- Automation & Control Gear
- Cables & Wires
- Enclosures & Server Racks
- Fuses & Circuit Breakers
- HVAC, Fans & Thermal Management
- Lighting
- Relays & Signal Conditioning
- Switches
- Batteries & Chargers
- Connectors
- Displays & Optoelectronics
- ESD Control, Cleanroom & PCB Prototyping
- Passive Components
- Power Supplies & Transformers
- Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ROCK, STEM Education & Development Tools
- Semiconductors
Computer Backup Batteries
Computer backup batteries are alternative power sources for a computer when the main power source gets disrupted or is unavailable. Computer backup batteries are made from Lithium Thionyl Chloride which offers high energy density and low voltage discharge functionalities. This is often called the CMOS battery or BIOS battery.
What are computer backup batteries used for?
These batteries, also called terminals, are single cell blocks that provide back up power and therefore retain settings within computers when the power supply is disrupted. In corporate buildings or power station facilities, battery rooms filled with numerous terminal blocks ensure uninterrupted power supply in data centres.
Computer backup batteries are used in motherboard hardware to keep configuration memory and timing/clock settings when the PC is switched off.
When used in the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) of a computer, they provide enough time for the user to properly shut down the machine when power outages occur. As BBU's (battery backup units) they act as onboard disk buffers to retain the contents of the cache after a power disruption.
Types of computer backup batteries
Many varieties of computer backup batteries exist, and they are usually categorised by the supplier/manufacturer of the corresponding PC brand, model or type. Before choosing your computer backup battery, there are several factors you will need to know in order to make sure your chosen battery can fulfil your requirements, especially if you are using it as part of your UPS. You will need to know:
- Capacity: how much power can this backup battery provide when used in a UPS? The higher the capacity, the more electronic devices it can support.
- Load: to know what Capacity to look for, you will need to calculate the Load, which is the combined power used by each of your devices. You will also need to know the number of power cables you will want to connect to your UPS to ensure there are enough outlets.
- Runtime: how long do you want your UPS or backup battery to support your devices? The minimum runtime should cover the length of time it takes to complete a full shutdown to prevent loss of data.
