What does it mean when specifications for a battery says “protected”? What is it protecting?
A. The “protected” batteries have an internal circuit (mounted on the end of the battery) that senses if there is trouble – such as a sudden increase in the current demand (a sharp down-spike in the external circuit’s resistance). In flashlights and LASERS, there are normally no sudden “spikes” in current demand once the initial “turn-on” surge passes. For example, if a “protected” battery is used in a FLASHLIGHT whose LED Diode suddenly shorts out or presents ZERO-Ohms of resistance at battery, the protection circuit “trips” like a circuit breaker, and stops the flow of current, which if allowed to continue, would possibly cause the battery to leak or explode. In DIY LASERS, the Driver Board sits between the LASER Diode and the battery, and a Diode short would trip the protection circuit in (a quality) the Driver. However, if the Driver Board itself shorts out at the INPUT side, it would invoke the battery’s “protection” circuit, and the current would stop.
A. The “protected” batteries have an internal circuit (mounted on the end of the battery) that senses if there is trouble such as a sudden increase in the current demand (a sharp down-spike in the external circuit’s resistance). In flashlights and LASERS, there are normally no sudden “spikes” in current demand once the initial “turn-on” surge passes. For example, if a “protected” battery is used in a FLASHLIGHT whose LED Diode suddenly shorts out or presents ZERO-Ohms of resistance at battery, the protection circuit “trips” like a circuit breaker, and stops the flow of current, which if allowed to continue, would possibly cause the battery to leak or explode. In DIY LASERS, the Driver Board sits between the LASER Diode and the battery, and a Diode short would trip the protection circuit in (a quality) the Driver. However, if the Driver Board itself shorts out at the INPUT side, it would invoke the battery’s “protection” circuit, and the current would stop.
