Post-update battery weirdness - Page 12

MikeS · 05-04-2007, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloNL

If you guys can reach +2000 pages or even more on one charge and I can only reach +600 then maybe it's due to the fact I take maybe a month to read those 600 pages (or more)

diabloNL, please take a look at my first thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10155
Basically I had the same problem (usually I don't read fast) but it seems the 1 month limit is common to all PRS-500.
If this is not a physial battery limitation but firmware/software issue ('running OS' while being switched off, whatever it means exactly) then I wish Sony will do something about that. I would be more than happy to see still 4 bars after one month (with little reading) even with the increased time required to switch on ('booting OS'). Probably the best option would be to have a choice: 'hard switch off' (maximum energy save, longer start up) and 'normal switch off'. Unfortunately first Sony firmware update was far from perfect so I'm afraid they won't solve the battery problem anytime soon.

NatCh · 05-04-2007, 07:08 PM

You give me an interesting thought, MikeS. I wonder if a Reader were charged fully, and then had its reset button clicked, and were then left for a month, what the battery would do....

HarryT · 05-05-2007, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloNL

Well, I finished measuring and here are the numbers from the Dutch jury:

Conclusion: The difference between standby ("off") and "on" in idle is really small. The battery usage in standby ("off") is way too high and there is either something wrong with my Reader or with Sony's firmware/hardware.

Thanks, Diablo - that confirms exactly what I suspected, which is that the operating system runs pretty much the same way whether the Reader is on or off - turning it off does little more than blank the screen and disable a few buttons. ie, the CPU does not go into low power "standby" mode.

"nil point" would you say, for Sony?

diabloNL · 05-05-2007, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks, Diablo - that confirms exactly what I suspected, which is that the operating system runs pretty much the same way whether the Reader is on or off - turning it off does little more than blank the screen and disable a few buttons. ie, the CPU does not go into low power "standby" mode.

"nil point" would you say, for Sony?

I measured the current in standby mode after ~5 minutes it was "off". I don't know if there is a chance the Reader would go into a "low power mode" after some more time. I don't think so because the Reader is starting up just as fast after 1 minute of being "off" as it would after a week. So there is not a "hibernation" mode or anything. But I can't confirm this 100%.

Also if I calculate and look at my usage of the Reader then all makes sense to me know. I don't read a lot and since the Reader will loose it's charge in about 1 month it's not so strange I thought I had a bad battery.

So anyone wants to put their Reader down for a month and confirm? Volunteers? Helloooo....

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeS

diabloNL, please take a look at my first thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10155
Basically I had the same problem (usually I don't read fast) but it seems the 1 month limit is common to all PRS-500.
If this is not a physial battery limitation but firmware/software issue ('running OS' while being switched off, whatever it means exactly) then I wish Sony will do something about that. I would be more than happy to see still 4 bars after one month (with little reading) even with the increased time required to switch on ('booting OS'). Probably the best option would be to have a choice: 'hard switch off' (maximum energy save, longer start up) and 'normal switch off'. Unfortunately first Sony firmware update was far from perfect so I'm afraid they won't solve the battery problem anytime soon.

That would be nice if you could choose, but I'm not sure if they are able to do it through the software.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

You give me an interesting thought, MikeS. I wonder if a Reader were charged fully, and then had its reset button clicked, and were then left for a month, what the battery would do....

That wouldn't work because after the reset the Reader reboots and all is back to normal. Holding the Reset button down would probably work. Toothpick anyone?

NatCh · 05-05-2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloNL

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

You give me an interesting thought, MikeS. I wonder if a Reader were charged fully, and then had its reset button clicked, and were then left for a month, what the battery would do....

That wouldn't work because after the reset the Reader reboots and all is back to normal. Holding the Reset button down would probably work. Toothpick anyone?

I think (I'm not saying I know, 'cause I don't -- I want to be clear on that) that the Reader doesn't boot after a reset until you exercise the power button.

I do know that on a reset, the screen keeps whatever is on it until you exercise the power slide. And I think that when you exercise the power button after a reset, it does the same little routine regardless of how much time has elapsed since the reset was clicked.

Perhaps one of y'all who already routinely leave their Readers undisturbed for several days as part of their typical usage, might try reseting it (instead of just turning it off) when you know one of those lax periods is coming up. That might give us an idea.

I know I'm certainly not going to volunteer to leave my Reader alone for a month -- I get the DTs after a few hours!

I'm glad that it looks like your battery might be okay after all, DiabloNL, I can certainly see where it gave you the impression it did from what was going on.

diabloNL · 05-05-2007, 11:06 AM

It looks like you are right NatCh. I thought the Reader turned on after pressing the reset but it doesn't.

I think I will reset it every time when I finish reading to see if it makes a difference.

EDIT: every time I reset and select a book the "continue reading" is showing page 199. The funny thing is I'm at page 235.

So it's not very handy to reset it every time because it's not easy to go back where you left.

EDIT 2: I found out what's going on. The Reader will bring itself to the state when you last connected it to the PC. I just connected it and after the reset it remembered my last page 235. Even the "continue reading" on the first page was pointing to the right book.

BobVA · 05-05-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeS

. Probably the best option would be to have a choice: 'hard switch off' (maximum energy save, longer start up) and 'normal switch off'. Unfortunately first Sony firmware update was far from perfect so I'm afraid they won't solve the battery problem anytime soon.

Another option might be to add a physical power switch, in line with with battery. The simplest way would be something like a magnetic reed switch, which would require you to put a magnet over the "magic spot" when you want to hibernate the device. Or, if you don't use the MP3 player, it might be possible to re-purpose the headphone jack so that if you plug something into it, it disconnects the battery.

Another approach would be to put a MOSFET (solid state switch) between the battery and the circuit board, then toggle it on and off with a repurposed volume up/down switch.

There may be a less crude approach by forcing the CPU into/out of a standby state, interrupting the clock, etc. but that would require a lot of research and some more complex circuitry.

I'm not sure what the side effects would be; certainly the time-keeping would be stopped. And obviously the warranty would be out the window

It would be nice if Sony took MikeS's suggestion and put in "storage mode" in the firmware.

HarryT · 05-05-2007, 11:56 AM

This thread has made me slightly curious - how many of you do leave your Reader for weeks, unused? I'm like Nat - I use mine literally every few hours!

NatCh · 05-05-2007, 01:16 PM

Mmmm. MOSFETs! I love those little guys.

That sounds like a good poll question, HarryT, perhaps I'll put one up if you haven't already done so.

HarryT · 05-05-2007, 01:46 PM

I see you've done so - thanks!

Nightwing · 05-07-2007, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

You give me an interesting thought, MikeS. I wonder if a Reader were charged fully, and then had its reset button clicked, and were then left for a month, what the battery would do....

I think I can answer that.

After three week and no more than 15 pages grand total pages turned. After a full charge and the reset step. My unit has droped three bars... Turn about 3 to 4 per turn on and check the bars.

Going to, ugh, do one more week... Man this it drivng me nut NOT using the reader!

Before the last upgrade I think I got down to 1/2 bars during a month with major page flipping.

After next Sunday may do a full charge with reset. And do a test with max turning pages...

Nightwing · 05-07-2007, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloNL

Nightwing means that after the update the Reader can't hold its charge.

To be honest, my reader has shown this behavior already before the update. I thought I had a bad battery but now everyone has the same strange problems.

Wonder if the battery is bad?

HarryT · 05-07-2007, 02:15 AM

I don't think it's anything to do with the battery. Diablo's figures clearly show that the battery is draining because the Reader's operating system is drawing pretty much the same power whether the Reader is "on" or "off".

It's possible that the firmware update messed up some piece of code which should put the CPU into a low-power "standby" state when you turn the Reader off. If that is so, a future update should fix it. I note that one the "questions" on Sony's support web site is that "my battery life has decreased since the firmware upgrade" and the answer is "we're looking into it".

WilliamG · 05-07-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think it's anything to do with the battery. Diablo's figures clearly show that the battery is draining because the Reader's operating system is drawing pretty much the same power whether the Reader is "on" or "off".

It's possible that the firmware update messed up some piece of code which should put the CPU into a low-power "standby" state when you turn the Reader off. If that is so, a future update should fix it. I note that one the "questions" on Sony's support web site is that "my battery life has decreased since the firmware upgrade" and the answer is "we're looking into it".

That's something, at least! I can definitely say my battery life has decreased since the update. I did a little test myself, actually. I did a full charge, including the pull-AC-cord-out-put-AC-cord-back-in-while-Reader-on test. I had a full charge at that point. That was last Tuesday evening (May 1st). This morning (May 7) I have 3 out of 4 bars full. So in about 6 days, a bar drops. I also have a 2GB SD card in there. I never had such a drop before the update.

NatCh · 05-07-2007, 12:07 PM

I think I too can confidently say that my battery runs down a bit faster after the update.

The battery life is still more than ample for what I need, but it's a bit annoying to think it could be better and isn't.

05-05-2007, 11:06 AM	#171
diabloNL Gadget Force® Posts: 705 Karma: 2733 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The Netherlands Device: Sony PRS-300 + Cybook with funny screen :P	It looks like you are right NatCh. I thought the Reader turned on after pressing the reset but it doesn't. I think I will reset it every time when I finish reading to see if it makes a difference. EDIT: every time I reset and select a book the "continue reading" is showing page 199. The funny thing is I'm at page 235. So it's not very handy to reset it every time because it's not easy to go back where you left. EDIT 2: I found out what's going on. The Reader will bring itself to the state when you last connected it to the PC. I just connected it and after the reset it remembered my last page 235. Even the "continue reading" on the first page was pointing to the right book. Last edited by diabloNL; 05-05-2007 at 11:40 AM.

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05-04-2007, 07:08 PM	#167
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	You give me an interesting thought, MikeS. I wonder if a Reader were charged fully, and then had its reset button clicked, and were then left for a month, what the battery would do....

05-05-2007, 11:56 AM	#173
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	This thread has made me slightly curious - how many of you do leave your Reader for weeks, unused? I'm like Nat - I use mine literally every few hours!

05-05-2007, 01:16 PM	#174
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Mmmm. MOSFETs! I love those little guys. That sounds like a good poll question, HarryT, perhaps I'll put one up if you haven't already done so.

05-05-2007, 01:46 PM	#175
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I see you've done so - thanks!

05-07-2007, 02:15 AM	#178
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I don't think it's anything to do with the battery. Diablo's figures clearly show that the battery is draining because the Reader's operating system is drawing pretty much the same power whether the Reader is "on" or "off". It's possible that the firmware update messed up some piece of code which should put the CPU into a low-power "standby" state when you turn the Reader off. If that is so, a future update should fix it. I note that one the "questions" on Sony's support web site is that "my battery life has decreased since the firmware upgrade" and the answer is "we're looking into it".

05-07-2007, 12:07 PM	#180
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I think I too can confidently say that my battery runs down a bit faster after the update. The battery life is still more than ample for what I need, but it's a bit annoying to think it could be better and isn't.