Inkplate 6PLUS 6FLICK lithium battery charging via USB-C safety

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Inkplate
1

Customer:

I was working with an older Inkplate 6PLUS v1 display with a lithium battery connection. I charged it with a powerbank via USB-C while the display was running. The lithium battery expanded and looked dangerous, so I had to dispose of it.

I’m planning to buy new 6FLICK displays. Is charging via USB-C while running the display the intended way to use these boards, or should I charge the lithium battery externally and swap them out? Are there charging components on the board designed for this?

Originally submitted via email support on 20 November 2024. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.

2

Soldered Support:

Charging via USB-C is absolutely intended to work this way. When USB is connected, it will charge the battery. When USB is disconnected, it will drain the battery.

What may have happened with your older model is that the battery was stored for a long time without charge. It’s recommended to store lithium-ion batteries with some charge in them, as this extends their shelf life.

I recommend adding a call to readBattery() in your code to trigger a low battery alert and ensure your battery isn’t completely empty.