The purpose of the field report is to pass on relevant information about the performance of the product and why users misinterpret a bad battery for a broken device.

The use case is the Intermec CN70 in storage facilities tracking assets since 2012. These devices are operated by both a permanent and a temporary work force.

The initial feedback on the devices was very positive. Over time the users started to complain about the Cn70 units failing. These reports were only occurring in facilities that had an extremely high usage of the devices. Most of these complaints were unexpected shut down or black screens on the units. The spreading issue was being blamed of faulty devices.

A common theme when the root cause isn’t understood or the expectations are beyond what the device is capable of providing is the users blamed the device, when the issue is with aging batteries. High use sites rotate or hot swap batteries and similar symptoms were being seen across the facility. The batteries had been in service for 3-5 years. Upon further investigation the battery diagnostic utility on the units wasn’t being used to determine the health state of the battery Users only relied on the charge indicator and if it was above 50%. This status bar was misleading them into thinking a battery was preforming optimally when in fact it was not capable of holding a charge.

By implementing a battery replacement schedule these issues can be avoided. Most batteries will perform well for a period of 2 years under normal use conditions. However extreme use cases can deplete batteries after a year. It’s important to understand the use conditions and to monitor the health of your batteries.

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