[Thinkpad] TP600 Battery Pack problem

[STeve Andre']

On Friday 05 December 2003 04:14 pm, David Gemmell - VK4GL wrote:
> Hi Steve,
>
> That's the most lucid reply I've ever seen on a newsgroup / mail-list.
> That's saved a heap of my time.
> Thank you - you've made my day !
>
> Continuing then ...
> If IBM counts charge cycles, is it then the case that
> replacing single batteries in a used battery pack
> is a total waste of time?
>
> If the the micro-controller has reached it's
> max-recharge-count and shut down further
> charge cycles, putting a new battery (or batteries)
> in the pack will achieve nothing ??
>
> Is this what happens ?
>
> Now that's REALLY planned obsolescence !
>
> And I'll bet there's no way of resetting the counter ?
>
> How Cool !  Next we'll have cars that have a
> max-start-counter and can never be started again ... :-)
>
> Cheers
>
> David
[snip]

The problem is that Li-Ion batteries do indeed get nasty, as
Steve said.  I have seen a piece of ham-radio equipment that
had what I think was called a "Mollie cell" in it, an early type
of Lithim battery.  They shorted; they were in a hand-held
radio, and the battery case got so hot that not only did it
melt, but the bottom of the radio (sitting atop the battery
case) was deformed from the heat.  There is a really
incredible amount of energy in a Lithium battery, and you
*don't* want it going off...

Given that IBM sells these things, I think its only safe to
assume that they're trying to prevent ThinkPads from
becoming feral and taking out cars, hotel rooms and
other places they might be.  It's unfortunate that they don't
give out the control electronics to fix them, but people like
us who can dink around and fix things are in the fantastic
minority.

So yes, a form of planned obsolescence, but one for real
safety reasons.

--STeve Andre'