Battery %

jamesjmunro · 10-10-2008, 05:06 PM

Hello all,
I just ordered my 505 after using my Sony Clie TH55 for many years as a basic ereader (cracked the screen Monday), and am just wondering if anyone thinks it is possible to reprogram the battery level indicator to display a remaining % rather than using the icon? This is just a feature I really found handy in the software I was using on the Clie and since I tend to be a real numbers person would really like to have it on the 505.

Seabound · 10-10-2008, 06:32 PM

The Sony PRS-505 battery indicator has 4 bars, so I guess that sorta gives you a percentage.

jamesjmunro · 10-10-2008, 06:37 PM

Thanks, I am aware of that, however I was hoping to have an actual number. There's a big difference between 25% (one bar) and 2% (still one bar?).

I see an interger value assigned to the battery in the xml files, but am not clear if it is used for actual power levels. I also have no idea how (if possible) to replace the icon designated area with text. I have only had a few minutes to peek at the xmls and was hoping someone who has worked with them could give me an idea.

dordale · 10-11-2008, 03:18 AM

Don't know that it's possible to reprogram to show a percentage.

I used to read on my Clie and like you hacked it to show a % instead of just the bars. I found that really useful on the Clie, because the battery drained so fast. I also find that I don't miss it on my Reader--because of the long battery life. My battery rarely gets below two full bars before I decide to recharge it.

dordale

jamesjmunro · 10-20-2008, 10:49 AM

Thanks Dordale,
guess I've gotten used to a rapidly dropping battery rate reading on the Clie. Reading on a device intended for it may take some getting used to

.

I still may look at this a bit down the road (once I have a few work projects out of the way), like I said, I'm very munch a numbers person.

jamesjmunro · 10-22-2008, 12:04 AM

Well, I got it to display a %

, unfortunately the Battery variable reports 100, 74, 49, etc.

No use beyond the icons.

Does anyone have a decent list of system variables? I'm new to this and have no idea if there's a way to find them beyond what is called in the xmls.

jamesjmunro · 10-28-2008, 06:46 PM

Thought I'd try again.

Just wondering if any one of the advanced progammers in here knows where variables in main.xml like: FIRMWARE_VERSION, DEVICE_ID, BATTERY, POWER, ADOBE_STATUS, etc are being referenced from?

There is a ton of sourcecode and I am not familiar with Linux enough to have an idea of where to start looking

. I'd just like to find a more complete list of environmental variables than what I see being getVariable'd in the xmls.

Any help out there?

ProDigit · 11-10-2008, 04:22 PM

Seeing that the battery uses only 2 leads to connect to the device, I suspect the device is doing an average measuring(since it does not have a hardware controller on the battery).
this makes me believe that numbers make only little sense. Meaning, when yo powerup the device,you'll see maybe 96% of batterylife? even if there's in reality only 20%left.
Then it would drop rapidly untill it'll stay somewhat around 19%.
Next time you'll restart the device same thing...
I don't think any measurement smaller than 20% makes sence here, since it would be inaccurate anyway.

The closest you can get results in % is getting it in 20% increments. Otherwise there needs to be a program created that keeps count of how many hours the device is active, and how many page turns.
Also if it's text or pictures, lrf or pdf, SD card or internal memory (since obviously the one consumes more energy than the other).
Such a program will consume battery,and would only be a softwarematic patch,though the device does not support it hardwarematic.

But then again Sony already uses a program like that which on average measures voltage.

Anyone has tried to let their 505 go completely empty?

10-10-2008, 05:06 PM	#1
jamesjmunro Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Saskatoon, SK Device: PRS-505	Battery % Hello all, I just ordered my 505 after using my Sony Clie TH55 for many years as a basic ereader (cracked the screen Monday), and am just wondering if anyone thinks it is possible to reprogram the battery level indicator to display a remaining % rather than using the icon? This is just a feature I really found handy in the software I was using on the Clie and since I tend to be a real numbers person would really like to have it on the 505.

10-22-2008, 12:04 AM	#6
jamesjmunro Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Saskatoon, SK Device: PRS-505	Displayed % but ... Well, I got it to display a % , unfortunately the Battery variable reports 100, 74, 49, etc. No use beyond the icons. Does anyone have a decent list of system variables? I'm new to this and have no idea if there's a way to find them beyond what is called in the xmls.

11-10-2008, 04:22 PM	#8
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	Seeing that the battery uses only 2 leads to connect to the device, I suspect the device is doing an average measuring(since it does not have a hardware controller on the battery). this makes me believe that numbers make only little sense. Meaning, when yo powerup the device,you'll see maybe 96% of batterylife? even if there's in reality only 20%left. Then it would drop rapidly untill it'll stay somewhat around 19%. Next time you'll restart the device same thing... I don't think any measurement smaller than 20% makes sence here, since it would be inaccurate anyway. The closest you can get results in % is getting it in 20% increments. Otherwise there needs to be a program created that keeps count of how many hours the device is active, and how many page turns. Also if it's text or pictures, lrf or pdf, SD card or internal memory (since obviously the one consumes more energy than the other). Such a program will consume battery,and would only be a softwarematic patch,though the device does not support it hardwarematic. But then again Sony already uses a program like that which on average measures voltage. Anyone has tried to let their 505 go completely empty? Last edited by ProDigit; 11-10-2008 at 04:24 PM.

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10-10-2008, 06:32 PM	#2
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	The Sony PRS-505 battery indicator has 4 bars, so I guess that sorta gives you a percentage.

10-10-2008, 06:37 PM	#3
jamesjmunro Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Saskatoon, SK Device: PRS-505	Thanks, I am aware of that, however I was hoping to have an actual number. There's a big difference between 25% (one bar) and 2% (still one bar?). I see an interger value assigned to the battery in the xml files, but am not clear if it is used for actual power levels. I also have no idea how (if possible) to replace the icon designated area with text. I have only had a few minutes to peek at the xmls and was hoping someone who has worked with them could give me an idea.

10-11-2008, 03:18 AM	#4
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	Don't know that it's possible to reprogram to show a percentage. I used to read on my Clie and like you hacked it to show a % instead of just the bars. I found that really useful on the Clie, because the battery drained so fast. I also find that I don't miss it on my Reader--because of the long battery life. My battery rarely gets below two full bars before I decide to recharge it. dordale

10-20-2008, 10:49 AM	#5
jamesjmunro Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Saskatoon, SK Device: PRS-505	Thanks Dordale, guess I've gotten used to a rapidly dropping battery rate reading on the Clie. Reading on a device intended for it may take some getting used to . I still may look at this a bit down the road (once I have a few work projects out of the way), like I said, I'm very munch a numbers person.

10-28-2008, 06:46 PM	#7
jamesjmunro Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Saskatoon, SK Device: PRS-505	Thought I'd try again. Just wondering if any one of the advanced progammers in here knows where variables in main.xml like: FIRMWARE_VERSION, DEVICE_ID, BATTERY, POWER, ADOBE_STATUS, etc are being referenced from? There is a ton of sourcecode and I am not familiar with Linux enough to have an idea of where to start looking . I'd just like to find a more complete list of environmental variables than what I see being getVariable'd in the xmls. Any help out there?

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