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8 Data logger
The purpose of the data logger is to record complete charge / discharge processes, independently of
a PC. The data logger is capable of simultaneously recording the charge / discharge process curves
for all four channels, and the recorded data is retained in the charger's flash memory even when the
operating voltage is switched off. Data can therefore be transferred to the PC at any subsequent time,
and loaded into a spreadsheet program or similar, enabling you to analyse the "life of the battery"
using almost any criteria you like.
9 USB interface
The back panel of the ALC 8500-2 Expert features a USB port which is used for communicating with
a PC. The charge and discharge process curves recorded using the integral data logger can then be
further processed on the computer. The easy-to-use "ChargeProfessional" PC software is ideal for
storing, assessing and archiving battery data. The ALC 8500-2 Expert can also be controlled and
operated entirely via the USB interface. Communication with the PC can be checked by observing
the LEDs (TX, RX) located on either side of the USB port.
10 The charger in use
Thanks to the straightforward menu system and the presence of a jog dial for selecting individual menu
points, the ALC 8500-2 Expert can be operated using only three buttons in addition to the mains
switch. The front panel of the charger features a pair of sockets for each charge panel, to which the
battery or batteries to be charged are connected.
The graphic screen and convenient menu system make it very simple to operate the charger.
10.1 Basic settings
The ALC 8500-2 Expert is switched on by pressing the mains switch located at bottom left of the front
panel. First a brief initialisation phase occurs, during which the top half of the screen displays all the
available segments, while the bottom (graphic) area displays the ALC 8500-2 name and the current
version of the firmware. If there is a power interruption, e.g. mains failure, the charger restarts the
function last carried out for each channel, and the screen displays the main window.
10.2 Main window
The main window in the top half of the screen shows detailed infor-
mation on the individual charge channels.
The bottom half of the screen provides an overall view of the four
charge channels available; at a glance the unambiguous symbols
clearly show the function currently running on each channel. Our
example (Fig. 2) shows a battery being charged at channel 1, another
pack being discharged at channel 2, and a third battery being dischar-
ged at channel 3 as part of the "Refresh" function; channel 4 is cur-
Fig. 2: Main window
rently not in use.
The available symbols and their meanings are shown in Fig. 3.
The jog dial can be used to call up detailed information on the indivi-
dual charge / discharge channels in the main window; this data is then
displayed in the top half of the screen.
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