Battery & Charging

[PleoWorldHostCami]

Remember to check out PleoWorld (http://pleoworld.com) for News, FAQ, Videos, How to Order and Updates on Pleo.

If you dont see your answer here please go to PleoFAQ (http://pleoworld.com/support/faq!section=general) Use the drop down menu to find the category for the answer you are looking for.

Charging Pleo by USB was not done as it would be very slow.

Pleo is designed for the exact battery shipped. The internal "smart charger" chip will not work with other battery chemistries.

Pleo can be run on a partial charge. However, do keep in mind that NiMH batteries exhibit a "memory" so it is best to run them until Pleo goes to sleep and then fully recharge them. However you can get away with the occasional "partial charge" without much trouble.

Pleo's battery is replaceable and it will be possible to buy additional batteries.

Pleo's persistent properties such as life stages, age and learning, etc will not be lost even when the battery is fully run down or even removed as they are stored in flash memory.

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Q: Will Pleo's new charger be a Smart Charger?
A: The battery charger for Pleo uses an industry standard "smart chip" in the charging circuit.

Q: How does the external battery and charger work with Pleo?
A: The battery goes in the same place in Pleo as before (his belly), except that now it is designed to be removed easily and frequently. Once removed, the battery is charged in the external charger, then placed back in Pleo once fully charged.

Q: Why did you change to the external charger design?
A: As we neared production, we encountered some difficulties with Pleos charging consistently. Combined with the input you have given us about wanting multiple batteries that were easy to remove and charge, we decided that solving our charging problems and answering the call for an external charger was paramount.

Q: How long does Pleo need to dream?
A: Pleo has one up on us humans -- he doesn't need to dream to process his waking activities. He can just do that on the fly.

Q: Has the battery changed?
A: The type of battery has not changed, only the method of charging.

Q: How much will extra batteries and the charger cost, will the be shipped seperately, and how soon can they be ordered?
A: As of right now, the extra batteries and/or external chargers will be shipped separately. We'll keep you updated on when they will be available for purchase.

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Q: When will extra batter packs be available.
A: As of right now a date has not been set for extra battery sales. Extra batteries will be available as soon as it is possible.

[PleoWorldHostCami]

A) The battery in the cradle properly, it glows steady red, and 10 - 30 minutes later it glows a steady green light.

1)Have they tried removing the battery from the cradle and reinstalling it to see if it will charge properly? How many times?

2) Also, is the battery warm after charging? A properly charged battery will be warm when its charge is complete. If a battery switches from red to green and is not warm, something has caused the charger to falsely detect a “charge complete”.

3) The batteries are shipped in an uncharged state and they should require a minimum of two hours before the charge is complete (green light) on the first charge cycle. Also, a properly charged battery will be warm when it is complete. If a battery switches from red to green and is not warm, something has caused the charger to falsely detect a “charge complete”.

B) Pleo has no power.

1. How long did you charge the battery? Battery should charge 2 - 3 hours minimim.

2. When you charge the battery, make sure the battery is oriented and fully seated (the diagonal tab located on the bottom of the battery pack allows the battery to go into the charging cradle in one way - so the tab is oriented to the matching slot in the base of the cradle. The battery needs to be put firmly into the cradle and you will hear 2 clicks when you do it properly. The power light will glow a steady red until Pleo's battery is fully charged when it will turn into a steady green glow.

3. Check the cord connection at the base of the charging cradle. It is possible for the cord to pull out of the socket just enough to cause an intermittent connection while still looking like it is tightly plugged in.

4. The battery will not charge if it is too cold or too hot. If either of these conditions are present when you seat the battery in the cradle, the red light will blink off and on until the battery comes within an acceptable temperature range at which time it will start charging. This could result in a customer thinking that Pleo has charged longer than he actually has.

C) The battery is not charging.

1) There are no lights when battery is correctly seated in the cradle. Check that the power cable is seated into the back of the charger.

D) The lights on the charging cradle are flashing red.

1. The battery is not seated properly. When you charge the battery, make sure the battery is oriented and fully seated (the diagonal tab located on the bottom of the battery pack allows the battery to go into the charging cradle in one way - so the tab is oriented to the matching slot in the base of the cradle. The battery needs to be put firmly into the cradle and you will hear 2 clicks when you do it properly. The power light will glow a steady red until Pleo's battery is fully charged when it will turn into a steady green glow.

2. The battery could be either too hot or too cold. Wait for the battery to get to room temperature and then try charging again.

[PleoWorldHostSauri]

Q. Is the battery charger a trickle charger?

A. There is no trickle charge. Once the green LEDs are on, charge is complete and the battery is electrically disconnected from the charger. You can leave the battery in the cradle forever.

However, if the power is cycled (meaning you take a fully charged battery), and you remove and reinstall the battery, the charge cycle will repeat… meaning you will see solid red LEDs indicating the battery is being charged again.