2,000 partial cycles), if the battery is charged at room temperature

Replacing the Battery

Save any work in progress. If the computer is docked, undock it.
If there is a battery in the modular bay, go to step 4
If the only battery in the computer is in the battery bay, and that is the battery you want to replace, preserve your data in one of the following ways and proceed with step 4:

Connect the computer to AC power. Continue with step 4.

Place the computer in suspend mode by pressing <Fn><Esc>.

Place the computer in suspend-to-disk mode by pressing <Fn><a> (or <Fn><q> on a French keyboard). Wait until the power/suspend indicator turns off, and then continue with step 4.

Remove the battery in the battery bay.

a. Close the computer display and turn the computer over.

b. Slide the battery bay latch toward the unlock icon.

c. While holding the latch with one hand, pull the battery out of the bay with the other hand.

Release the latch.
Slide the new battery firmly into the battery bay or modular bay. You should hear a click when the battery is fully seated.
If you put the computer into suspend mode or suspend-to-disk mode in step 2, press the power button to resume normal operation.

CAUTION: To avoid data loss, do not replace a battery while the computer is turned on unless the computer is connected to AC power or a second battery is installed.

Testing the Battery

Remove the battery.
Press and release the battery test button.
Each of the charge indicators represents 20% of the battery's full charge. For a fully charged battery, all 5 indicators should light up. A shorted cell causes an indicator to blink.

The green power indicator remains steady while the AC adapter is fast charging the battery. The indicator starts blinking when the fast-charge cycle is complete. While the indicator is blinking, the AC adapter provides a trickle charge to keep the battery at full capacity. The indicator continues to blink until you remove the battery or disconnect the computer from AC power.

CAUTION: If the battery indicator flashes alternately green and amber while the computer is connected to AC power, disconnect the computer from AC power and allow it and the battery to return to room temperature. Then reconnect the computer to AC power and continue charging the battery. If the computer is not allowed to return to room temperature first, the battery stops charging before it reaches full capacity.

If the computer is turned off, it takes the AC adapter about 1 hour to fully charge a battery that has been completely discharged. If the computer determines that the battery is near full capacity, the AC adapter skips the fast-charge process and starts trickle charging the battery. If the computer is on, it takes up to 75 minutes to charge a fully discharged battery, depending on which devices you are using and which programs you are running. You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like. The battery's built-in circuitry prevents it from overcharging.

If two batteries are installed in the computer, the AC adapter charges the battery in the battery bay first, then the second battery in the modular bay. The reserve battery is also charged whenever the computer is connected to AC power.

For maximum battery performance, charge the battery only at normal room temperature. Temperature conditions can affect the life span of the battery.

Battery Life Expectations

Battery operating time is affected by:

Types of power conservation features activated on the computer
Computer's type of display and microprocessor
Number and type of PC Cards and other devices used
Types of application programs running