Date:		July 11, 1994

Bulletin:	B-940711-1

Subject:	SPARCbook 3 Battery Packs

In a very small number of instances users of the SPARCbook 3 have
reported problems with the internal battery pack. These problems lie in
two areas:

	·  	mislocation leading to system failure

	·  	non-charging battery packs

Mislocation

It has been found that if the battery pack is not located correctly the
battery pack contacts may be shorted together causing the system to be
damaged. To ensure this does not occur, please insert the battery pack
in the correct orientation (as written on the battery pack label) and
aligned correctly within the battery compartment. Once the battery pack
has been installed, please ensure that it is fully seated within the
compartment before replacing the battery cover.

Tadpole has made a minor design change to the battery pack to prevent
misalignment or incorrect location. New spare battery packs and battery
packs included with new systems have an additional tab at the contact
end to ensure proper alignment, and are completely compatible with
battery packs shipped with the initial SPARCbook 3 systems.

Charging

Battery packs are supplied non-charged. If your battery pack is not
charging inside the system it may be because there is insufficient
charge in the battery pack to distinguish it from a faulty pack. Under
these circumstances, the SPARCbook 3 will not charge the battery pack
for safety reasons. However, you may charge a completely discharged
battery pack using the external charger. Once the battery pack has been
successfully charged, it may be charged as normal in the SPARCbook 3
system unit. The external charger LEDs give information as to the
progress of the charge as follows:

	·  	The Green LED lights when DC power is connected

	·  	The Amber LED is lit constantly when the battery pack is being
		fast charged.

	·  	The Amber LED flashes rapidly when Charge is complete. The battery
		battery pack is then  trickle charged and may be left in this state
		indefinitely.

	·  	The Amber LED flashes slowly when the temperature is too hot or
		too cold for normal charging operation. The unit must be switched off
		and normal operating temperature restored before charging can continue
		as normal.

Battery packs which are newly supplied, or have been stored for long
periods of time, may exhibit short operating times. In the SPARCbook 3,
battery life under normal operating conditions with power management
enabled is expected to be from 40 to 50 minutes (until the battery
warning LED flashes quickly). If you are seeing considerably less than
that you should condition your battery pack.

Battery packs may also exhibit an apparent very fast charge time in the
external charger.  An empty battery pack should take from 40 minutes to
1 hour to charge in the external charger. If the external charger
indicates full charge much faster than this it is likely that the
battery pack requires conditioning.

Conditioning is achieved by completely discharging and recharging the
battery pack in the SPARCbook 3 unit for 4-5 cycles. This operation
ensures the battery chemistry is operating optimally for normal use,
and maximizes charge capacity. (Note that this operation will not work
correctly in the external charger unit, because the charging algorithm
used is less sophisticated than that in the SPARCbook 3 itself). You
should pause for 10-15 minutes between each cycle to allow the battery
chemistry time to settle.  Once conditioned, the battery pack should
operate normally.

If you should experience any problems with this procedure, please
contact Tadpole Technology at (800) 232-1881 and ask for SPARCbook
Customer Service.

Sincerely,

SPARCbook Customer Service