MAX8881 and DS2490 Characterization for Cells

Rechargeable AA cells are very popular for a large variety of nportable applications. The number of brands is also high, and the cell nquality can differ considerably. Cell capacity is sometimes different nfrom that specified, and the capacity often deteriorates dramatically nafter a limited number of discharge cycles. ….
n
nSee Maxim Application Note – Simple Characterization Circuit for Rechargeable AA Cells

https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/design/technical-documents/app-notes/3/3874.html
n
nThis characterization circuit, plus a PC and some software, accurately nmeasures the full discharge cycle for a rechargeable AA cell. Cell ncapacity and output resistance can easily be determined from the curve nresulting from these measurements.
n
n

n
nIn Figure 1, the simple circuit is connected to the USB port of a PC. Non external power source is required because power is extracted from the nUSB bus voltage. U1 (DS9490R) is a USB dongle that converts the USB nprotocol to the 1-Wire® protocol, thereby allowing the PC to communicaten with the key circuit component (U2).