How to Select Your IoT Battery | What to Consider

Next in the Series of IoT fundamentals is the process of selecting best IoT battery for your application. We look at the short list of items you need to consider when selecting a battery for your project, and take a quick look at the comparison between different battery types

cup of coffee and open Mind.

First we need to look at the battery categories, there are 8 main considerations you need to take when selecting a battery and often this selection process is a compromise between different items.

The 8 items are

1. Rechargeable vs Non Rechargeable
2. Energy Density
3. Cell voltage
4. Opperating Temperature Range
5. Chemistry
6. Shelf Life
7. Availablity
8. Cost

1. Rechargeable vs Non Rechargeable

This one may seem eacy enough but often the complexity of charging a battery makes the cost of the product more expensive so you really need to consider if you are willing to pay the extra cost for the product. More details are explained in the video. be sure not to miss it.

When it comes to energy density, it relates the the chemical make up of the battery and how much energy(charge) can be fitted into a given volume. This is important as different batteries can make a big difference in performance for the same given volume

The opperating temperature range where the IoT device will be deployed depends highyl on the application. not all batteries can be used in extreme temperatures without damage or just dont work at all. Selecting the corect range is key here

Thep 5 Relates closely with step 3 and 4 as the chemistry is often what is used to determine the density and the temperature range, but the Chemistry has a dark side... not all battery chemistry is allowed for international travel due to there chemical make up. So you need to be sure that the Battery/Chemistry you select will not run into any of these issues during shipping or deployement.

This simply refers to the amount of time, a fully charged battery can be stored before it should be replaced or considered drained. All batteries have a shelf life and this should be taken into consideration

Simply put, there are some amazing batteries out there, but its pointless building a product with a battery no one can find/buy. this often is the cuase for alot of product life cycle ends becuase they cannot be serviced.

Find a good supplier and ask them what is the expected availability of the battery you are planning to use.

Some of the batteries discussed in the video, can cost alot of money and although they might work really well for your product, they might make the product to expensive to start with and it will not work well at scale. So often a second best option is selected to makes sure the performance is decent and price is acceptable.