Topspin70
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You probably meant the HDPLEX to mR? Larry of HDPlex customised a fixed output to 7V for my mR. Before that, the mR ran much hotter being powered by an iPower 9V. But still not as hot as it was when the iDSD was attached to it.
Here's some information about the technology behind the iDSD battery. It's pretty impressive, and shows that the guys at ifi do think of everything. (Update: reading them again, it seems the current drawn by the iDSD depends on the presence of signal and not when it's full as I had mentioned earlier. Have a read, you will probably understand the write-up better than me.)
http://ifi-audio.com/audio_blog/smartpower-please-feed-the-meaty-monster-part-1/
SmartPower® Some say, it is so smart it should have a PhD.
Ahead of the global launch on 28 July, this article sheds some light on SmartPower® which is the complete battery power management/Smart device recharge functionality of the micro iDSD.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Upon first receiving your micro iDSD, we strongly recommend that it undergoes a full-24 Hour charge with the unit turned OFF. This gives it the absolute best start and maintenance for many years to come. In addition, after a long period of disuse or after the battery has gone completely flat, please allow a full 24-Hour charge cycle.
Also, different USB cables are able to carry different amounts of current. We recommend the USB 3.0 cable (supplied in the micro iDSD) for fastest recharging.
Afterwards, you can mostly relax about the battery.
Background operational information
If the PC goes into normal standby, it is usually possible to set it to keep the USB ports alive. The iDSD micro’s power and battery management system is designed with the maximum “smarts” built-in to look after your battery.
- The battery we use includes protection circuitry that will self-disconnect in case of overvoltage, excessive load current or low-voltage.
- The protection circuitry is self-resetting and even under low-voltage shutdown, the battery can be charged. This way the battery is maximally-protected from conditions that may damage it.
This is built-into the battery itself and independent from anything we at iFi do. But we go out of our way to make sure the protection circuitry has a cushy job, it just comes to the office, pours itself a cup of coffee and then puts its feet up on the desk. Normally there is never any work for it...
Power-save: when no signal is detected
The iDSD micro likes to guzzle juice, especially in Turbo mode. So, we implemented a power-save mode to cover all eventualities. If there is no signal on either SPDIF or USB input the iDSD will go to sleep after either:
- After 3 minutes on battery or
- After 15 minutes on USB power
Only the SPDIF input and the ARM Cortex remain powered if there is no USB (otherwise USB is also powered up) and will be set to the lowest power consumption, in total a few 10 milli-ampere. This maximises play time on battery and on USB power allows charging at the maximum rate while “sleeping” when turned on.
Works while it sleeps
Even better, while in battery mode with a USB source attached the iDSD micro will attempt to detect if it is attached to a charger or computer or a smart device. If attached to PC or charger even in battery mode, the iDSD micro will charge when in sleep mode, it will switch back to 100% battery power when playback resumes.
At the lowest power-save sleep rate of discharge a full battery can last 4 days before the iDSD micro will go into full shutdown, as the battery charge becomes too low. Even at that point there is enough charge remaining to avoid engaging the battery’s own protection circuitry for several weeks.
Measures to maximise battery life
In addition, we have implemented the maximum possible measures to extend battery life, including different charging end voltages for "always on" and "cycle" use. As long as the iDSD micro is switched on, the battery is charged to a lower voltage, this makes the battery’s lifespan essentially the same as the shelf-life, as it is never stressed. This limits battery capacity to around 80%, which is still plenty, unless you are wearing your K1000's out on the subway and you need to run Turbo mode with the volume maxed out.
If charging with the iDSD micro switched off, the battery is charged to 100%, so if you do and switch to Economy mode you should have juice enough for LAX (Los Angeles) > NRT (Narita) or ICN (Incheon) non-stop listening all the time including a couple of hours in the waiting lounge...
To be cont'd.
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