This standard guides manufacturers/suppliers in planning and implementing the controls for the design and manufacture of lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) rechargeable battery packs used for multi-cell mobile computing devices. The provisions of this standard work together to define approaches to design, test, and evaluate a cell, battery pack, and host device to mitigate battery system failure. Additionally, this standard provides recommendations for end-user education and communication materials. This approach recommends the interfaces between subsystems (for example, cell, battery pack, host device, power adapter, etc.), and end users are as important to system reliability as is robust subsystem design and testing. This standard, therefore, includes subsystem interface design responsibilities for each subsystem manufacturer/supplier, and it provides messaging and communication provisions for end-user awareness. Therefore, the responsibility for total system reliability is shared between the designers/manufacturers/suppliers of the subsystems and the end user. Compliance to this standard requires adherence to all the provisions of the standard.

This standard establishes criteria for design analysis for qualification, quality, and reliability of rechargeable battery systems for multi-cell mobile computing devices. It also provides methods for quantifying the operational performance of these batteries and their associated management and control systems including considerations for end-user notification. This standard covers rechargeable battery systems for mobile computing. The battery technologies covered are limited to Li-ion and Li-ion polymer, but future versions of this standard may include technologies that are not in general use at present. Also included are: battery pack electrical and mechanical construction; system, pack, and cell level charge and discharge controls; and battery status communications. The following are addressed: qualification process; manufacturing process control; energy capacity and demand management; levels of management and control in the battery systems; and current and planned lithium-based battery chemistries, packaging technologies, and considerations for end-user notification.