Opus Power question about my Opus

Fallingwater · 06-24-2011, 03:46 PM

I find it quite irritating that, when the reader goes into standby, it switches to an image. Since it resumes almost instantly, it'd make more sense to leave the current page on.

What I'm wondering is: how much, if any, power does it eat when idle during normal reading, inbetween a page turn and the next, as opposed to standby?
I ask because I suspect there's no difference between standby and page-to-page idle (the time it takes to resume is about the same it takes to page-turn), and the suspend feature might just have been added for the benefit of the sort of people who don't get how e-ink works and worry that the reader is wasting power if they don't switch it off somehow.

If that's indeed the case, I could just set it to never go into "standby" and have it work as I'd like, with no battery life reduction whatsoever.

Anyone know if this theory is sound? I'd test it myself but I lack the tools to measure current in the super-low amount it draws when not running the display...

Billi · 06-24-2011, 04:51 PM

I know this is not a direct answer to your question but if you really are concerned of battery consumption then don't use sleep mode at all but turn the opus properly off. Bookeen states that while turned off the device will use 30% less power than in sleep mode, but it will discharge the battery (a little bit) in any case.

HarryT · 06-25-2011, 02:22 AM

Surely when it's genuinely turned off, the Opus should use no power at all, other than the extremely slow natural discharge rate of the battery?

Adoby · 06-25-2011, 03:51 AM

Yes, but is it genuinly turned off? It is possible that there is some power used in the circuits that detect when the power button is pressed to start the reader again. But most likely that power consumption is much less than the selfdischarge from the battery, so not really noticeable.

The fact that the same button is used for both types of shutdown (full/sleep) suggests to me that the button is more than a simple power switch that completely breaks all power consumption.

Fallingwater · 06-25-2011, 05:52 AM

As stated, soft-off buttons always impose a tiny vampiric draw on the battery (rather more than the battery's self-discharge, which is really really low for lithium rechargeables), because circuitry needs to be energized to keep them able to work. This could easily be solved by using standard circuit-breaking switches for total off, but somehow few products, if any, use them today.
It'd be trivial to add such a micro-switch on the battery wires, but that's not really what I'm after - I just need to know if page-to-page idle is the same as standby/sleep.

bob123 · 06-25-2011, 09:59 AM

Interesting question! I think if you are just putting it in sleep for a few minutes then it will probably take more power because of the change of screen.
If you have a charger handy (so you won't mind when you run out of battery) try reading not turning it off till it tuns completely out of battery and then try it with putting it in sleep in between reading and see what happens! (not very exact but might give you an approximation of which take more power.)

Billi · 06-25-2011, 02:03 PM

In the times between two page turns it's only the screen that doesn't need any power. Other parts like the processor are working and consume power, so device is not "idle".
I would assume that the Opus consumes less power in sleep mode than in these "idle times", otherwise the sleep mode would not be more than a keylock and could be named that way.

Godzil · 06-27-2011, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallingwater

It'd be trivial to add such a micro-switch on the battery wires, but that's not really what I'm after - I just need to know if page-to-page idle is the same as standby/sleep.

No it's not. Standby/sleep draw less battery than "idle" mode.

And "idle" mode draw less battery than "working/calculating" mode.

In fact "standby" and "idle" mode are nearly the same low power mode for the processor, but peripherals are not powered the same way. Standby/sleep mode, only the power button can wakeup the device, where in "idle" mode, all buttons, accelerometer, and other part are no powered off.

06-24-2011, 03:46 PM	#1
Fallingwater Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 4132 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Bookeen Cybook Opus	Power question about my Opus I find it quite irritating that, when the reader goes into standby, it switches to an image. Since it resumes almost instantly, it'd make more sense to leave the current page on. What I'm wondering is: how much, if any, power does it eat when idle during normal reading, inbetween a page turn and the next, as opposed to standby? I ask because I suspect there's no difference between standby and page-to-page idle (the time it takes to resume is about the same it takes to page-turn), and the suspend feature might just have been added for the benefit of the sort of people who don't get how e-ink works and worry that the reader is wasting power if they don't switch it off somehow. If that's indeed the case, I could just set it to never go into "standby" and have it work as I'd like, with no battery life reduction whatsoever. Anyone know if this theory is sound? I'd test it myself but I lack the tools to measure current in the super-low amount it draws when not running the display... Last edited by Fallingwater; 06-24-2011 at 03:52 PM.

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06-24-2011, 04:51 PM	#2
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	I know this is not a direct answer to your question but if you really are concerned of battery consumption then don't use sleep mode at all but turn the opus properly off. Bookeen states that while turned off the device will use 30% less power than in sleep mode, but it will discharge the battery (a little bit) in any case.

06-25-2011, 02:22 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Surely when it's genuinely turned off, the Opus should use no power at all, other than the extremely slow natural discharge rate of the battery?

06-25-2011, 03:51 AM	#4
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	Yes, but is it genuinly turned off? It is possible that there is some power used in the circuits that detect when the power button is pressed to start the reader again. But most likely that power consumption is much less than the selfdischarge from the battery, so not really noticeable. The fact that the same button is used for both types of shutdown (full/sleep) suggests to me that the button is more than a simple power switch that completely breaks all power consumption.

06-25-2011, 05:52 AM	#5
Fallingwater Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 4132 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Bookeen Cybook Opus	As stated, soft-off buttons always impose a tiny vampiric draw on the battery (rather more than the battery's self-discharge, which is really really low for lithium rechargeables), because circuitry needs to be energized to keep them able to work. This could easily be solved by using standard circuit-breaking switches for total off, but somehow few products, if any, use them today. It'd be trivial to add such a micro-switch on the battery wires, but that's not really what I'm after - I just need to know if page-to-page idle is the same as standby/sleep.

06-25-2011, 09:59 AM	#6
bob123 Addict Posts: 237 Karma: 34996 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Cybook	Interesting question! I think if you are just putting it in sleep for a few minutes then it will probably take more power because of the change of screen. If you have a charger handy (so you won't mind when you run out of battery) try reading not turning it off till it tuns completely out of battery and then try it with putting it in sleep in between reading and see what happens! (not very exact but might give you an approximation of which take more power.)

06-25-2011, 02:03 PM	#7
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	In the times between two page turns it's only the screen that doesn't need any power. Other parts like the processor are working and consume power, so device is not "idle". I would assume that the Opus consumes less power in sleep mode than in these "idle times", otherwise the sleep mode would not be more than a keylock and could be named that way.

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