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Update Battery Benchmark plugin in the manual to correct some out-of-date

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information, and rewrite some sections to improve the English.


git-svn-id: svn://svn.rockbox.org/rockbox/trunk@20352 a1c6a512-1295-4272-9138-f99709370657
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Alex Parker 2009-03-18 22:37:24 +00:00
parent 41959d0970
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97
manual/plugins/batterybenchmark.tex
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@ -1,20 +1,19 @@
\subsection{Battery Benchmark} \subsection{Battery Benchmark}
The Battery Benchmark Plugin enables you to test your battery's performance, The \setting{Battery Benchmark} plugin enables you to test your battery's
while making normal use of your \dap. Once loaded it will run in the performance whilst using your \dap\ normally. Results can be submitted
background (TSR plugin), reading various info about your battery while you use to the \wikilink{BatteryRuntime} wiki page.
it. Once you finish your session you can find the benchmark output data in a
file on your \dap\ \fname{/battery\_bench.txt}.
Please submit your results to the Rockbox wiki.
\wikilink{BatteryRuntime}
\subsubsection{How it works} \subsubsection{How it works}
After you load the plug-in the operation of your \dap\ continues as normal. Once loaded, \setting{Battery Benchmark} runs in the
You can do whatever you could do before loading the plugin except loading background recording various information about your battery to memory.
another plugin. If you happen to load a plugin while benchmarking, a splash A new point is written to memory every minute.
screen will inform you about the termination of the benchmark. Every time the disk is accessed for any reason
While you operate it will log various battery related information every time (such as refilling the audio buffer, opening a directory or entering
the disk is activated by external causes, (buffer refill, open directory, USB mode etc.) then the information in memory is written to disk.
USB mode) or an hour passes without updating the log file.\\ Once the memory becomes full (after many hours), then the data
are written to disk anyway. This is done so that the data are not biased by
excessive additional disk accesses. The file is written to the root
directory of your \dap\ and is called \fname{battery\_bench.txt}.
The plugin will continue to log info until: The plugin will continue to log info until:
\begin{itemize} \begin{itemize}
@ -22,49 +21,43 @@ The plugin will continue to log info until:
\item The \dap\ is shut down. \item The \dap\ is shut down.
\item The battery is empty. \item The battery is empty.
\end{itemize} \end{itemize}
Between disk activity (or an hour), it will log info in memory (every
measurement is captured when the voltage changes). If there are too many Benchmarks can be resumed if
measurements older entries will be deleted and the log file will inform the you accidentally load a plugin, or turn off your \dap, so long as the log
user about the interval where entries were lost. Benchmarks can be resumed if file \fname{battery\_bench.txt} is not deleted.
you accidentally load a plugin, or turn off your \dap, as long as the log
file \fname{/battery\_bench.txt} is not deleted.
\subsubsection{Information explained} \subsubsection{Information explained}
On the top of the file you will see various info on how to use the plugin. At the top of the \fname{battery\_bench.txt} file is various
information on how to use the plugin, followed by the data themselves.
\begin{description} \begin{description}
\item[Time] This column reports the total time of operation of the \dap. It is \item[Time] This column reports the total time of operation of the \dap. It is
not the time that you started the plug-in. If you have your player on for 5 not the time that you started the plug-in. If you have your \dap\ on for 5
minutes and then start the plugin, it will start measuring from 5 minutes. minutes and then start the plugin, it will start measuring from 5 minutes.
\item[Seconds] As time, it shows time passed in seconds. Nothing special, it is \item[Seconds] The same as \config{Time}, except measured in seconds.
there because it is free and maybe someone might want to make graphs with \item[Level] The percent level of the battery estimated by Rockbox, and not the
seconds. actual battery level. The actual battery level can be seen from the
\item[Level] The percent level of the battery estimated by Rockbox. This is an \config{Voltage} column
estimation and not an accurate result. Using the real percentage (current \item[Time Left] This shows the time remaining until the battery is empty,
battery voltage / top battery voltage) * 100) we can calculate the difference again as estimated by Rockbox.
between the estimation. Goal of this column is to make the estimation algorithm \item[Voltage] The battery voltage in mV at the moment the measurement
of Rockbox more accurate. was taken.
\item[Time Left] It shows the estimated (by Rockbox) remaining time until \item[C] This stands for Charger. An "A" in that column shows if the power
shutdown. Again, as with Level(above), this column can be used to see adapter was attached to the unit at the time of the measurement.
differences between real time left and estimated time left. This could help
make time left more accurate.
\item[Voltage] The battery voltage, the moment the measurement was captured.
Measurements are captured when this number changes while benchmarking.
This column can be used to give quite interesting graphs in a spreadsheet
program. (Excel, Calc, e.t.c)
\item[M/DA] (Measurements per Disk Activity) The number of measurements stored
temporarily in memory, before written on the log file. This can give you an
idea of how many voltage changes there are between disk activity (or one hour).
\item[C] Stands for Charger. An "A" in that column shows if there was the power
adapter attached to the unit, at the time of the measurement.
\item[S] The "S" column shows the state of the device (Charging, or not). The
"C" indicated that the unit was charging when the measurement was captured.
\item[U] USB powered. Only for targets that support this. A "U" will indicate \item[U] USB powered. Only for targets that support this. A "U" will indicate
if the unit was using the USB port for powering. if the unit was using the USB port for power at the time of the measurement.
\end{description} \end{description}
\subsubsection{Making graphs} \subsubsection{Usage}
While you can tell how long your battery lasted, with a single look at the last The log file can be used to tell you how long the battery lasted (with some
line of the battery log (\fname{/battery\_bench.txt}), the most useful purpose of limitations, see below), but it is most useful for graphing discharge curves
Battery Benchmark is to make graphs using a spreadsheet program like Excel or in order to improve Rockbox's estimation of battery level and time remaining.
Calc. The battery log (\fname{/battery\_bench.txt}) is in CSV format (comma separated) The battery log (\fname{battery\_bench.txt}) is in CSV format
so you can quite easily import it to a spreadsheet program. (comma separated variables) and thus can be easily imported into a spreadsheet
or similar program.
\subsubsection{Limitations}
As \setting{Battery Benchmark} needs to write the data held in memory to
disk in order to save them, it is possible that should Rockbox shut down
due to low battery then there will not be enough power remaining to write the
data to disk. Therefore all measurements since the previous save will be lost.